Bulgarian Context Research Articles

Problematic cultural heritage in the context of tourism and Bulgaria: Key concepts, main features, and contemporary research

Global trends of widening the scope of heritage for tourist consumption, as well as the growing interest among both producers and consumers in a more truthful and balanced representation of the past impose paying special attention to problematic cultural heritage in the context of tourism. Since the topic remains quite unpopular for tourism researchers in Bulgaria, this paper aims to present the key concepts explaining problematic heritage, outline the main features of such heritage as well as sketch contemporary research trends and gaps in this underestimated but promising academic field. Given the variety of terms used interchangeably in extant literature, the term “problematic” cultural heritage is proposed as appropriate for the Bulgarian context, emphasizing the notion of dissonant/contested heritage as a “problem to be solved”. Its relevance to Ottoman and communist heritage in the country is justified.

Which factors influence health services utilization in Bulgaria? Results of a cross-sectional survey.

Research on the factors influencing health care services utilization in Bulgaria does not apply a particular model to analyze these determinants. To fill this gap, we apply the Andersen's Behavioural Model, a commonly used framework, to determine the factors that impact the utilization of health care services in our country. Data are collected in an online survey conducted in Bulgaria in 2023 among consumers. The standardized questionnaire includes questions on the utilization of health care services used by the respondent during the preceding 12 months. We apply binary logistic regressions to analyze predictors of visits to general practitioners and medical specialists, as well as hospitalizations. The results of the regression analysis show that the factors of self-reported health status and the presence of a chronic disease influence the utilization of health care services except for general practitioner visits. Greater trust in general practitioners and hospitals is associated with an increased probability of undergoing examinations and hospitalizations. Predisposing and enabling characteristics appear as significant determinants of health care utilization. The study confirms the relevance of the Behavioural Model for the use of health care services in the Bulgarian context. Further research on health outcomes and their impact on utilization can help determine the most efficient level and appropriateness of the use of health care services.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF POLITICAL ORIENTATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS IMMIGRANTS IN BULGARIA

The influence of basic human values on citizens’ ideo-political orientation has been extensively documented in the literature. An important component of political orientation, attitudes towards immigrants in host societies are no exception in their dependence on some of the personal value categories identified by Schwartz in his Theory of basic values (Schwartz 1992). The results of two studies that employ Schwartz’s value categories and aim to explore the relationship between Bulgarian citizens’ values and their attitudes towards immigrants in the country are presented. Study 1 is a nationally representative sociological survey, and Study 2 uses qualitative research methods to examine the link between Bulgarian party members’ values on one hand and their political orientation and attitudes towards immigrants on the other. While Study 1 provides evidence of the dependence of Bulgarians’ attitudes towards immigrants on Universalism, Security, Tradition and Self-direction value categories, Study 2 results show a strong dependence of party members’ attitudes towards immigrants on political affiliation, and an insignificant one on individual values. Both studies contribute to ideology and immigration research literature in Bulgaria by proposing and empirically testing a values-based model of ideological orientation that is relevant to the Bulgarian context. Given the prevalence of the “conservative ideological and values complex” (Konstantinov 2022), in Bulgarian society and in other Eastern European countries, the findings could have implications for the analyses of negative attitudes towards immigration not only in the Balkan country but in the wider post-Soviet space as well.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF POLITICAL ORIENTATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS IMMIGRANTS IN BULGARIA

The influence of basic human values on citizens’ ideo-political orientation has been extensively documented in the literature. An important component of political orientation, attitudes towards immigrants in host societies are no exception in their dependence on some of the personal value categories identified by Schwartz in his Theory of basic values (Schwartz 1992). The results of two studies that employ Schwartz’s value categories and aim to explore the relationship between Bulgarian citizens’ values and their attitudes towards immigrants in the country are presented. Study 1 is a nationally representative sociological survey, and Study 2 uses qualitative research methods to examine the link between Bulgarian party members’ values on one hand and their political orientation and attitudes towards immigrants on the other. While Study 1 provides evidence of the dependence of Bulgarians’ attitudes towards immigrants on Universalism, Security, Tradition and Self-direction value categories, Study 2 results show a strong dependence of party members’ attitudes towards immigrants on political affiliation, and an insignificant one on individual values. Both studies contribute to ideology and immigration research literature in Bulgaria by proposing and empirically testing a values-based model of ideological orientation that is relevant to the Bulgarian context. Given the prevalence of the “conservative ideological and values complex” (Konstantinov 2022), in Bulgarian society and in other Eastern European countries, the findings could have implications for the analyses of negative attitudes towards immigration not only in the Balkan country but in the wider post-Soviet space as well.

PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS OF POLITICAL ORIENTATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARDS IMMIGRANTS IN BULGARIA

The influence of basic human values on citizens’ ideo-political orientation has been extensively documented in the literature. An important component of political orientation, attitudes towards immigrants in host societies are no exception in their dependence on some of the personal value categories identified by Schwartz in his Theory of basic values (Schwartz 1992). The results of two studies that employ Schwartz’s value categories and aim to explore the relationship between Bulgarian citizens’ values and their attitudes towards immigrants in the country are presented. Study 1 is a nationally representative sociological survey, and Study 2 uses qualitative research methods to examine the link between Bulgarian party members’ values on one hand and their political orientation and attitudes towards immigrants on the other. While Study 1 provides evidence of the dependence of Bulgarians’ attitudes towards immigrants on Universalism, Security, Tradition and Self-direction value categories, Study 2 results show a strong dependence of party members’ attitudes towards immigrants on political affiliation, and an insignificant one on individual values. Both studies contribute to ideology and immigration research literature in Bulgaria by proposing and empirically testing a values-based model of ideological orientation that is relevant to the Bulgarian context. Given the prevalence of the “conservative ideological and values complex” (Konstantinov 2022), in Bulgarian society and in other Eastern European countries, the findings could have implications for the analyses of negative attitudes towards immigration not only in the Balkan country but in the wider post-Soviet space as well.

Policy Tools and Supporting Role of Standards for Sustainable Consumption and Production

The identified need for a holistic policy to promote Sustainable consumption and production (SCP), as well as the lack of design of appropriate tools for future application in the Bulgarian context, determine the main focus of the study. The role of standards as voluntary (“soft”) policies and the presented typology reveal the deficit of research related to identification of standards applicable in the different categories of SPC policy tools. The presented research is directed to the identification of existing tools and standards that can influence SCP patterns, as well as to the categorization and ranking according to their relative importance by applying the approach of Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The analysis based on the consistent application of different descriptive, qualitative and quantitative methods identifies a variety of SCP tools and standards. This paper discusses the results of a prioritizing process, divided into three categories: six administrative tools, five economic tools and four information tools. The calculation of global and local weights at three hierarchical levels allowed an analysis of the possibilities for their application in the national context. The results showed the advantage of the designated economic tools, followed by the administrative and information tools. The findings offer a systematic approach to transition from the existing “mosaic” of policy elements to a coherent SCP policy in the Bulgarian economic and social context.

"Coming Out To Yourself": Reflections On Early-Years Sexual Identity Formation Among Different Generations of Bulgarian Non-Heterosexual Males.

During the past few years the so-called "anti-gender campaigns" in Bulgaria have revitalized the polemics surrounding the development of non-heterosexual identities claiming that these identities are "imported" by "Western" politics and discourses in order to "weaken" and transform national cultural and political models. Analyzing 63 semi-structured in-depth interviews with non-heterosexual males from different generations, this study aims to contribute to the theories of non-heterosexual identity development by providing data from Bulgarian context. The data from this study suggests that: (1) non-heterosexual male identities in Bulgaria have existed before the "global gay culture"; (2) the younger the participants the earlier they realize their non-heterosexual desires often within the "pre-sexuality stage" defined by the stage models and the youngest cohort self-label their same-sex attraction mainly through an "identity-centred" sequence, before engaging in sexual activities; (3) the greater awareness of role models, the wider access to information, and the involvement in the LGBTQI + communities have contributed to a more positive and self-respectful identity development; (4) physical contacts and observations as significant sources for the questioning of a non-heterosexual identity have been replaced by virtual observations and communication; (5) the Internet and social media have made non-heterosexual identity development more accessible regardless of social and economic background, and that (6) non-heterosexual identity development does not lead automatically to a culturally defined gay identity.

