Postmodernism Problems

Phone Use, Offline Neglect, and Reachability: A Qualitative Study in Denmark, Lithuania, and Spain

Theresa Schilhab — 2023-08-07

The use of smart technology (ST) has dramatically increased in recent years, with smartphones and tablets affording use in all locations and for innumerable purposes. Consequently, we relate differently to our surroundings – a condition we refer to as 'offline neglect'. This paper reports the results of a qualitative, small-scale project investigating how informants from three European capital cities, Vilnius, Lithuania, Madrid, Spain, and Copenhagen, Denmark, perceive the changes associated with ST-induced offline neglect in the daily navigation of their physical and social environments. Our informants were generally quite verbose about the unwanted side effects of excessive phone use, especially on social relations. Nevertheless, most informants reported experiencing trouble with limiting their ST use although they did point to avoidance strategies. Based on our data, we introduce and discuss the concept of 'reachability' as crucial to understanding the effects of ST use on the social environment.

Potential Impact and Challenges of Implementing Artificial Intelligence in the Romanian Healthcare System

Sebastian Fitzek — 2023-08-07

This literature review assesses the prospective implications and advantages of incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) within the healthcare infrastructure of Romania. By exploring the literature on AI applications in healthcare, the article aims to identify opportunities and challenges in adopting AI-driven technologies in the Romanian context. The review findings suggest that AI holds significant promise in improving the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment processes, while also presenting several ethical and logistical challenges. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and strategies to ensure the responsible implementation of AI technologies in the Romanian healthcare system.

Contemporary Manifestations in Art. Specifics and Challenges

Tatyana Hristova – Popovska — 2023-08-07

The article does not cover in detail and exhaustively the processes of contemporary fine art. An attempt is made to present the individual trends and phenomena, analyzing their specifics and peculiarities. The development is made on the basic of theoretical analysis and explores the huge variety of forms of manifestation in art, focusing on some of them: kinetic art, op art, pop art, conceptual art, land art, anti-art, unconventional art, ready-made, happening and action, performance, installation, assemblage. The choice was dictated based on personal experience and interest of students studying contemporary art. Through the research it is aimed that the mentioned creative manifestations become more understandable and familiar, to awaken curiosity for new and deeper developments, and why not creative interpretations.

Humanistic Sociology of Migrations – 100 Years Later

Mihaela Misheva — 2023-08-07

This research examines migration processes and refugee issues from the perspective of interpretive sociology. It aims to modernize Florian Znaniecki's classic paradigm in light of current migration events. Specifically, the focus is on the sociological monograph titled "The Polish Peasant in Europe and America," both empirically and theoretically. The main thesis asserts the need for a comprehensive theoretical and methodological framework for the study of migration and its associated problems. Given the extensive scope of these phenomena and their direct impact on various social spheres, the research argues for incorporating the "humanistic coefficient" proposed by Florian Znaniecki into the theoretical framework. In this context, the "humanistic coefficient" is applied to refugee problems and contemporary research materials using the biographic method. The research was presented at the Annual Scientific Conference of the Bulgarian Sociological Association in 2022.

Gathering Empirical Information and Analysis of Strategies and Techniques of Persuasive Communication

Antoniya Ivanova — 2023-08-07

The paper examines persuasive techniques and strategies in social situations, focusing on persuasion as the result of both cognitive and emotional processes. Means of persuasion are a major focus of research in the present work. Psychological processes and behavior as part of persuasion are of research interest in the field of persuasive communication. For this reason, the article focuses on the types of behavioral strategies and attitudes, considering the means of persuasion in rational and emotional appeal. The characteristics of the message are a major tool for achieving the goal of gaining consent or agreement in interpersonal relationships. The subject of the first part of the study is the six principles of influence by Robert Cialdini, 2006, highlighting their main applications in communication. An attempt was made to highlight linguistic active techniques, and based on Lamb's (2019) theory, 21 characteristics of persuasive techniques were examined. The main focus of this article is the examination of effective methods of persuasion between two active parties - a communicator and a target group.

Relationship Between Religion and Health on the Topic of Euthanasia

Yana Fileva — 2023-08-07

In 1963 Michel Foucault writes that his book “The Birth of the Clinic” is about space, language, and death, about perception. There is a shift of societal problems to the field of medicine, in other words, modernity formulates some social problems through medical categories. But in fact, questions that seem purely medical are often a product of social factors. In society, medicine is a conservative force that maintains the status quo and distracts from major threats to human health. The growth of individualism, the desire for autonomy, and the decline of religiosity allow discussions around death, tolerance of mystery, and euthanasia. For example, in Canada, 2021 marks five full years of access to medical assistance in dying. In 2021, there were 10 064 cases, bringing the total number to 31 664. Annual growth continues to increase steadily each year. Are the major religions capable of facing that challenge?

Data Collection Systems on Violence Against Children in Bulgaria

Maria Brestnichka — 2023-08-07

Violence against children has clearly proven demographic, health, educational, social, and economic consequences which are not limited to immediate trauma and increased child mortality rates. Establishing and maintaining sustainable data collection systems is a key component of the effort to address child abuse. The review of the indicators collected by the institutions in Bulgaria shows that there are partially collected data that are relevant to the topic of violence against children. However, it remains unclear how the collected data is integrated into a general framework. The use of the data collected by the institutions for the improvement of the existing mechanisms, as well as for the planning of effective policies to deal with violence against children, is also in question.