#32bg Радикализация в България: заплахи и тенденции

Author(s): Rositsa Dzhekova,Mila Mancheva,Maria Doichinova,Lyubomira Derelieva,Tihomir Bezlov,Maria Karayotova,Yavor Tomov,Dimitar Markov,Miryana Ilcheva / Language(s): Bulgarian / Publication Year: 2016

The phenomena of radicalisation today develop and change at high speed, with their extreme forms manifested globally. The destructive dimensions of (violent) Islamist or right-wing radicalisation have become dramatically visible in Europe posing serious challenges to European societies at large. This report aims to address a knowledge gap with regard to how and to what extent internationally observed radicalisation processes are manifested in Bulgaria. Four different forms of radicalisation are investigated, including Islamist radicalisation, right-wing and left-wing radicalisation, as well as football hooliganism. The report provides policy makers and the expert community with a systematic overview of the main risks to which the Bulgarian society is exposed, as well as of the main actors and ideas, the repertoire of actions and the groups at risk associated with radicalisation. The report outlines recommendations for improvement of the policy and institutional response with regard to radicalisation by way of monitoring and prevention measures as well as multi agency collaboration and community engagement.

4th International Scientific Conference SEC - IASR 2019

4th International Scientific Conference SEC - IASR 2019

Author(s): Simona Marin,Petronel Moisescu / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 2020

4th International Scientific Conference "Sports, Education, Culture - Interdisciplinary Approaches in Scientific Research", SEC-IASR 2019, Galati, Romania, 7th – 8th June, 2019

A Competitive Analysis of East African Cement Companies using the High Performance Organisation Framework

Author(s): André de Waal,Evans Makini Osano / Language(s): English / Issue: 4/2020

Sub-standard infrastructure is one of the most significant challenges for economic development in East Africa. Specifically, the availability of affordable, locally produced cement is critical to infrastructural and economic development and job creation in the region. Thus, it is critical for cement companies to achieve better operational and financial results so they can satisfy the need for higher-quality cement for infrastructure projects and to deal with increasing environmental issues. In this article we evaluate, using de Waal’s high performance organisations (HPO) framework, the quality of three cement companies in Kenya and Tanzania to identify improvements these companies can make to their internal organisation and operations so they can achieve better financial and operational results. The research results indicate that whilst all three companies were yet to achieve HPO status, the best performing company with the highest HPO score also had the best financial performance over the past 10 years. The research also resulted in a series of recommendations on the basis of the weaknesses identified in the cement companies.

A model of integrated community development

Author(s): Ana Maria Nițu,Costin Adrian Cace / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2020

The study aims to present and analyse a model of good practices in community development, based on an integrated approach and bring a better understanding of the advantages of such an approach. The study is based on a project implemented in 12 communities, throughout 46 months, which aimed to improve access to educational and health services as well as build strong communities and inter-ethnic relations. Following the implementation of the project, an evaluating research has been carried out in order to determine the changes and development the project has achieved. The current case study focuses its analyses on data gathered from the particular research, namely on 2 communities and the actions implemented as well as the results they produced. Therefore, analyzing the outcome of the intervention, augmenting the need and benefits of the integrated approach in development projects.

A Predictive Model of Youth Bystanders’ Helping Attitudes

Author(s): Dana Rad,Evelina Balas,Sonia Ignat,Gavril Rad,Daniel Dixon / Language(s): English / Issue: 1 Sup2/2020

One of the direct effect of current COVID-19 pandemic’ social distancing on an unspecified period of time urges us to compensate our lack of physical connection with our readiness in the online environments, especially social media platforms. Present research investigates to which extent the internet content awareness construct, difficulties in emotional regulation and online duality have an impact on predicting future helping attitudes of bystanders. In order to investigate the eligibility of this prediction model, our team has advanced the Erasmus+ funded project Hate’s Journey. In 2019, our research team has designed a multiple specific sections online questionnaire addressing 206 youth from Latvia, Turkey, Spain and Romania. We have used a multiple linear regression analysis. The obtained results validate our hypothesis, confirming that if an individual is characterized by a decreased internet content awareness, a high level of difficulties in emotional regulation and increased online duality, then there is a 37% probability that the youth bystanders will develop a lack of helping attitudes towards the victims when facing a digital hate speech context. Conclusions and implications regarding to the current pandemic social distancing and digital closeness effects over the prosocial behaviour are discussed.

