scholarly journals Multicultural Europe: The case of Bulgaria

2021 ◽  
pp. 37-49
Author(s):  
Gabriela Belova BELOVA-GANEVA ◽  
Gergana Vasileva GEORGIEVA
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Human Race ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Universal Language ◽  
Bulgarian People

The article aims at analyzing the cultural and linguistic diversity in Europe as values worth being preserved since they are a guarantee for open consciousness. Multiculturalism and multilingualism contribute to the goals of job creation and sustainable growth. Multilingualism, which is a vital and integral part of Europe's rich and cultural diversity, is a way out of the deep crisis that has gripped Europe because the continent is a huge labor market, where English is the working language, but knowledge of a universal language is not enough. The paper emphasizes upon a very significant issue whose essence is: the task of our time is to be able to realize that the unity of the human race lies in diversity. It is therefore not accidental that the motto of the European Union states “United in diversity”. The case of Bulgaria as a part of the European Union is also scrutinized in the article. Bulgarians have lived for centuries at a crossroads between Europe and Asia along with various peoples and ethnicities. This serves as an explanation as to why the Balkans are a multicultural region despite the fact that it was often associated with fragmentation and wars. An inference has been drawn that it is apparent the modern Bulgarian people can find their identity at the European Union level, at the Balkans’ level, at the level of the Bulgarian tradition, even at the level of the local community. And it is feasible to have productive cooperation between these levels of identities.

Multilingualism and the Ideal of Unity in Diversity in the European Union. Key Concepts and Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-282
Author(s):  
Roxana-Maria Nistor-Gâz ◽  
Delia Pop-Flanja
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Cultural Diversity ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cultural And Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Tower Of Babel ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
Unity In Diversity ◽  
The Ideal

"In a world challenged by cultural diversity, this article aims to look at the great diversity of languages and cultures that coexist within the European Union. Building on the story of the Tower of Babel that explains, from a religious point of view, the cultural and linguistic diversity existing in the European Union, the authors tried to contextualize EU’s motto of “unity in diversity”, interpreted as an ideal involving a lot of effort and sometimes even many conflicts, but one that we should all fight for and strive to maintain. Keywords: linguistic diversity, ethnicity, nation, minority, majority, communication, unity in diversity"

scholarly journals How Can Learning Lesser Used Languages Wide Out Our Frontiers? (a contribution to the theory and practice of intercultural communication)

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Predrag Mutavdzic ◽  
Vojkan Stojicic
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Intercultural Communication ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Cultural Models ◽  
Foreign Language Learning ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Human Communication ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Different Cultures

<p class="MainText">In last decades a special attention has been paid to intercultural communication and its development in societies all around the world. A number of cultural anthropologists describe it as an informal face-to-face verbal/oral interaction between individuals representing different cultures (Asante-Gudykunst, 1989:14; Prosser, 1978:102). In addition, in a number of scientific papers one can read that this subtype of human communication can have its key success only if it is based on the premise of the equal use of different languages and of their respect. Article 2:3 of the Lisbon Treaty itself states that the European Union “shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe's cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced” (OJEU, 2007:11). The truth is that intercultural communication, as one part of communication in general, is a necessity for successfully bridging the gap between different cultures and languages.</p><p class="MainText">In the European Union intercultural exchange and communication among the European nations are the imperative for a united international (economical, political, social etc.) cooperation in which foreign language learning has a special social and political priority. However, inside the borders of the European Union there is a large group of official languages which are lesser used and, consequently, not widely learnt (e.g. Polish, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Catalonian, Welsh etc.). In the Balkans all official national languages together with other spoken minority ones belong to this group according to Ferguson`s sociolinguistic classification. Viewing intercultural communication as a profound social phenomenon, Singer (1998:41) undoubtedly pointed out that when different groups encounter one another, a common problem is that people think differently. According to the theories of cognitive anthropology, this always occurs because of the existence of either slightly or completely different cultural models in societies. To be achieved a deeper and comprehensive intercultural communication and its effectiveness, which both involve reduction in a large measure of uncertainty and anxiety related to otherness and building a new perceptive scheme about others, learning lesser used languages, such as Greek in Serbia and Serbian in Greece, is considered a categorical request for any further constructive development of relations and cooperation between different nations within and outside the European Union.  </p>

scholarly journals The Role of EU Innovation Policies in the Sustainable Development of the Energy Sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olesea Sirbu ◽  
Rodica Crudu ◽  
Augustin Ignatov
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Demographic Pressure ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Global Power ◽  
Energy Domain ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the present conditions when the demographic pressure upon the environment is higher than ever, the humanity faces the challenge of sustainability. Namely the sustainability of human activities is important and nothing can assure it better than sustainable energy supplies. The European Union is the leading global power in terms of adjusting its policies to increase innovation to assure a sustainable growth of its energy sector as a key to an advanced economic system. The present research focuses on the impact of European Union policies on the sustainable development of its energy sector by analyzing quantitatively and qualitatively various indicators intended to offer a throughout insight. The results obtained focus on the identification of the main innovation paradigms; the description of the main modern environmental challenges, especially in the energy domain; the determination of the relation between innovation and energy sustainability, and its analysis at the level of European Union.

