Within the four-year project period, a wide range of activities have been carried out, contributing to the development of “digital sociology” and to deepening research on digital inequalities. A comprehensive theoretical model was developed, identifying three categories of digital inequalities: socio-professional, socio-cultural, and regional.
The scientific achievements of the project focus on building a concept of social inclusion under conditions of digital transformation—particularly for low-educated and low-income social groups, ethnic minorities with low social status, people with disabilities, individuals at the end of their working careers, and residents of rural areas.
The study explores the patterns of reproduction of social inequalities stemming from the lack of access to digital services, insufficient online skills, as well as the limited benefits and growing risks associated with digital communication. The project also investigates the transformative effects of digital technologies in an international comparative perspective, particularly regarding improved access to educational opportunities in countries with high levels of digitalization.
Within the project framework, 34 scientific papers were published in refereed and non-refereed international journals and thematic volumes, including three with impact factor:
- Zdravkov, S. (2025). E-Learning Beyond the Classroom: Investigating Socio-Economic Inequalities in Online Educational Practices Among Bulgarian Students. Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 22(3), 415–438. SJR (2024): 0.248, Q3. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/388484103_E-Learning_Beyond_the_Classroom_Investigating_Socio-Economic_Inequalities_in_Online_Educational_Practices_Among_Bulgarian_Students_httpswwwjcepscomarchives17623
- Stoilova, R., Ilieva-Trichkova, P. (2025) (in press). Digitalization and Inequality: The Impact on Adult Education Participation Across Social Classes and Genders. World (MDPI). https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/review_info/035c952f30c991cb708adb0331510fe1
- Zheleva, R., Petkova, K., Zdravkov, S. (2025). Divergent Paths of SME Digitalisation: A Latent Class Approach to Regional Modernisation in the European Union. World (MDPI), 6(4), 144. https://doi.org/10.3390/world6040144
The published analyses present a broad spectrum of expert knowledge aimed at supporting policy development in the digital domain on a range of pressing topics: education and digital skills, labour and employment (with a focus on the lower segments of the middle and working classes), small and medium-sized enterprises, regional ecosystems, and access to fast, efficient, and affordable online connectivity, as well as the development of e-government and digital democracy. The project contributes to the advancement of sociology as an interdisciplinary science, positioned at the intersection of the social and technical disciplines. The results demonstrate the importance of collaboration between practitioners and academic researchers, who, through their studies, can address the growing challenges arising from the development of the internet and artificial intelligence. The outcomes of the project contribute to building a new roadmap for the future of contemporary societies, where polarization remains only a possible scenario—one that can be anticipated and effectively overcome in time.
Project team:
Project Leader: Prof. D.Sc. Rumiana Stoilova ()
Members:
PhD Petya Kabakchieva, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
D.Sc. Rumiana Zheleva, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, BAS,
Prof. PhD Kaloyan Haralampiev, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
Prof. PhD Vilyana Ruseva, Burgas Free University –
Senior Assistant Prof. PhD Kamelia Petkova, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, BAS
Senior Assistant Prof. PhD Stefan Markov, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, BAS
Senior Assistant Prof. PhD Marieta Hristova, University of National and World Economy
Senior Assistant Prof. PhD Martin Konstantinov, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at BAS
Senior Assistant Prof. PhD Svetlomir Zdravkov, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at BAS
Vladimir Vladov, BAS, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at BAS
Aleksandar Kolyachev, PhD student at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, BAS
Miroslav Tomov, PhD student at the Unirersity of Library Studies and Information Tehnologies