A preliminary analysis of the results in the project 'Typologies of underdevelopment and marginalization in rural localities and small towns in Romania'

Author(s): Mihnea Preotesi,Cristina Tomescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2020

The project begins from the coordinates provided by the sociological literature which show that local underdevelopment is the result of structural factors as lack of employment and the predominance of employment in (subsistence) agriculture, lack of infrastructure (access to public utilities such as gas, drinking water or paved roads) but also the distance to the nearest city that could be a pole of development or human capital (the education stock of the local population) and it tries to refine the analysis by overlapping the typology looking at local contexts and by deciphering the factors and mechanisms of underdevelopment at local level. The proposed approach has an exploratory character. The article explain this approach in the first part, and in the second part presents a synthesis of the results of the analysis of the data collected in Alba county (as an exploratory case study) for testing the research tools in the first phase of the project.

A Study on the Correlation among Social Interaction, Career Self-Efficacy and Well-Being of Employees in Rural Tourism

Author(s): Xia YU,Yunjian ZHENG,Xiaofeng SU,Qiujin ZHENG / Language(s): English / Issue: 70/2020

Rural areas gradually become modern people in cities taking good care mentally and physically due to the pressure in life or the memory of past life in rural areas. Rural tourism and vacation in rural areas are therefore gradually preferred by city people. With the effect of financial crises in past years, a lot of people become dissatisfied with the life. Well-being would have a person present joy, content, and rich psychological feelings. Countries in the world expect to create well-being cities for the people’s well-being. Aiming at rural tourism employees in Fujian Province, total 380 copies of questionnaire are distributed, and 287 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 76%. The research results are expected to provide reference for the development of sustainable rural tourism of governmental departments and businesses to achieve the sustainable development of life, production, and ecology in rural areas.

A Study on the Effect of Hotel Staff’s Burnout on Retention Intention - Based on Social Support

Author(s): Hui ZHANG,Ming TANG / Language(s): English / Issue: 70/2020

With changing social environment and fiercely distinct job competition, competitors in global hotel industry still increase in the bad overall economic conditions, fighting in existing red sea. However, it is gradually rejuvenating in past years. In the fierce industry competition, the retention and accumulation of human capital is an important indicator for the sustainable operation of enterprises as well as the winning key in future market competition. Effective promotion of employees’ retention intention, especially the retention intention of talents, is the primary issue for enterprises and human resource departments. Aiming at employees in hotel industry in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, total 500 copies of questionnaire are distributed, and 362 valid copies are retrieved, with the retrieval rate 72%. According to the results, suggestions are proposed, expecting to help hotel industry effectively release employees’ burnout, retain talents in hotel industry, strengthen hotel industry, and reinforce the organizational competitiveness of hotel industry.

About Adoption and People Who Can Adopt in Romania

Author(s): Ciprian Raul Romiţan / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 0

Although, in principle, any person can adopt and become an adoptive parent, regardless of their marital status (married or single), sex, race, nationality, etc., the Romanian legislation in this area establishes a series of requirements for this. For this purpose, the law on the legal regime of adoption stipulates that the persons or families wishing to adopt must fulfill the moral guarantees, as well as the material conditions necessary for the child’s raising, education and harmonious development. The fulfillment of the guarantees and conditions provided by law, as well as the existence of the parental skills, is certified by the general directorate of social assistance and child protection within the territorial area of which the adoptee or the adoptive family resides, by issuing a certificate following the evaluation performed according to the provisions of the adoption law. This study will analyze the requirements to be met by the persons or families wishing to adopt, namely: the age of the adopter, the full exercise capacity, the moral and material ability to adopt, the consent of the adopter and the consent of the adopter’s spouse.

