Back to Home page
39 DEMOGRAFIE, 1998, Vol. 40, N? 3, Special issue devoted to Romanies in Czech Republic:
"Willingness and Compliance Has to Be Mutual" [Vstr?cnost mus? b?t vz?jemn?].
In autumn 1996, the Conference devoted to Romanies organized by the Czech Demographic Society had stated the absence of any state policy towards Romanies and growing racism. Nowdays, there is a government interdepartmental commission, established recently, but it does not exclude the existence of new racist excesses, agression and lack of understanding. This special issue gathered nine contribution papers focusing on two key thematic circles: problems of mutual coexistence of Ramanies with the majority of population, and their education.
Czeck - pp. 157-193.
(CZECH REPUBLIC, ETHNIC GROUPS, CULTURAL CONTACTS, SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, EDUCATION.)
*****
39 DEMOGRAFIE, 1998, Vol. 40, N? 4
00.39.2 - KUCERA, Milan; ?IMEK, Miroslav.
Population development in the Czech Republic in 1997 [V?voj obyvatelstva Cesk? republiky v roce 1997].
In 1997 demographic processes ran in accordance with recent years' tendencies, i.e. the trend of postponing marriages as well as the late reproduction continued. Thus a high "stock" of young single people was created so that after an insignificant growth of nuptiality intensity of single persons above 25, the number of concluded marriages grew up of almost 4,000. Divorciality remained on the level of previous years. Decrease of the number of children born has temporarily stopped but the indicators of total fertility rate has still declined to 1.17 children per female. Further more, the number of abortions has declined, total abortive rate has decreased to 0.61 (since the beginning of the 90s the decrease of 60%). Mortality remained on the previous year's level, structure of deaths, by death cause has hardly changed, the life expectancy has grown of only 0.1-0.2 years. Also the population shortage due to natural movement in amount of 22,000 has not changed, with higher immigration level, however, the total decrease of population has declined. Number of the Republic's inhabitants has diminished the limit of 10.3 millions.
Czech - pp. 233-246.
(CZECH REPUBLIC, POPULATION DYNAMICS, POPULATION SITUATION, POPULATION DECREASE.)
*****
00.39.3 - RYCHTAR?KOV?, Jitka; KOSCHIN, Felix.
The 28th Conference of the Czech Demographic Society "Present Trends and Formulae of Demographic Behaviour - Europe and Ourselves" (20 May 1998) [XXVIII. konference Cesk? demografick? spolecnosti " Soucasn? trendy a vzorce demografick?ho chov?n? - Evropa a my " (20. 5. 1998)].
Europe is the continent for a long time divided in a political way and consequently in a demographic way too. Political situation has changed at the beginning of the 90s. But in what way the demographic situation has changed? The previously separated halves of Europe come together or the demographic development runs in each of them in a different way? The values of demographic indicators describing behaviour of the East-European populations have changed much significantly in the 90s and indicated the application of different trends unknown during past decades. We do not know whether these changes represent a delayed enforcement of trends we could observe in the western half of Europe or whether it concerns another specific way -- response to basic change of socioeconomic factors.
The objective of conference consisted in grasping the variance and similarity of demographic behaviour patterns as well as of the trends of demographic development of European populations and to refer to the environment surrounding demographic processes. Due to this reason the conference was divided in two thematic blocks. The first part was oriented at the confrontation of population development of western (and also nothern and southern) as well as eastern Europe and at the confrontation of population behaviour in the 90s and in previous decades. In this connection even the theory of the second demographic transition and its applicability for clarification of recent demographic development of the Eastern Europe was discussed. The following contributions dealt with the above mentioned topic: Jirina Koucourkova "Population development of Eastern and Western Europe during 1950-1990"; Jitka Rychtarikova "Present trends and patterns of population behaviour in the Eastern and Western Europe"; Felix Koschin "The second demographic transition"; Ludmila Fialova "Czech Republic within the context of European demographic development before and nowadays".
In the second block the contributions aimed at larger continuity, namely with the economic and social development. A special attention was payed to young people and to families having children. The authors expressed their views on the mentioned problems: Vladimir Tomsik "Macroeconomic development of the countries of the Central and Eastern Europe during the transformation process 1990-1997"; Vera Kucharova "Present economic situation of young people in our country and in Western Europe"; Miroslav Hirsl "Families having children: their structure"; Zdenek Pavlik "Possible scenarios of further development and income trends (1988-1996)". Presented contributions provided not only the newest information but they also aroused a series of questions issued in a rich stormy discussion.
Czech - pp. 247-280.
