After twenty years

The aim of this research was to analyze the subjective perception and evaluation of the social transformations that occurred in Lithuania from the times of the restitution of independence in 1990–2014. The sample consisted of 361 persons from 40 to 81 years old (121 male and 240 female). A special questionnaire was constructed for the research. It was conducted in face-to-face interviews done by specially trained interviewers. Demographic variables (age, education level, subjective evaluation of financial situation, political activity, the place of residence) were measured as well as the presence of historical trauma in the family, attitude towards the history of the family and country, and the attitude towards the current life situation of Lithuania. Some scales were included in the battery as well: Scale of Psychological Well-being, Life event scale, Harvard trauma questionnaire, questions about ways of coping while meeting hardships. One open question was presented at the end of the interview about the personal meaning of the restitution of independence. A theme analysis (Boyatzis, 1998) of the answers was conducted. Two groups were formed: the group that subjectively evaluated life in independent Lithuania better (1st gr.; n=121) and the group that evaluated it worse (2nd gr.; n=112). There was no difference between the groups in age and proportion of male/female number but a larger proportion of the first group was better educated, lived in larger cities, perceived their financial situation as better and had an experience of historical trauma in their close family. Data revealed that the 1st group had a stronger positive identity with the family and state history. The thematic analysis of the answers to the open question revealed that the 2nd group expressed more joy followed by disappointment, more positive evaluation of Soviet times, more generalized criticism of governmental institutions while the 1st group expressed more positive thoughts about freedom and independence, about responsibility for personal life, more often mentioned better possibilities in many areas of economic and social life and expressed more unconditional joy about regained independence. Modeling with logistic regression revealed that the largest prognostic weight of the positive/negative evaluation of social transformations in our sample was the experience of historical trauma (personally or in the family) – we could predict that the person who had the experience of historical trauma was more probably in the 1st group. The subjective perception of financial situation and the index of psychological wellbeing also had valid prognostic weight though it was smaller. Our data let us broaden the understanding proposed by Rainer K. Silbereisen in his research in Germany after reuniting the Western and Eastern parts of the country. He stated that his data revealed that the most important predictive factors are the economic and social ones. Our research revealed that factors connected with the meaning given to the changes of social structures were even more important though economic factors were also valid. In order to understand the processes occurring in societies after social transformations further research has to be conducted