Acting Local, Thinking Global: Globalizing Resilience through 100 Resilient Cities

Author(s): Chris Zebrowski / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2020

This article investigates the globalization of resilience by examining a particular and prominent vehicle for the dissemination of resilience ideas: the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) initiative. As a philanthropic initiative organized through a network of international cities, 100RC demonstrates how the spread of resilience thinking has been facilitated by exploiting changes in the structures and processes of global governance afforded by neoliberal globalization. The analysis focuses on explicating100RC’s animating logic of governance, which is committed to the cultivation of network connectivity. Rather than directly fostering resilience, connectivity is established as a condition under which resilience solutions can be immanently surfaced from the interactions of a diverse selection of stakeholders brought together through these networks. The article situates this governmental logic within broader changes associated with neoliberal globalization, namely the emergence of multi-scalar governance networks, the rise of philanthrocapitalism and the inception of platform capitalism. The conclusion discusses the implications of this analysis for further study of the relation between connectivity, danger, knowledge and value contained within resilience discourses.

ACTION AREAS OF THE LABOUR MARKET POLICY IN THE REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

Author(s): Aleksandra Lozanoska,Elizabeta Djambaska,Natasha Daniloska,Diana Boshkovska / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

The contemporary challenges of the socio-economic development are imposing more or less the same essence of the labour market policy areas and instruments in the developed countries, as well as in the developing countries. They are directly dependent on the implementation of structural reforms aimed at stabilizing the economies and fostering economic development. Concerning this, the paper is analyzing the areas for implementation of the labour market policy and activities in the Republic of Macedonia, as well as in the European Union, regarding the challenges of the contemporary society. They relate to the work of the institutions responsible for creating and implementing the labour market policy, the legislation relating to its functioning, labour force statistics and information system. The analysis is determining the target groups of the labour market and is giving certain recommendations and guidelines for possible future actions and measures that can ensure employment growth, reduction of the unemployment, and provide more efficient functioning of the overall labour market.

Action Research in Higher Education through Backward Designing of Ecopreneurship Trainings

Author(s): Anna Varbanova,Martin J. Ivanov / Language(s): English / Issue: Special/2016

The article discusses the model of application of Action Research methodology in the context of the applied project ‘Training for Ecopreneurship at Three Bulgarian Universities’ (2015–2016). The project is conducted by the Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in cooperation with the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, Heidelberg, with the financial support of the German Federal Environmental Foundation, DBU. Beneficiaries and associate partners in Bulgaria are the University of Ruse, the Academy of Economics, Svishtov, the University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, and Technology Centre, Sofia – organization for technology transfer and advocacy of German businesses in Bulgaria. The project’s main objective is to introduce educational modules for so-called ecopreneurship (sustainable entrepreneurship) in these three universities. Our approach is closer to the so-called Participative Action Research, trying to involve different stakeholders in the different stages of the project. Thus, we want not only to reflect the process, but to induce ‘social change’ with the active participation of the actors. At the core of our intervention is the educational design and implementation of innovative ecopreneurship training for students, based on a competency model (or a model of linked competencies that would lead to building accomplishments) co-developed by the students and previously engaged experts. These competencies are sought, applied, and developed in the learning process through the so-called Backward Design Approach, comprising five phases, each with a different focus: 1) group cohesion development, initial assessment and joint goal-setting; 2) phase of enhancing a deeper understanding of basic concepts through experience, and raising essential no-single-answer questions; 3) immersion in the actual field, active learning of the content based on researching authentic problems; 4) learning by doing a desired type of real-world project/learning product; and 5) students’ showcase in which they present themselves through these projects, which serve as a record for their learning achievement.

