Отличителни характеристики и механизми на влияние в процесите на формиране на общественото мнение за две социални сфери
Distinctive Characteristics and Mechanisms of Influence in the Processes of Public Opinion Formation for Two Social Spheres

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses the results of a study conducted using the method of focus group discussion with participants divided into four focus groups: with positive or sceptical opinions towards voting in elections, and positive or sceptical opinions towards science, during the period March 15 ‒ April 15, 2021. The research results show an overview of the current social perceptions presented by the participants in the focus group discussions, during the period of the study, about what public opinion is, which factors influence its formation, what is its essence and its role in the social processes in our country. In particular, the study outlines the framework in which the current attitudes towards two spheres of public life in Bulgaria ‒ science and politics, take place. The sustainability of established values and attitudes is directly related to the dynamics of the circulation of new information and new points of view presented in the public field, which can create and establish new social ideas. Information from external sources is processed in the immediate social circle of the individual, where the educational and socio-economic status have impact. The lack of trust in the public factors that influence public opinion formation redirects the process to a relatively more stable and predictable order and context of the immediate (physical or virtual) social circle.

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