Bulgarias Reform and the New Market Economy: What Does it Mean for Families

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Bulgarias Reform and the New Market Economy
What Does it Mean for Families ?

• A synopsis of how macro forces impact on the
  well-being of families and the various ways in
  which families adapt and demonstrate resilience
  during times of great economic, social and
  cultural change.

2
Macroforces Transforming Bulgarian Family Life

• Post-totalitarian transition
• EU accession
• Collapse of national institutions

• NATO oversight
• US/PAL incentives
• rapid vs. slow reform
• Changing worldview

3
Social Systems and Communism

• Everyone received subsidies in all areas of
  living
  
• High literacy rate (associated with need to
  disseminate propaganda)
  
• State control of the church

• Free education
• State managed family life-- public and private
• Gender equality emphasized
• Divorce penalty
• Dual wage economy

4
Socio-Economic Issues

• Polarization between slow and rapid reform
  communities
  
• Uneven and unequal redistribution of wealth

• Disintegration of the middle class
• Increases in organized crime corruption
• Lack of social contract between citizens and
  government

5
Shifting Cultural Values and Beliefs

• Worldview from totalitarian-post totalitarian to
  democratic ways of thinking and doing
  
• Re-thinking shifting away of social problems to
  villages,
  

• Parents teach spirit of entrepreneurship and
  democratic values
  
• Middle class sector critical to affirming
  democratic values
  
• Re-interpreting historical Christian liberation
  pedagogy in the context of transition, democracy
  and family stability
  

6
Transition and Family Well-Being

• Under market economy , poor support AND
  uncertainty in standard of living
  
• Decline of institutions supporting middle class
  sector
  
• 10-12 Immigration primarily middle class
• Faith as a factor in family stability

• Increase living standard problems with elderly
• Econ. challenges delay age of marriage birth
  rate
  
• Increase in co-habitation
• among young couples
• High unemployment stabilized/assuaged by EU US
  funding

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Significance of Middle Class

• Critical to reform effort
• historically, western-oriented

• Decline in m.c., slower progress in reform

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Demographics Family Household Issues

• Women problems balancing household work and
  family time
  
• Gender and employment
• Increase in intergenerational households

• Underemployment
• Declining social benefits
• Declining birth rate (1.8)
• Increase in co-habitation among young couples

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Minority Families Roma and Turkish Communities

• High birth rates
• Separate but equal education
• Defining democracy and equality in the new market
  economy

• Turkish population more successfully integrated
• Equal access to Employment and education

10
Demographics and Global Trends

• Bulgaria mimics other market economy countries
  demographic trends
  
• Marriage based on modern vs. traditional
  arrangements
  

• Western values and beliefs
• Low birth rate
• Delayed marriage
• Increase in co-habitation
• Increase in aging population

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Semeystvo Future Issues and Challenges

• Developing a new social system paradigm for
  Democratic Bulgaria
  
• Employment
• Rebuilding national institutions
• Decreasing immigration of middle class
• Role of religion in societal and family
  stability
  

• Balancing work and family life
• Minority economic and political representation
• Rebuilding rural /village infrastructure
• Aging of the population
• Equal assess in education

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Reflections On Bulgarian Family Life

• .
• Family life borders on both the traditional
  and the modern.
  
• The traditional is evidenced in the many folk
  ceremonies and rituals that
  
• are an integral part of Bulgarian life. Bulgaria
  also reflects the modern
  
• family in the trends that mimic other Western
  countries.
  
• Family historian Peter Drucker suggests that
  every few hundred
  
• years a sharp transformation occurs in society
  and this is followed by
  
• decades of re-arranging of worldview, values
  social and political
  
• structures. My brief glimpse into Bulgarian
  family life reminded me of
  
• how families also possess what social scientist
  have called, human agencyin the
  
• face of adversity, they use their historical
  triumphs and faith to adapt , impact on the
  
• larger culture and subsequently become a
  testament to endurance.
  

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For More Information Contact

• Gloria Warren, Ph. D.
• 1154 Virginia Park
• Detroit, MI 48202, U.S.A.
• [phone]
• Email Gloria_Warren18_at_hotmail.com