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Vladislava Lendzhova is an assistant professor, Ph.D., and Early Career Investigator in the Sociology Department of South -West University Neofit Rilski, Bulgaria. Her research interests are particularly focused on the problems of European policies towards ethnic minorities, migration, and social integration, youths NEETs in rural areas, social exclusion, and stigma in postmodern conditions. On this basis, she has provided research for different national and international networks. She has experience in the projects of the Department and with various international programs such as COST, HORIZON 2020, and Erasmus +. Since 2017, she has been a regular member of the European Sociological Association.
This paper examines the perspectives of rural NEETs in the information society. Our analysis focuses on the situation of three European countries—Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey—characterized by a high share of rural areas and a population of NEETs. From a methodological point of view, we use alternative research methods (secondary data analysis) with statistical methods (simple linear regression). From a theoretical point of view, we will opt for a multidimensional analysis perspective: the theory of digital divide, digital inclusion, virtual mobility, etc. Through data analysis, we expect to obtain a more complete and detailed picture of the ICT situation in rural areas (level of digital skills, level of digital inclusion) to demonstrate the importance of ICT in optimizing virtual mobility for the living conditions of the population, especially the NEET population.
Gabriela Neagu; Muhammet Berigel; Vladislava Lendzhova. How Digital Inclusion Increase Opportunities for Young People: Case of NEETs from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. Sustainability 2021, 13, 7894 .
AMA StyleGabriela Neagu, Muhammet Berigel, Vladislava Lendzhova. How Digital Inclusion Increase Opportunities for Young People: Case of NEETs from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (14):7894.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGabriela Neagu; Muhammet Berigel; Vladislava Lendzhova. 2021. "How Digital Inclusion Increase Opportunities for Young People: Case of NEETs from Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey." Sustainability 13, no. 14: 7894.
In the last ten years, the settlement and integration of refugee families and asylum seekers have represented some of the main challenges faced by European territories. People in need of international protection can face challenges in being settled and integrated into rural areas where it is often difficult to find co-ethnic support networks. This case study provides relevant data on how the settlement of young asylum seekers is carried out in the main town of a rural area in Catalunya. It explores the impact of a mentoring programme which consists of providing informal support to newcomers in language acquisition (Catalan), as well as inclusion in the job market and social capital. We interviewed almost all participants of that programme in this rural area, gathering in-depth interviews with mentees (with eight young asylum seekers) and two discussion groups with their mentors (living in the main town of the region). Our findings showed that whereas the main objectives of the programme are providing linguistic support, social capital and inclusion to the job market, mentoring is more focused on providing emotional support and cultivating a sense of belonging. Various outcomes will be discussed which consider the types of support that were present in mentoring relationships and how bonding and bridging social capital were fostered, namely the elements that can promote a more inclusive and welcoming rural community.
Xavier Alarcón; Xavier Casademont; Vladislava Lendzhova; Emre Erdoğan. Inclusive Settlement of Young Asylum Seekers in a Rural Region: The Role of Informal Support and Mentoring. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5132 .
AMA StyleXavier Alarcón, Xavier Casademont, Vladislava Lendzhova, Emre Erdoğan. Inclusive Settlement of Young Asylum Seekers in a Rural Region: The Role of Informal Support and Mentoring. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):5132.
Chicago/Turabian StyleXavier Alarcón; Xavier Casademont; Vladislava Lendzhova; Emre Erdoğan. 2021. "Inclusive Settlement of Young Asylum Seekers in a Rural Region: The Role of Informal Support and Mentoring." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 5132.
In the present day, Internet technology and social media totally dominate as a means of communication. The media and social interaction have a two-sided nature, as the important role is not only those of the media messages to the users, but of the users to the media, too. This article aims to present the dominant importance of digital media, digital literacy transformation into a precondition for social inclusion, and an indicator of professional competence and social skills. Digital citizenship is a term that reflects the level of training and competencies, with a view to active participation in social, professional, and civic life. The article is based on two methods: Focus groups that were conducted in late 2019, which includes: Students, young mothers, pensioners, and unemployed. The second method used is the documents analysis—publications, materials, and quantitative results of research on social reactions to digital media as a source of information in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The combination of materials and data that have been analyzed are related to the period of the lockdown between March 2020 and December 2020. In the time of global social crises and confrontations, digital media literacy has turned out to be of critical importance for the normal course of social events and their interpretations. In this regard, digital citizenship contributes to social understanding and control, as well as the individual practices in the global pandemic trajectory.
Valentina Milenkova; Vladislava Lendzhova. Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy in the Conditions of Social Crisis. Computers 2021, 10, 40 .
AMA StyleValentina Milenkova, Vladislava Lendzhova. Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy in the Conditions of Social Crisis. Computers. 2021; 10 (4):40.
Chicago/Turabian StyleValentina Milenkova; Vladislava Lendzhova. 2021. "Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy in the Conditions of Social Crisis." Computers 10, no. 4: 40.