Adolescenta in timpul pandemiei

Author(s): Noemi-Ștefania Bejenaru / Language(s): Romanian / Issue: 9/2020

The present paper is about pandemic seen through the eyes of a teenager. Every word reveals her emotions, especially the fear, lived in this period and her need to be closed by her family. But it also shows the power of move on, the desire to fight and her belief that people are stronger than a disease.

Age- and Cause-Specific Components of Recent Life Expectancy Improvements in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia

Author(s): Aleša Lotrič Dolinar,Ivan Čipin,Petra Međimurec,Jelena N. Stojilković Gnjatović,Jože Sambt / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2020

All ex-Yugoslav countries experienced improvements in life expectancy during the last few decades. This study describes and compares recent life expectancy trends in Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. What age groups and what causes of death account for the largest mortality declines? Have the three countries joined the cardiovascular revolution? Do patterns differ between countries? And, is there room for further improvements? We use life tables and decomposition methods to address these questions. Our key findings are: 1) lower mortality from circulatory diseases at older ages contributed most to life expectancy growth 2001–2017 for both sexes in all three countries; 2) despite this common pattern, life expectancy in Slovenia grew fastest and the gap between countries increased; 3) under the Slovenian age-specific cardiovascular mortality schedule, Croatia added 1.79 years to both female and male life expectancies, while Serbia added 3.97 and 3.26 to female and male life expectancies.

Akademska čestitost studenata – preduvjet gospodarskog razvoja

Author(s): Rudolf Kiralj / Language(s): Croatian / Issue: 14/2020

Students’ honesty is a key element in the context of academic honesty, when taking into consideration that the share of academically educated persons is in permanent increase. Students are the future moving power of the society; they are the part of the population that will significantly influence the society on the whole and its socio-economic development, including the younger generations. The paper analyses eight groups of data on the constant growth of students’ dishonesty in the world, and particularly in the USA, the United Kingdom and Sweden. Over the last two decades, a significant increase has been recorded. The situation in Croatia has been compared with these trends on the basis of the data gained by studying various sources from literature and the internet, as well as several estimates. As a result, the following students’ dishonesty indices have been defined: average (IC0) and maximal (IC1) cheating at exams, and average (IP0) and maximal (IP1) plagiarism. The indices mainly follow global trends, whilst over the last two decades, the average percentage of students engaging in dishonest activities has been alarmingly high: 64 % (IC0); 76 % (IC1); 33 % (IP0) and 77 % (IP1). Data according to five socio-economic indices have been collected and estimated: GDP (gross domestic product per capita), HDI (human development index), GII (global innovation index), CPI (corruption perception index), and EI (education index). By the means of weighing correlation and regression, it has been determined that IC0, IC1, IP0 and IP1 are different indices; that IP0 and IP1 do not correlate well with time and the socio-economic variables due to an insufficient quantity of data on students’ plagiarism; that IC0 and IC1 correlate well with time, GDP, HDI and EI. Furthermore, IC0 and IC1 have modestly decreased over the last several years; and IP0 and IP1 have demonstrated no decrease at all. The dependence of IC0 and IC1 on GDP, HDI and EI has been presented by two sigmoid curves, with a minor increase around 1980, and a major around 2010. Since students’ dishonesty and its growth have been socially determined, the culture itself ought to be changed – from the culture of profit, competition and success to the culture of knowledge and responsibility, with pronounced social and moral components of the socio-economic development.

An Important Contribution to Contemporary Sociology of Social Change

Ljubiša Mitrović, Sociological Marginalia on Contemporary Topics (Reviews on Contemporary Sociology), Novi Sad: Prometej, 2019, 252 pp.

