Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania
The Lithuanian Ministry of Education adopted the sexual education and preparation for a family life policy in 2016. Policy formulation stage became the centre of the conflict between secular reproductive health and sex education activists and religious civil society organizations as well as Lithuani...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Mykolas Romeris University
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Public Policy and Administration |
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| Online Access: | https://www3.mruni.eu/ojs/public-policy-and-administration/article/view/5443 |
| _version_ | 1818575809150976000 |
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| author | Augustė Nalivaikė |
| author_facet | Augustė Nalivaikė |
| author_sort | Augustė Nalivaikė |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Lithuanian Ministry of Education adopted the sexual education and preparation for a family life policy in 2016. Policy formulation stage became the centre of the conflict between secular reproductive health and sex education activists and religious civil society organizations as well as Lithuanian Catholic Church which exerts its informal political power and utilizes institutional opportunity structures in various stages of policy-making. These groups clashed not only in the chambers of the Lithuanian Parliament but also in the media. Competing discourses were created and maintained in various public spaces. Non-governmental human rights organizations have tried to counter the discourse of oppositional conservative and religious political actors and actively participated in policy formulation. However, these attempts did not prevent the Ministry of Education from adopting a family and abstinence-oriented sex education, which favours specific religious values. This paper seeks to understand religious influence in sexual education policy formation in Lithuania. I utilize news media articles and anonymous in-depth interviews with various relevant actors involved. This case study also enriches theoretical literature on informal institutions, and institutional opportunity structures concerning religious actors influence morality policy-making. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:45:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0a904a0318042328f098fff9d91f891 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1648-2603 2029-2872 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-15T00:45:59Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Mykolas Romeris University |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Public Policy and Administration |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0a904a0318042328f098fff9d91f8912022-12-21T22:41:33ZengMykolas Romeris UniversityPublic Policy and Administration1648-26032029-28722020-01-0119110.5755/j01.ppaa.19.1.25082Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in LithuaniaAugustė NalivaikėThe Lithuanian Ministry of Education adopted the sexual education and preparation for a family life policy in 2016. Policy formulation stage became the centre of the conflict between secular reproductive health and sex education activists and religious civil society organizations as well as Lithuanian Catholic Church which exerts its informal political power and utilizes institutional opportunity structures in various stages of policy-making. These groups clashed not only in the chambers of the Lithuanian Parliament but also in the media. Competing discourses were created and maintained in various public spaces. Non-governmental human rights organizations have tried to counter the discourse of oppositional conservative and religious political actors and actively participated in policy formulation. However, these attempts did not prevent the Ministry of Education from adopting a family and abstinence-oriented sex education, which favours specific religious values. This paper seeks to understand religious influence in sexual education policy formation in Lithuania. I utilize news media articles and anonymous in-depth interviews with various relevant actors involved. This case study also enriches theoretical literature on informal institutions, and institutional opportunity structures concerning religious actors influence morality policy-making.https://www3.mruni.eu/ojs/public-policy-and-administration/article/view/5443religionqualitativesexual educationinfluencepolicy-making |
| spellingShingle | Augustė Nalivaikė Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania Public Policy and Administration religion qualitative sexual education influence policy-making |
| title | Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania |
| title_full | Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania |
| title_fullStr | Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania |
| title_short | Religious Influence in Policy-Making: a Case of Sexual Education in Lithuania |
| title_sort | religious influence in policy making a case of sexual education in lithuania |
| topic | religion qualitative sexual education influence policy-making |
| url | https://www3.mruni.eu/ojs/public-policy-and-administration/article/view/5443 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT augustenalivaike religiousinfluenceinpolicymakingacaseofsexualeducationinlithuania |