Even though university students are not employees of the faculties, their academic duties (attending classes, taking exams, writing term papers and essays, and so on) can be considered as forms of work, whereby they engage socially with their teachers and other students, which is why student burnout has come into increased focus of numerous studies. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between gender, tuition fee status, and year of study and burnout among the students of basic academic studies at one of the public faculties in southern Serbia (N=194) using the School Burnout Inventory (SBI-U 9). The obtained results indicate that moderate exhaustion, cynicism, and the feeling of inadequacy are related to moderate burnout of the majority of the students. It has been determined that gender influences one burnout dimension – exhaustion, while the students’ tuition fee status is related to cynicism and inadequacy, as is their year of study. This study also found that high degree of burn-out increases with the years of study.

BACKGROUND: Mining, especially underground coal mining, has always been a hazardous occupation. Injuries, including those that are fatal, are a major occupational risk that all miners have to face. OBJECTIVE: Despite the fact that all workers are aware of the risks, efforts must be made to increase their safety through the implementation of preventive measures. METHODS: This retrospective study includes injury data from all nine Serbian coal mines over a 16-year period, from 2000 to 2016. All injury data were collected from employee safety and health records. RESULTS: In the analyzed period, a total of 9,273 occupational injuries were recorded at Resavica. The highest number of occupational injuries (over 600) were recorded in 2008 (669), 2004 (651), and 2005 (603). The data shows that almost one fifth of the total number of occupational injuries, or 20.74%, occurred during the said three years. On average, 493.06 minor, 51.12 severe, and 1.29 fatal injuries occurred each year. Every day there were 1.29 minor occupational injuries and every seven days there was one severe injury. CONCLUSIONS: Despite indications that there is a connection between some of the variables and the number of injuries, the general conclusion is that injuries are accidental and unpredictable. The high percentages of injuries are due to the organization of work and the age or qualification structure of the staff and, of course, are the consequence of likelihood –the greater the number of workers, the greater the likelihood of injury. However, the present study showed that some measures can be taken to increase occupational safety and reduce the number of injuries.

Burnout is associated with long-term exposure to workplace stress and it comprises exhaustion, cynicism, and the feeling of inadequacy as its dimensions. University students are exposed to a variety of stress-inducing factors during their studies regardless of the fact that they are not employees. The aim of this study is to examine the relations between specific sociodemographic variables and burnout dimensions among students of master academic studies. School Burnout Inventory (SBI-U 9) is used as the research instrument. The obtained results indicate that there is a connection between students' gender and tuition fee status and burnout. Gender is associated with exhaustion and the feeling of inadequacy, while tuition fee status affects all three dimensions.

This paper showcases the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to the examination of causes and effects of climate change, particularly the necessity of greater involvement of sociologists in the investigation of the causes and the offering of solutions to mitigate the effects. Accepting the view that present-day climate change is socially conditioned, the discussion relies on the assumption that climate change has indeed found its place in sociological research, only not to a sufficient extent. Based on the review of available literature, it was determined that the study of climate change was triggered by social ecologists and that climate change became a full-fledged subject of theoretical considerations and investigations into specific causes and effects. Since agriculture is one of the causes of climate change, the paper emphasizes the necessity of sociological research of the agricultural sector and its relation to climate change and proposes other potential research fields.

Women's empowerment in agriculture is discussed on the basis of two indicators: control over production resources and decision-making about agricultural production. The aim of this study is to determine the degree of empowerment of women farmers in South-eastern Serbia. The initial assumption is that the degree of empowerment of women farmers in this part of Serbia is low. The empirical study, conducted using a specially designed questionnaire, encompassed 132 women farmers in the Municipality of Svrljig. The results indicate a low degree of empowerment among women who participate in agricultural production, because a low percentage of the women own agricultural resources and make independent decisions about agricultural production. Such results are significant, as they emphasise the need for further examination of the degree of empowerment and calculation of women farmers' empowerment index, as well as the need for taking specific measures at the local, regional, and national levels.

Climate change, as one of the predominant issues of contemporary society, will result in a series of adverse consequences for society and its future development. The rise in temperature represents a direct negative outcome of climate change that impacts human health, life, and the environment. Moreover, extreme rainfall leading to floods and landslides directly jeopardizes lives, property, as well as the supply and availability of food, water, and energy. Given the obvious impact of climate change on society, there is a need to adapt society to these changes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporating these aspects into developmental planning ensures the sustainable development of a society. Given the overall material damages caused by extreme climate and weather conditions in Serbia exceeded 5 billion euros only in the period from 2000 to 2015, examining all aspects of climate change on our society is essential for sustainable development.