Leading factors for blockchain technology implementation in the business organisations in the Bulgarian context

Leading factors for blockchain technology implementation in the business organisations in the Bulgarian context

Трансгресивно-синергично кариерно развитие в „неформално образование“ в университета

The transgressive concept and approach are already a recognized paradigm in both the natural and social sciences. They have been developing in parallel with the ideas of synergy and transdisciplinarity, transversality and globalism. In recent years, their pedagogical projection in the international and Bulgarian context has been taking shape more and more clearly. Their methodical application, related to the synergistic philosophical platform, is dictated by the experience in teaching philosophy at university level, as well as career guidance of young people as an extremely sensitive area for them. The focus on “transgressive career development of transversal personalities in/through nonformal education” in this paper is a complex subject, synergizing various levels from the concept to the tools. Eventually, it becomes evident how every true Idea is realized by itself.

The Energy of Local Festivals for the Preservation of Cultural and Historical Heritage: an Empirial View

The report analyzes the results of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions held in the fall of 2021 in Sadovo, Elin Pelin, Gabrovo, Bolyartsi, Novi Han, Elin Pelin and Pozharevo within the project "Local Holidays: a resource for local communities to deal with crises", funded by the NSF of the Ministry of Education and Science (KP-06-H45 / 5 of 30.11.2020). The research focuses on local festivals and in particular the way in which their organizers view them as a mechanism for preserving the traditions of the local community. Particular attention is paid to the importance of these events for the presentation and preservation of cultural and historical heritage. The various points of view of representatives of local authorities, organizers of local holidays and representatives of the Roma ethnic community are presented without claiming to be exhaustive. Local holidays in the Bulgarian context, regardless of their thematic focus, have their own energy, which distinguishes them from other similar events and in this sense are the antithesis of fear and social isolation, especially in crises such as the Covid pandemic 19. In most cases, these events can be seen as part of the process of building local identities, which draw their resources from what is imagined, reconstructed and argued as local heritage.

Museum-Based Approach to Teaching English for Specific Purposes for Tourism

The museum-based approach to EFL teaching has been successfully applied in education in the U.K. Regarding the model's high achievements, we transferred it to EFL learning in the Bulgarian context, experimenting with sixty-four Tourism students from Burgas University "Prof. Asen Zlatarov". It proved to facilitate the learners' progress in English for Tourism and raise their motivation to develop occupationally, building a bridge between the classroom and global communication, addressing target, national, international cross-cultural issues. The topics encompassed Bulgarian and British history, traditions, customs; broadened the learners' horizons, views, interests and engagement, deepened their understanding and respect to others, improved their knowledge. The experiment used digital museum software, allowing visiting exhibits in British and Bulgarian museums, attracting the students' interest in cross-culturalism, artefacts, and historical heritage.

Bulgaria at the onset of clinical ethics consultation.

Over the years, Bulgarian bioethics has been mainly an academic enterprise and fallen short of providing health professionals with skills for ethical decision-making. Clinical ethics support (CES) was piloted by the author through two bottom-up models - METAP (Modular, Ethical, Treatment, Allocation of resources, Process) and MCD (Moral Case Deliberation). This paper aims to present and analyse developments in the area of clinical ethics and the first experiences in CES in Bulgaria. The project reported here included a review of relevant literature on CES methods and evaluation and a documentary review of data from two CES pilot projects: METAP and MCD. Most of the 69 METAP ethics meetings reviewed were first time meetings (88,4%); the average duration was 36min and the average number of participants was four (44,9%). The meetings were organized in response to cases of severely or critically ill patients. The ethical dilemmas included choice of treatment (31,9%) and conflicts with the patient or their relatives (23,2%). Consensus was achieved in 34,8% of the cases. The situation was clarified with the patient (27,5%) and within the team (15,9%). The rights and obligations of both sides were discussed in 7,2% of the cases. The experience of the members of the Bulgarian Association of Bioethics and Clinical Ethics (BABCE) with MCD was also presented to justify the inference about the applicability of the two CES models in a Bulgarian context. Among Eastern European countries Bulgaria has made progress in CES. Both METAP and MCD have been found to be useful methods.

