The aim of this research thesis is to analyze comparatively migration experiences in reference to changing citizenship rights of Turks from Bulgaria in northern Cyprus. Out-migrations in Bulgaria occurred in various historical chronologies out of different motivation for migration factors, and to places of different destinations. Despite the fact that mass migration flows of Turks from Bulgaria happen to be directed to Turkey, northern Cyprus was selected as a special case for this thesis, where Turks from Bulgaria immigrated during 1990&rsquo / s in great numbers. For the fieldwork, conducted in northern Cyprus in 2006, a research sample of 30-immigrant households of Turks from Bulgaria was interviewed with a qualitative in-depth and face-to-face interaction interview technique. The interview questionnaire was directed either towards one female or male member from each household. During the interviews, lived experiences of immigrant Turks from Bulgaria in both the countries of origin and also destination were asked. Therefore, a comparative before and after migration analyses was aimed. In the light of this, specified socio-economic and socio-cultural research themes referred to the overall interpretations of whether citizenship status of immigrant Turks from Bulgaria was inclusive or exclusive of both into the Bulgarian and northern Cypriot societies. The thesis draws a conclusion of notably revealed relationship between citizenship experiences and the shifting identity perceptions as a result of migration. Interview findings indicate that related to the conditions of their socio-economic and cultural environments in both Bulgaria and northern Cyprus, they were either included or excluded from social citizenship status. Immigrant respondents perceived themselves as excluded in the areas of employment and educational opportunities, cultural activities and in establishing associations in Bulgaria. On the other hand, in northern Cyprus they have perceived themselves as excluded in terms of work life and finding an occupation, high-income opportunities, finding decent accommodation and neighborhood relations. Besides, in the former they perceived themselves as discriminated because of their Muslim-Turkish identity and in the latter because they have been accepted as migrants and a marginally subordinate group in the social hierarchy.

The present study examined the influence of perceived discrimination on the subjective well-being of Turks in Bulgaria. Based on Meyer

Thesis (Ph. D.)--George Washington University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

This dissertation examines how new European Union (EU) member states manage and implement European Cohesion Policy (CP). It assess the administrative and political factors that might explain the variation in the financial absorption of Structural Funds (SF), with a specific focus on two homogeneous cases from Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs). Whilst there is a dense literature on the potential socio-economic impact of CP in the EU, less attention has been paid to the factors affecting CP and SF governance at the national domestic level. Questions of financial absorption, delivery effectiveness and quality of the spending remain open and are puzzling for both academics and practitioners. Subsequently, one of the main aims of this thesis has been to provide an in-depth investigation of, on the one hand, the structural administrative capacity employed by states to manage this policy and, on the on the other hand, the political factors and dynamics that influence its delivery of SF in new member states. The study carries out an archaeology of the capacity of the specialised institutions involved in the different stages of the absorption process with the general aim of explaining some of the determinants of absorption performance, particularly in the countries assessed. It proposes an absorption capacity model in order to assess these claims and the original empirical evidence collected. The thesis fills in several empirical and theoretical lacunae in knowledge. Empirically, the study draws on multiple comparative case studies from Bulgaria and Romania, two problematic yet diverging cases in terms of absorption performance, during the 2007-2013 implementation period. These countries first experience in managing and implementing SF provides empirically rich insights. Theoretically, this thesis offers a more nuanced account of the governance of CP and SF in CEECs. It builds and refines the concept of administrative capacity as well as several political factors (stability, support and clientelism) in order to examine the complexity and problematic issues surrounding SF absorption. Insights on CP governance, administrative capacity-building and the impact of politicisation at the national and local level are outlined and discussed. The main argument put forward in this thesis is that the variation in absorption performance is generated by the interplay between administrative and political conditions. In other words, the way in which administrative and political factors have interacted has shaped the ability of the two countries to govern EU Cohesion Policy and influenced their performance in absorbing EU funding. This argument is developed in line with several key findings. First, administrative capacity is a necessary but not sufficient condition for countries to deliver effectively CP. Second, political conditions can facilitate or hinder the development of national administrative capacities and have often influenced the different stages of the absorption policy process. The thesis highlights the need to critically reflect on the overall dynamics between structural administrative arrangements and domestic political conditions, in order to advance our understanding of how EU policies are governed and implemented at the national level. Finally, the thesis formulates several recommendations, for the different stakeholders involved, on how to facilitate the delivery of SF in order to improve cohesion and development in Europe.

(in English): The thesis focuses on the Czech sugar factory in Gorna Oryahovitsa in northern Bulgaria, especially on the workers' colony which existed between 1912 and 1948 when the company was being put under state control. The paper provides a comprehensive report on the circumstances of the origin, development and current condition of the sugar factory and the colony. The study puts the specific instance of the Czech minority in Gorna Oryahovitsa into a wider context of the Czech migration into Bulgaria. It also provides a comprehensive picture of the Czech colony and its inhabitants, bringing new insights into their lifestyle, activities and contacts with the major society. The core of this work is to use written and pictorial materials. Therefore, the basic methodological approach was to search, collect and record the materials that in some way affected the Czech sugar factory and the colony, both in Bohemia and Bulgaria. These materials were first analyzed and then organized to create meaningful frameworks for subsequent interpretation.