Author(s): Nenad M. Stanojević / Language(s): English,Serbian / Issue: 4/2020

The paper gives an overview of the monograph Sociological Marginalia on Contemporary Topics (Reviews on Contemporary Sociology) by Ljubiša Mitrović, PhD. The first part of the paper presents the structure of the monograph. The units of the monograph are analyzed and presented. The author starts from the crisis of social and humanistic sciences, with special reference to the sociology crisis and the importance of intellectuals in the contemporary society. Then the position of the contemporary left is examined. In the end, the most important and current contributions, in our opinion, are shown on contemporary topics. The conclusion is that the monograph represents a contribution to contemporary sociology of social change.

Balkan syndrome 20 years after NATO aggression

Author(s): Vanja I. Rokvić,Ivan R. Dimitrijević,Ivan M. Rakonjac / Language(s): English,Serbian / Issue: 4/2020

Debates on whether or not depleted uranium (DU) causes cancer and other diseases is a hot topic in the public discourse and quite controversial in the scholarly research literature. The issue has grown in importance in the Republic of Serbia after increased rates of morbidity and mortality from malignancies since the 1999 NAТO aggression and its use of DU ammunition. At the same time, the fact that the peacekeeping contingents of foreign military personnel involved in clearing the contaminated areas subsequently developed malignant diseases led to what has become known as the Balkan Syndrome. Beside health implications, the social and economic burden of cancer is significant in all countries, especially in transitioning economies, because of health care spending as well as lost productivity due to morbidity and premature death. Therefore, the main aims of this article are to summarize and discuss the current state of knowledge about the negative impact of DU on human health and social impact of cancer, specifically in Serbia, and to encourage rigorous and objective examination of health impacts of DU ammunition and, ultimately, to spotlight the inextricable connection between public health and security, and the indispensable consideration of health from the perspective of national security.

Bezpieczeństwo demograficzne w województwie dolnośląskim w latach 2010–2018

Author(s): Iwona Ładysz / Language(s): English / Issue: 1/2019

Demographic phenomena have a major impact on the socio-economic development of Dolnośląskie Voivodeship. The number and structure of the population and the level of the actual increase are of special importance. The objective of this article was to show population changes affecting the level of demographic safety in a given unit against the changes taking place in Poland in the years 2010–2018. The demographic typology by Webb and Osanna triangle was used to capture the similarities and differences in the spatial structure. The methods used allowed to determine the demographic type of Dolnośląskie Voivodship and the reasons for the deepening demographic problems of the region, which will have a negative impact on the labor supply and opportunities for further development of the voivodship.

Borba protiv klimatskih promjena i budući izvori energije za grijanje zgrada

Author(s): Vahid Tanović / Language(s): Bosnian / Issue: 89-90/2020

Mnogi gradovi i države su nedavno donijeli odluke kojima se uskoro zabranjuje korištenje prirodnoga gasa za zagrijavanje novih zgrada. Svakako da se isključuje i mogućnost korištenja bilo kojeg drugog fosilnog goriva. Do 2050. godine sve zgrade, i nove i postojeće, moraju u potpunosti svoje energetske potrebe zadovoljiti energijom iz obnovljivih izvora. Ovdje će biti ukazano na alternative prirodnom gasu za grijanje zgrada i njihova moguća rješenja. Iako je trenutno akcija u praktičnom smislu ograničena na mali broj subjekata, sve veći broj se uključuje, a sve radi postizanja osnovnog cilja iz Pariškog sporazuma – držati porast srednje temperature zraka daleko ispod 2°C u odnosu na drugu polovinu 19. vijeka (predindustrijalizacijsko vrijeme). [...]

'Brain Drain' in Transition of Science

Author(s): Daniela Bobeva / Language(s): English / Publication Year: 1993

The paper analysis the reasons why Bulgaria is one of the specific cases of science development and 'Brain Drain'. Bulgaria is one of the countries with the largest share of unemployed with higher education - 17% of all unemployed. The unemployment promotes the emigration attidues among scientist. The data indicates that the Bulgarian science personnel is ageing. Less and less young people work in the research institutions. Special measures are needed in this respect on the part of the government for encouraging young people. Before the reforms Bulgaria used to have a highest standard by the indicator "employed in science per capita".