Good Practices for Sustainable Food Consumption and Reduction of Food Waste in Bulgaria

The present study focuses on a little-studied area in the Bulgarian context - sustainable food consumption. The study aims to map good practices in this field in Bulgaria. The Food System Mapping method has been applied to gather information on good practices, while meeting the requirements for appropriate selection of participants and for visual and interactive presentation of shared information. The mapping was carried out during a discussion with 41 stakeholder representatives since the imposition of sustainable food consumption patterns in the country, divided into 7 groups. After content analysis the answers of the participants in the discussion have been coded, categorized and positioned at the appropriate stages. The results obtained were validated by five experts in this field. A discussion of the identified good practices in terms of their position at the relevant stage of the sustainable agri-food chain has been held: sustainable food production; sustainable food processing and distribution; sustainable food consumption and prevention of food loss and waste. The role of stakeholders in sustainable food consumption and in reducing food waste in Bulgaria along the sustainable agri-food chain has been also revealed. In conclusion, the need for change of the business models of production, processing, distribution, trade, and imposition and dissemination of the identified good practices for change of consumer behaviour and prevention of food loss and waste has been emphasized.

Local Festivals - the Visible and Invisible Benefits for Local Communities: an Empirical View

The article presents the results of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions held in Sadovo, Elin Pelin, Gabrovo, Bolyartsi, Novi Han and Pozharevo within a project “Local festivals: A resource of local communities for coping with crises”, funded by National Science Fund – Ministry of Education and Science of Republic of Bulgaria (KP-06-H45/5 from 30.11.2020). The aim of the text is, based on the main essential features and characteristics of local festivals, to prove and derive empirically the importance of “visible” and “invisible” benefits of these events for the preservation of local communities. The various points of view of representatives of local authorities, organizers of local festivals, and representatives of the Roma ethnic community will be presented without claiming to be exhaustive. Numerous studies are available in the literature, focusing on the benefits of holding these events and the various effects they produce on the cultural, social and economic life of local communities. Local festivals in the Bulgarian context, regardless of their thematic focus, in most cases combine the festivities of traditional society, combined with new forms of collective gatherings. In most cases, these events can also be seen as part of the process of building local identities, which draw their resources from what is imagined, reconstructed and argued as local heritage.

Energy poverty alleviation – a step for sustainable energy transition

The paper investigates the issue of fuel poverty and its presence in the Bulgarian context. The focus of the analysis is on the potential for alleviation and – in the long term – elimination of energy poverty through the implementation of measures for energy-efficient retrofit of residential multi-story apartment housing. An effective strategy tackling this topic at the local scale is a key prerequisite for the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with particular relevance for SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy and SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities. Achieving the optimal ratio of saved energy versus financial resources is the key to renovating housing at scale sustainably and efficiently. Energy poverty as a phenomenon is linked to the combined effect of three main factors - low household income, high energy costs and low energy efficiency of housing. There is a broad scientific consensus that this phenomenon has a serious negative impact on the quality of life and citizens’ health and wellbeing. Furthermore, energy poverty contributes to a huge waste of energy and also affects the physical dimension of the sustainable development of the built environment. Therefore, energy poverty exacerbates deficits and discrepancies for territorial economies and communities. Eliminating the problem of “fuel poverty” is often considered to be impossible without the support of the affected households through subsidies. Subsidies invested in energy-efficient housing reconstruction result in immediate savings in housing heating costs, which in turn leads to a tangible reduction in the “fuel poverty” experienced by residents of reconstructed housing. Energy-efficient housing reconstruction (retrofit) is the fastest and most efficient (in terms of public resources) way to combat energy poverty. The financial resources required to enable these activities could also be obtained or complemented through financial engineering schemes with third-party involvement.