The purpose of this thesis is to study the level of understanding of e-health applications among users with diabetes in Bulgaria, to find out how they use those applications, and to provide knowledge on what m-health applications provide to people with diabetes, and what they actually need. This research used TAM variables combined with Innovation Diffusion Theory to produce knowledge on technology acceptance. Therefore, the factors of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability will be used to determine perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and behavior intention to use a technology. This research was intended to gather information on the use of diabetes self-management mobile apps in a standardized manner. The instrument used for the survey, a questionnaire, aimed to provide information on the use and experience of mobile health apps for managing diabetes. The final online survey was completed by 71 participants, 38 of which were female, 28 were male and 7 were of non-specified gender. The introductory stage of the survey showed that most of the respondents were between the ages of 31 to 40 years old (28.2 %), and that the largest part of the population sample has been diabetic for five years (32.4%). By taking into consideration the results, it can be said that 74.6% of relative advantage correspond to very high perceived usefulness on behalf of the respondents. And a score of 53.5% shows that the people who took part in the survey exhibit high perceived ease of use of the mobile applications.  This concludes that initially upon using diabetes self-management applications, the respondent’s exhibit high behavioral intention to do so and due to that the applications are not defined as complex, they are suitable for constant use.

This thesis elaborates the character of Bulgarian Republic development over last years in the view of current situation, which is remarkably influenced by the global financial and economic crisis. The core of this thesis is to map the difficult path for Bulgaria's membership in the European Union, its entry into these structures and the subsequent development during the first 3 years of membership. Finally, I review the present position of Bulgaria in the EU and evaluate the overall benefits for Bulgaria joining the European Union and whether the country was able to complete the necessary reforms and deliver on promises, which it made before the accession to the Union.

