Uzskatus

Uzskats is a Latvian noun meaning view, opinion, or belief. It refers to a mental representation of reality that a person or group holds to be true, based on knowledge, experience, values, or ideology. It can be descriptive, describing what is believed, or normative, indicating what ought to be believed or how the world should be.

Etymology and scope: The word combines uz- (toward, to) and skats (view, sight). In Latvian usage, uzskats covers a broad range of outlooks, from everyday opinions to more systematic worldviews, including political, cultural, and religious standpoints. It is distinct from related terms such as viedoklis (opinion) and attieksme (attitude).

Usage: The term is common in both informal speech and academic writing. A person may hold personal uzskats that differ from those of a group, and a collective uzskats can form part of a societal or cultural worldview. Uzskats can be descriptive—what people believe about a topic—and normative—what they think should be believed. They can influence behavior, discourse, and decision-making in domains such as politics, education, and identity.

Measurement and change: In the social sciences, uzskati are studied as attitudes or beliefs. Surveys, interviews, and analyses of discourse aim to capture the distribution and dynamics of uzskati on various topics. Uzskati can shift over time in response to information, experiences, and social influence.

See also: viedoklis, attieksme, pārliecība, pasaules uzskats.