On the need for legal regulation of acupuncture practice in the Bulgarian context

In the Western world acupuncture, whose homeland is considered to be China, was introduced by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century, and since then the methods of its application have changed and adapted to the perceptions and expectations of the modern patient. The growing interest in the method presupposes the adaptation of the Bulgarian legislation to the established practice of acupuncture, in addition to the complex therapy. The aim of this article is to study and analyse the legal framework of acupuncture in Bulgarian conditions. Material and methods. Documentary-content analysis of enactments, incl. regulations, medical standards and clinical pathways, in which acupuncture is mentioned or discussed. Results. Acupuncture does not meet the definition of an unconventional method and its legal status should be reconsidered in a conventional direction. Specialists who can train and practice acupuncture are in an unnecessarily wide range. The method poses risks to human health and should be performed in accordance with the rules for good medical practice by a trained doctor (certified acupuncturist), who has undergone all levels of training in acupuncture. Conclusions. The review of the legal framework of acupuncture reveals contradictions between the separate texts in the enactments in which acupuncture is mentioned. In medicine acupuncture is imposed as a conventional method, and perhaps as more – a conventional physical factor, among other natural and reformed physical factors. To this date the practice requires a change in the legislation on this issue by removing acupuncture from the regulation for unconventional methods.

The Immortal Regiment and its glocalisation: Reformatting Victory Day in Bulgaria

The article explores a case of memory ‘travel’: a commemorative practice, which emerged as a grassroots initiative in Russia to mark Victory Day, and quickly spread up the state hierarchy and across borders, becoming in a sense global. The focus is on the transformations in the course of its expansion and its subsequent adoption in Bulgaria. I examine how this practice changed the format of Victory Day in Bulgaria, and, on the other hand, how the agents, contents/messages, practices and forms of remembrance changed, in intended and unintended ways, in the course of their adaptation to the Bulgarian context.

Online Training in Higher Education: an Alternative during COVID-19. Strengths and Weaknesses of Online Training

The article describes online learning against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bulgarian context of higher education and the challenges faced by university professors during this period and examines their readiness for online learning. The strengths and weaknesses of online learning are considered, as well as the opportunities of higher education to respond to educational problems arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Costing of healthcare services in Bulgaria – guidelines for implementing some good practices

Costing of healthcare services is one of the most severe challenges facing hospitals’ accounting and management teams. The article presents the characteristics, advantages, and limitations of three different approaches to costing medical services – Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing, Target Costing, and Micro-Costing. We provide a summary of the international experience in their application, and guidelines for their implementation in the Bulgarian context. Aligning the costing systems with current developments in the management accounting field has the potential to improve hospitals’ cost management and their financial condition. At a health system level, accumulating reliable information on the actual cost of medical services would facilitate the process of setting fair reimbursement prices and thus result in more effective ways to spend the scarce resources.

Social pedagogy in Bulgaria

Social pedagogy in Bulgaria has a long and interesting tradition that has remained hidden from the international world of the subject. In Bulgaria, social pedagogy is a unique mixture of the German social pedagogical tradition, the Bulgarian pedagogical system and Russian pedagogical influence. Social pedagogy affirmed its position within the Bulgarian pedagogical space around the same time as Karl Mager used the term for the first time. In spite of the tight grip social pedagogy had on the Bulgarian education system, during the time of communism it was branded as ‘bourgeois science’ and was forbidden, but not forgotten. The second phase of the development of Bulgarian social pedagogy started at the beginning of the 1990s, as a result of the democratisation and liberalisation changes that took place following the fall of communism. Since that time, social pedagogy in the Bulgarian context has evolved into the remarkable science and practical field it is today. This article attempts to spread the knowledge of Bulgarian social pedagogy’s origins, traditions, concepts, theories and practices, and to open the door for further cooperation between Bulgaria and the international social pedagogical community.