Social Environment, Public Attitudes, and Political Process: The Bulgarian Context Cover Image
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Социална среда, обществени нагласи и политически процес: българският контекст
Social Environment, Public Attitudes, and Political Process: The Bulgarian Context

Author(s): Svetlana Alexandrova
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Philosophy, Social Sciences, Political Philosophy, Political Theory, Civil Society, Sociology, Politics and society, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Институт по философия и социология при БАН
Keywords: public opinion; civic participation; pluralism; populism

Summary/Abstract: The article is an attempt to address and link the issues of public opinion and political development in Bulgaria in recent decades. The research efforts are aimed at highlighting the peculiar transition from socialism through pluralism to populism, where the meaningful participation of public opinion is equal and proportional to political representation. Public opinion is predominantly formed under the pressure of media, but also political (dis)information, in conditions of prolonged crisis of trust in institutions and low efficiency of communication with them, lack of sustainable authorities, underdeveloped political and civic culture, low levels of self-confidence and the sense of having lost the ability to influence the course of public issues and the making of decisions. The formation of Bulgarian public attitudes largely depends on the impact of deficits in the public sphere, the defects of the educational system in terms of building political and civic culture, lack of critical thinking and education, and the internalization of conformist and authoritarian practices in society.

  • Issue Year: XXXI/2022
  • Issue No: 4
  • Page Range: 124-138
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Bulgarian