scholarly journals Global and regional aspects for development of Serbia and the Balkans: The events from the past as a message for future

2010 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-177
Author(s):  
Dejan Sabic ◽  
Mila Pavlovic ◽  
Snezana Vujadinovic ◽  
Miroljub Milincic
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Southeast Europe ◽  
Regional Organizations ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
The Past ◽  
International War ◽  
Further Development

In 2010 Serbia faced with many social, economical and political issues such as the economic crisis, unemployment, uncertain candidate for membership in the European Union, cooperation with the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague and others. Recurrences of the past are still being felt in the political than some of the European Union with Serbia. Serbia has a long way toward permanent membership, and to intensify regional cooperation in Southeast Europe (SEE) through active membership in regional organizations and initiatives. Although this region for many years been burdened with the past and lack of understanding among nations, the steppes of integration is still achieved and is still stricken by stereotyped comparisons with a barrel keg, and so damn yard. The aim of this paper is to point out some directions for further development of the region and review of the circumstances that have contributed to this state, to show the events of the past who may be a message for the future. .

scholarly journals Decentralization and Tax Federalism: Ways to Develop Local Self-Governance

2020 ◽  
pp. 36-46
Author(s):  
Arman DUSENBINOV
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Fiscal Policy ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Current Model ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Fourth Level ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Government Level

This article discusses the features of implementing tax federalism in a unitary state. The article analyzes the implementation of the fourth level of the budget in the Republic of Kazakhstan, as well as the experience of tax independence of municipalities in the European Union. The article analyzes the weaknesses of the current model of financing local self-government in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the state of self-government in General. It is assumed that the system used for financing the local community does not fully use the economic and investment potential of the territories. It is proposed to introduce elements of an independent fiscal policy at the local government level in the Republic of Kazakhstan to increase the investment attractiveness and self-sufficiency of the fourth-level budgets.

scholarly journals Are traditional minority languages a bench marking for the rights of migrant languages in the European Union?

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 40-60
Author(s):  
Christopher Houtkamp ◽  
László Marácz
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Minority Languages ◽  
Language Rights ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Linguistic Rights ◽  
The Status ◽  
The One

In this paper a normative position will be defended. We will argue that minimal territorial minority language rights formulated in terms of the personality principle referring to traditional minority languages granted in the framework of the European Union (EU) are a benchmark for non-territorial linguistic rights. Although territorial minority languages should be granted collective rights this is in large parts of Europe not the case. Especially in the Central and Eastern European Member States language rights granted to territorial languages are assigned on the basis of personal language rights. Our argumentation will be elaborated on the basis of a comparative approach discussing the status of a traditional territorial language in Romania, more in particular Hungarian spoken in the Szeklerland area with the one of migrant languages in the Netherlands, more in particular Turkish. In accordance with the language hierarchy implying that territorial languages have a higher status than non-territorial languages both in the EUs and Member States’ language regimes nonterritorial linguistic rights will be realized as personal rights in the first place. Hence, the use of non-territorial minority languages is conditioned much as the use of territorial minority languages in the national Member States. So, the best possible scenario for mobile minority languages is to be recognized as a personal right and receive full support from the states where they are spoken. It is true that learning the host language would make inclusion of migrant language speakers into the host society smoother and securing a better position on the labour market. This should however be done without striving for full assimilation of the speakers of migrant languages for this would violate the linguistic rights of migrants to speak and cultivate one’s own heritage language, violate the EUs linguistic diversity policy, and is against the advantages provided by linguistic capital in the sense of BOURDIEU (1991).

scholarly journals Tradition and modernization: European perspectives of culture in the Balkans

Sociologija ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikola Bozilovic
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
National Identities ◽  
The Other ◽  
Cultural Tradition ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Sociological Analysis ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Balkans ◽  
Multidisciplinary Analysis ◽  
Creative Initiative

Layers of historic heritage and modern tendencies interlace in the culture of the present-day Balkans. Eurointegration of the Balkans faces numerous challenges. On one side, the so-called Eurooptimism is awakening, while on the other, fears of losing cultural and national identities are growing ever stronger amongst Balkan peoples. Is it possible to integrate the societies of the Balkans into the European Union, and retain the particularities of the cultural tradition of the peoples of this region? The answer to this question demands a complex and multidisciplinary analysis, especially when the contemporary Serbian society is concerned. Organized conservative forces are standing in the way of modernization, resisting any modern invention and creative initiative coming from the so-called Other Serbia. The issue is subjected to cultural-sociological analysis in this paper, supported, particularly regarding the situation in Serbia, by the findings of a several-years empirical study conducted within a research project organized by the Center for Sociological Research of the Faculty of Philosophy in Nis.

The European Union in the Balkans: From Intervention to Accession

2017 ◽  
pp. 101-116
Author(s):  
Christina M. Schweiss ◽  
Cindy R. Jebb
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Balkans
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