<p>U etniĉkoj grupi Banatskih Bugara, u Srbiji,<br />Rumuniji i Bugarskoj, rodni odnosi su predmet<br />kontinuiranih transformacija. Pružajući doprinos<br />prouĉavanjima identiteta ţena iz manjinskih<br />etniĉkih grupa, kao i komparativnom prouĉavanju<br />etniciteta u zemljama koje dele sliĉne dru&scaron;tvenopolitiĉke<br />okolnosti socijalizma i postsocijalizma,<br />ovo istraživanje ima za cilj da utvrdi na koje<br />naĉine Banatske Bugarke u razliĉitim<br />dru&scaron;tvenim kontekstima, oblikuju rodni,<br />etniĉki i religijski identitet. Kako su jezik i<br />religija dva najznaĉajnija dru&scaron;tvena i politiĉka<br />domena kulturne razlike u modernom svetu, a<br />rodni identiteti ne deluju nezavisno, već u<br />sadejstvu sa drugim identitetima, intersekciju<br />rodnih identiteta sa etniĉkim i religijskim<br />posmatram sa stanovi&scaron;ta oĉuvanja identiteta<br />grupe. Analizama položaja žena u javnoj sferi<br />života posvećuje se znaĉajnija pažnja, a<br />zanemaruju se rodni odnosi u privatnoj sferi<br />života, posebno brojĉano malih etniĉkih grupa.<br />Privatna sfera života je, međutim, znaĉajna, jer<br />rodni identiteti u ovoj sferi utiĉu na<br />oblikovanje etniĉkog i religijskog ideniteta i na<br />njihovu intersekciju. Reĉ je o regionu sa<br />razliĉitim istorijskim iskustvima i tradicijama<br />multikulturalizma i koji se odlikuje ĉestim<br />promenama državnih granica. Kontekstualni<br />okvir analize, pored rodnih režima, ĉine<br />potiskivanje religije u socijalizmu, te<br />afirmacija etniĉkih i religijskih identiteta u<br />postsocijalizmu. Akcenat istraživanja je na<br />ženama, ali da bi analiza intersekcije bila<br />celovita, u ovom etnografskom istraţivanju,<br />zastupljeni su i mu&scaron;karci. Ukupno je 51 osoba<br />u osnovnom uzorku, od ĉega, 31 žena i 20<br />mu&scaron;karca. Rezultati pokazuju zadržavanje<br />patrijarhalnih rodnih odnosa u privatnoj sferi<br />života u seoskim okruženjima, uz izuzetak<br />Bugarske, u pojedinim aspektima. Intersekcije<br />identiteta se razlikuju u odnosu na<br />kontekstualne karakteristike Srbije, Rumunije i&nbsp;</p><p>Bugarske i zavise od vi&scaron;estrukih povezanosti<br />na relaciji privatna/javna sfera: od mogućnosti<br />upotrebe maternjeg jezika, karakteristika<br />etniĉki i religijski me&scaron;ovitih brakova i<br />porodica, te od rodnih razlika u religioznosti.<br />Najveći uticaj na oĉuvanje identiteta imaju<br />rodni identiteti žena, jer one socijalizaciju decu<br />i prenose etniĉki i religijski identitet u sledećoj<br />generaciji. Po&scaron;to su žene religioznije od<br />mu&scaron;karaca u sve tri države, veći stepen<br />religioznosti je u pozitivnoj korelaciji sa<br />oĉuvanjem i etniĉkog i religijskog identiteta, u<br />kontekstu etnifikovane crkve. Uloge<br />mu&scaron;karaca u oĉuvanju identiteta, nalaze se u<br />javnoj sferi života i one su omogućene rodnom<br />podelom rada u privatnoj sferi ţivota. U<br />postsocijalizmu, u kontekstu desekularizacije i<br />afirmacije jezika i etniĉkog identiteta, mu&scaron;karci<br />su zastupljeniji u javnim ulogama, ali se beleži<br />postepena transformacija rodnih odnosa u<br />pravcu veće egalitarnosti, posebno u mlađoj<br />generaciji u uzorku, u urbanom okruženju i kod<br />osoba sa većim stepenom obrazovanja.</p> / <p>Gender relations within the ethnic group of<br />Banat Bulgarians have been a subject of<br />transformation in Serbia, Romania and<br />Bulgaria, both during the socialist as well as<br />during the post-socialist period. By<br />contributing to the study of female identity in<br />minority ethnic groups as well as to the<br />comparative study of ethnicity in countries<br />which have similar social and political<br />circumstances in light of socialism and postsocialism,<br />this thesis aims at determining the<br />manner in which the Banat Bulgarian women<br />in different political and social contexts shape<br />and define their gender, ethnic and religious<br />identity. Given the fact that the religion and<br />language are the two most significant social<br />and political domains in terms of cultural<br />differences in the modern world and that the<br />gender identities do not act independently, but<br />rather in conjunction with other identities the<br />intersection of the gender identity and the<br />ethnic and religious identity is observed from<br />the perspective of fostering and preserving the<br />identity of the group. While much focus has<br />been put on the analyses regarding the status of<br />women in the public sphere, the gender<br />relations in the private sphere in smaller ethnic<br />groups still remain under-researched. The<br />private sphere is very important since the<br />gender identities affect the shaping of the<br />ethnic and religious identity and their<br />intersection. This region has a plethora of<br />diverse historical experiences and multicultural<br />traditions and is often characterized by changes<br />in state borders. The contextual framework of<br />the analyses, in addition to gender regimes,<br />includes suppression of religion as well as the<br />affirmation of ethnic and religious identities in<br />post-socialism. Even though the focus of the<br />research was women, in order to make a<br />comprehensive analysis of the intersection, this</p><p>research also included men. The research<br />included 51 interviewees (31 women and 20<br />men). The results indicate a preservation of<br />patriarchal gender relations in the private<br />sphere in rural areas, with the exception of<br />Bulgari, in specific aspects. The identity<br />intersections differ in relation to contextual<br />differences between Serbia, Romania and<br />Bulgaria and mostly depend on multi-faceted<br />connections between the private and the public<br />sphere e.g. the use of the mother tongue,<br />characteristics of ethnically and religiously<br />mixed marriages and families as well as gender<br />differences in religiousness. The female gender<br />identity has the greatest impact on the<br />preservation of an identity i.e. the women<br />socialise their children and carry on their<br />ethnic and religious identity. Since women are<br />more religious in all three countries, the greater<br />degree of religiousness is in positive<br />correlation with the preserving of the ethnic<br />and religious identity, in the context of an<br />ethnically-specific church. Male roles<br />regarding the preservation of identity belong to<br />the public sphere. In post-socialism, in the<br />context of de-secularisation, the state enables<br />and promotes the affirmation of language and<br />ethnic identity. Men have more prominent<br />public roles, however the transformation of<br />gender relations slowly shifts towards equality<br />is noticeable, especially among the younger<br />generations in the sample, in urban areas and<br />among persons with a higher degree of<br />education.</p>

Die Erforschung der pomakischen Kultur in der Türkei ist zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt bei Weitem noch nicht nachhaltig genug ausgereift. Zwar finden wir zu dieser Problematik einige Einzelbeiträge mit Überblickscharakter, es bedarf aber dringend umfangreicher Studien, die sich mit den Pomaken in der Türkei beschäftigen. In der vorliegenden Monographie erklärt Georgi Zelengora, dass seine Arbeit gerade durch diese Leerstelle inspiriert wurde, denn in der bulgarischen Forschungslandschaft habe sich bislang niemand hinreichend mit der Thematik befasst. Obwohl die pomakische Gemeinschaft in der Türkei am zahlreichsten sei, fehle es in Bulgarien an Wissen über ihre Besonderheiten. Zelengora setzt sich daher zum Ziel, dem Leser eine kaum erforschte Minderheit im südöstlichen Nachbarland Bulgariens vorzustellen.

In ihrem Werk reflektiert Fatme Myuhtar-May fünf charakteristische Besonderheiten des pomakischen kulturellen Erbes in Bulgarien. Diese werden anhand zahlreicher Beispiele dargestellt, und damit wird ein Überblick über die wechselhafte Geschichte der bulgarischsprachigen Muslime in den Rhodopen gegeben.