CZECH REPUBLIC, WESTERN EUROPE, EASTERN EUROPE, CONFERENCES, POPULATION SITUATION, DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION.)
*****
Romany community in the Czech Republic [Romsk? komunita v Cesk? republice].
From 25 March to 16 April 1997 was realized a broad sociological investigation into relations between the Roma minority and government workers who come into contact with the Roma population. The approach of social workers toward this population has important consequences on the improvement or lack of improvement of the Roma community, and it is in this spirit that the sample of the investigation was made up civils servant of various sectors (yielding a total of 1.210 valid responses). If these workers have negative attitudes concerning the possibility of improvement within the Roma population, then these attitudes will likely hinder the effectiveness of pro-Roma programs. This survey was intended to test the hypothesis that government workers dealing with Roma affairs in the Czech Republic see the problems within this community as intractable. The results made it possible, on the one hand, to classify the attitudes of the civils servant in three categories: positive, negative and indifferent, and on the other hand, to demonstrate that the solution to problems in the Roma community lies not only in the design of pro-Roma programs, but also in the implementation of these programs. In order to effectively implement programs designed to help this community, social workers throughout the Czech Republic need to be further educated in Roma affairs. Such education should include training toward greater tolerance toward the Roma as well as improved communication between the Roma community and agencies of the state. With such education, these workers could serve not only positive representatives of the state, but also as role models for the majority population by demonstrating ways in which non-Roma persons can better communicate and co-existence with persons of Roma nationality. When such channels of communication are open, greater potential exists for bonds of trust to form between the non-Roma and the Roma communities, something which is necessary for the overall improvement and integration of this community into greater Czech society.
Czech - pp. 281-296.
(CZECH REPUBLIC, ETHNIC MINORITIES, GOVERNMENT POLICY, CIVIL SERVANTS, ATTITUDE.)
*****
39 DEMOGRAFIE, 1999, VOL. 41, N? 1
Anthropological changes in the population of the Czech Republic in the 20th century [Antropologick? zmeny obyvatelstva Cesk? republiky ve 20. stolet?].
During the 20th century there occurred an acceleration of the growth and body development of children, sexual maturation comes at an earlier age and the period of puberty has shortened. Also the definite height in adulthood was reached at an earlier age and the average height at maturity increased. These changes have been the greatest during the last 1000 years, possibly even during the last 25 thousand years. Early in the second half of the 20th century there occurred a discrepancy between growth, which has continued, and maturation which since the beginning of the 70s has slowed down significantly. There has been demonstrated a lengthening of the head in the young generation and observed a change of the permanent tooth type which is cutting in children as the first one. While at the beginning of the century it was exclusively the first molar at the end of the century the inner incisor appeared as first tooth in one third of the children in small localities, in half of the children in large towns, and in two thirds in Prague.
The increase in stature is of importance for paediatrics and other medical branches, for architects, producers of consumer goods and ergonomics. Earlier maturation has both, psychological and sociological consequences -- young people live sooner as adults, which results in the majority of cases in unpleasant consequences for them as well as for others around them.
Czech - pp. 24-37.
(CZECH REPUBLIC, ANTHROPOLOGY, ANTHROPOMETRY, TRENDS.)
*****
Differential mortality by sex in the Baltic bassin [Diferencn? ?mrtnost podle pohlav? v Pobalt?].
The article describes demographic situation from the point of view of mortality and its differences by sex in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland and Sweden. These countries were chosen on purpose as the representatives of two mortality models, which occur in contemporary Europe: "western" and "eastern" models. Countries of the East of Europe reach higher values of mortality probabilities in all age groups with corresponding attained lower medium life span at birth. In the resulting difference of expectation of life at birth between Western and Eastern Europe the age groups of 45-55 and 55-65 years old men and 75+ women mostly participate. Even the suckling period participates in an important way in the total difference. Differences of the index number of male excess mortality between Eastern and Western Europe are highest in the medium age (between 35-65 years). From the point of view of mortality causes the diseases of circulatory system, both cardiovascular (3 years difference) and cerebral (1.3 years) mostly share the difference of medium life span of males between Western and Eastern Europe; not negligible is the difference in injuries and poisonings (2.8 years); as regards females there occur mostly the diseases of circulatory system (3.6 years from the total diference of 4.5 years).
Czech - pp. 38-49.
(NORTHERN EUROPE, DIFFERENTIAL MORTALITY, SEX DIFFERENTIALS, MORTALITY TRENDS, COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, CAUSES OF DEATH.)
*****
Back to Home page