Introduction

There is a developmental value in each crisis. Crises are a part of every society, economy, system… They are experienced by the individuals at the various stages of their lives. Most clearly, the path of life is defined in the relation to the biographical perspective. On one hand, it is perceived as the institutionalization of the course of life (M. Kohli 1985), and on the other, as an autonomous, resource-based project and individual construction of one’s own development path. From the perspective of late modernity the ways of overcoming difficulties and life crises have changed their sense and meaning. The biography has lost the character of a socially determined construct to its diverse, mobile, subjectifying form. It is because of education and migration processes as well as the cultural changes and development of new technologies. The opportunities to go beyond the frames of social environment are the hallmarks of progress and modernity and at the same time make human life highly uncertain and vulnerable to the developmental crises. The subjectification of the biography most fully expressed in the concept of ‘self-governance’ by M. Foucault (2000) brings with it many difficulties and pitfalls. This probably explains the phenomenon of increasing social differences, deepening dysfunctionality of institutions, weaknesses of systematic solutions and insufficient theories in social practice. This area brings many challenges to social policy, social pedagogy and social work. The current issue of our journal is dedicated to the reflection on such topics.