The paper presents an empirical study of the effects of infertility on the quality of life in a sample of 96 women undergoing assisted reproduction procedures in Bulgaria. Women’s quality of life is analyzed from the different aspects of life – physical and cognitive, emotional, relational, social and medical context. The analysis of the results also includes a comparison with other international studies and show that the number of recurrent procedures with assisted reproductive technologies (ART) is a strong predictor of the quality of life of persons suffering from infertility. Also indicate that infertility affects differently the different aspects of quality of life. The study includes recommendations for further research and insights for the provision of better mental care and support for patients undergoing infertility treatments.

In the context of globalization people more often change their environment and employment. Facilitated communications, the access to information and transport, strengthen migration processes. Migration, as one of the main demographic processes is becoming a key issue for many countries and Bulgaria is no exception to the overall picture. The economic and political fluctuations in our country in the 1990s have become a push factor and led to significant emigration during this period. The following years of stabilization and economic growth failed to reverse the negative trend and Bulgaria’s EU membership provided additional opportunities to Bulgarian citizens to travel and live outside their country within the Union. Free access to the labor markets and education systems of the Member States creates conditions for mobility and long-term migration. This article provides a brief statistical and historical overview of the nature of Bulgarian emigration. Despite that the analysis of migration processes after 1989 has been difficult due to a lack of comprehensive statistical date the paper aims to highlight the main reasons and motivations of emigrants to leave Bulgaria and to reveal the influence of migration processes on the fertile contingent, population’s age structure and population’s working age in the country.

The paper examines basic demographic and social characteristics and outlines trends in the Smolyan District as a basis for the formation of human resources. The analysis is based on a comparison with the other districts in the country, and also with the average level of different indieators for Bulgaria and for the European Union, in order to reflect the actual place of this district in our modern world. The demographic and migration processes that influence the available human resources, as well as the development of the labor market and social indicators are analyzed. The interest in Smolyan District comes from the desire to outline its specificity among the other districts in the country, as the second smallest in the country after Vidin District by the number of the population and comparatively less studied. The chosen period of the past ten years is appropriate to follow the development of Smolyan District during the years of Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union (EU) from 2007 up to now.

The paper analyzes the impact ethnicity structureof on the process of refusal to accept monks of the Rila Monastery and the closure of its convents in the Bulgarian settlements. Two urban centers are under consideration – Gabrovo and Nevrokop, characterized by a different ethnicity structure. Gabrovo is a purely Bulgarian settlement and Nevrokop has a mixed population. The authoress analyzes the intensity of the processes and the influence of the different ethnic groups with their economic and political possibilities to achieve the desired results.

The current paper is dedicated to recent topics connected to the strategic priorities of integration outlined in the “National strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria for the integration of Roma people (2012–2020)”, namely: residential environment and health care. Alongside these priorities, the Strategy refers to education and employment, which both predetermine the priority spheres for integration of the Roma community. In the sphere of residential environment, there is an emphasis on the following conflict: the right for an individual decision and choice of residential concept against the public strategies for development of the Roma residential environment. The counteraction from the Roma side often “narrows down” the possibilities to find the right solutions to their residential problem that the relevant authorities can apply. It is highlighted that the restriction/wiping out of the so-called “separate neighborhoods”, which deepen the process of their social exclusion is of a great importance to the younger Roma generation. A special place is dedicated to the problem of illegal construction and removal of illegal residential buildings, which is painful for both the Roma community and the whole society. The author expresses an opinion that an offering of alternative residential buildings to the affected Roma families should precede the removal of illegal residential buildings. It has been discovered that the practice of improving the residential environment with the implementation of pilot projects, mainly related to the construction of social residential buildings, has a particularly positive effect. The paper presents strategic goals and directions in the area of Roma housing policy in a synthesized manner. In relation to healthcare as a vital priority of the Roma integration policy, it is noted that the success of the protection of health passes through the development of a modern health culture of the Roma population. In the research, an analysis has been done and appropriate conclusions have been formulated for the health status of the Roma population. On this basis, as well as based on the necessity for development of a health culture, specific measures and recommendations have been defined in order to increase the access of the Roma population to health services – prevention and quality treatment. It is noted that the topic of using health services by uninsured persons/Roma individuals provokes justified discussions. The author thinks that additional legal changes are necessary. The current research is a source of realistically useful information for decision-making by the relevant competent authorities in the sphere of developing a residential environment and achieving a quality healthcare for the Roma population.

This study focuses the need of qualitative change in the understanding of demographic policy and in developing policies and institutions for development of children, in reconciling the policies for population development and for employment as well as to the need of social investments in education and health care and their consideration as top priorities. Development of population and economic employment of men and women, changes in economic structure and in distribution of paid and unpaid work between men and women are subject of the study based on a systemic approach and Amartya Sen’s capability approach about the creation of capability in population, institutions and economic entities. The study’s goal is putting to reassessment the now valid outdated concepts and practices of demographic policy, the childcare facilities and the policies of reconciling childbearing and bringing up children with engagement of men and women in both spheres. Population development is considered from the point of view of the recent evolution of fertility, mortality and migrations in Bulgaria. Furthermore, changes in attitudes and in the system of values are also analyzed which, in addition to the shrinking reproductive potential, predetermine country’s development in the next years and the need of reassessment and elaboration of adequate systemic and policies, implemented consecutively, for children and institutions development, for development of economy and population in their close interrelation and interdependency. The specific subjects of study are: present and future of demographic and economic development, search for modern decisions in choosing the policies for their development as well as natural increase of the population and current migration of women in the context of reconciling the employment and professional career with childbearing and bringing up children. Further subjects include: the age and sex as important determinants of both population reproduction and employment; the role played by social innovations and the selection of strategies for national economy and population development; demographic consequences of existing distribution of work by sex, on the one hand, and the development of education and healthcare sectors as strategic for qualitative population and economy reproduction, on the other; possible and applied policies for reconciling family and professional life of women and men.