Publications
Research in Social Change - Special journal volume (public Deliverable 4.3 Special journal volume)
The Special journal volume is a direct outcome of the work undertaken within the TIA2030 project through discussion events, conferences and summer schools. It brings together interdisciplinary perspectives on the implementation of EU Grand Strategies, with particular attention to Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). More specifically, the volume explores the role of institutions, social networks, and cognitive frames (SOFIA approach) in shaping and implementing these strategies.
The Special journal volume reflects contributions from several disciplines, including sociology, political science, economics, law, regional studies, and other related fields. In this way, it supports the project’s objective of promoting interdisciplinary EU studies and dealing with the phenomenon of EU implementation deficit, EU public diplomacy and EU global leadership in the field of technology and innovation for Agenda 2030.
The whole Special journal volume is available here and on the publisher website under the section Volume 17, Issue 1, April 2025.
The articles are published in open access form under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence.
The Special journal volume includes the following articles:
1. Sanja Živković – “Inspiringly Intertwined: Leadership Framework for Digital and Social Transformation”
Abstract: Leadership that integrates the intentional creation of positive social change through digital transformation can also influence social transformation. This conceptual paper aimed to provide a leadership framework relevant to the intertwined digital and social transformation. For this purpose, a literature review has been conducted. The method of theory synthesis was used to draw on the propositions of transformational leadership theory, stakeholder theory, and integrative framework of leadership competencies for digital transformation. The proposed leadership framework consists of the following dimensions (components): initiation (vision, purpose); intervention (collaboration, inclusion); and implementation (multiple intelligences). This paper extends the existing literature by providing a leadership framework that can be utilised to inspire the development, demonstration, and further research of digital and social transformation leadership across private, public, and non-profit sectors. It can be of practical value to current and aspiring leaders, leadership development specialists, and educators. Future research could be directed at examining the perceptions of both leaders and followers in different sectors regarding the influence of each of the dimensions and components of the leadership framework on outcomes at the individual, organizational, and societal levels. The interdisciplinarity of the leadership phenomenon calls for the collaboration of scholars from the fields of management, sociology, and psychology to advance future empirical research on the role of leadership in the intertwined digital and social transformation.
Key-words: leadership, leadership framework, digital transformation, social transformation, social change
2. B. Barış Yıldız, Gizem Dak, Münevver Çetin, Denitsa Hinkova – “Industry 4.0 Teacher Awareness: Avcilar District Example”
Abstract: This research aims to determine the level of awareness of teachers working in public schools affiliated to the Ministry of National Education regarding Industry 4.0. In this context, it aims to determine whether teachers' Industry 4.0 awareness levels differ significantly according to their gender, age, school level, professional seniority, branch, educational status and class size of the school they work in. The research was designed according to the single survey type, one of the general survey models. The population of the study consisted of 2468 teachers working in public schools in Avcılar district of Istanbul province. The sample of the study consisted of 1697 teachers selected from purposeful sampling in the maximum diversity model. Industry 4.0 Awareness Scale (Yelkikalan et al. 2019) was used as a data collection tool. In the analysis of the data, descriptive statistical analysis was used by using a ready-made statistical package programme. Some of the research results are as follows: Teachers' awareness of Industry 4.0 is at a high level. In addition, there are statistically significant differences in teachers' Industry 4.0 awareness levels according to their gender, age, educational status, class size of the school where they work, while there is no significant difference in terms of their branches and school levels. According to the results obtained, the following suggestions are given: Training programmes should be organised to increase teachers' awareness of Industry 4.0. In order for teachers to access up-to-date information about Industry 4.0, cooperation should be established with universities, industrial organisations and technology companies, and training seminars and field visits should be organised.
Key-words: Industry 4.0, awareness, 4th industrial revolution, teacher training.
3. Larissa G. Titarenko – “International Distance Courses: Can They Provide Personalized Educational Opportunities?”
Abstract: This paper describes experience of the distance sociology courses that functioned for students from Belarusian State University and State University of New York. The joint distance course included studying texts and extensive discussions via the students’ chats organized within the classes that reflected the student-led learning methods proposed by Dewey and developed for distance learning by modern scholars. Students’ evaluation of the class was based on their personal interviews and written feedback on the courses. Due to the careful design of the teaching methods a level of students’ satisfaction was high. The students especially liked a possibility to communicate with professors any time, an option to discuss with other students any questions and express their individual viewpoints, a chance to learn material asynchronously without physical participation in regular classes abroad. Students highly assessed such features of the distance class as a combination of formal and informal tools of communication, freedom to learn the sources that are not prescribed, accounting the individual educational interests, etc. This way the students could develop their personal abilities and personality. The long term effects of the international distance course included a better understanding of each other, a broader world outlook, a deeper knowledge on foreign countries and different nationalities. Such courses provided enlargement of the students’ cultural potential on the basis of digitalized educational technology.
Key-words: International Distance Courses, Dialogical Approach in Leaning, Joint Courses, Intercultural Communication, Personal Development
4. Igor Trajanovski – “Gligorov and European Preventive Diplomacy”
Abstract: This paper examines the political and historical role of Kiro Gligorov in the making of Macedonian statehood through a sociological lens. Focusing on the decisive period of the early 1990s, it analyses how Gligorov’s leadership intersected with broader processes of social change, state-building and identity formation in the post-Yugoslav context. The study draws on Piotr Sztompka’s sociology of social change, as well as broader debates on agency and structure, to conceptualise Gligorov as an individual actor operating within a dense web of institutional, geopolitical and cultural constraints. The paper pursues two main aims: first, to analyse the role of Gligorov in the political development and consolidation of the Republic of Macedonia; and second, to explore how his presidency interacted with wider socio-economic and socio-cultural transformations in Macedonian society. Methodologically, the paper is designed as a qualitative case study based on interpretive analysis of primary and secondary sources, including political speeches, interviews, constitutional documents and existing historiographical and political science literature. The analysis suggests that Gligorov combined moderation, legalism and pragmatic international engagement in ways that contributed to the peaceful emergence and consolidation of Macedonian statehood in a highly turbulent regional environment. At the same time, his public role helped to shape patterns of democratic culture, conflict avoidance and political discourse that extended beyond his formal mandates. By linking an individual-centred analysis of political leadership with a sociological reading of historical change, the paper contributes to broader discussions on the role of political actors in critical junctures and processes of state formation.
Key-words: Macedonian statehood, social change, political leadership, Yugoslav dissolution, transition
5. Nadica Jovanovska Boshkovska, Ivona Mileva, Slavcho Taushanov, Janez Kolar – “From Risk to Resilience: Public Readiness for Disaster Risk Finance in North Macedonia”
Abstract: Natural disasters, in particular earthquakes and floods, pose an ever-increasing financial and social threat to North Macedonia, in the same way as other countries in the region. Despite this, the penetration of natural catastrophe (NatCat) insurance among households remains low. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to assess the willingness and perceptions of Macedonian households to secure financial protection against disaster risk, and to identify the underlying reasons for low uptake. A structured survey was conducted across all municipalities, capturing information on past disaster experience, existing insurance coverage, risk perception, and disaster coping mechanisms. Attitudes towards insurance, acceptable annual premium ranges, price sensitivity, and trust-enhancing factors were also explored. The results emphasis that in order to boost the use of disaster insurance, specific public awareness efforts, straightforward product design, and legislative tools – like mandatory programs or subsidies – are required. Moreover, the results underscore the importance of shifting from reactive post-disaster assistance to proactive risk-financing measures, ensuring that households are better prepared before disasters strike. This paper can serve as a valuable resource for policymakers, insurers, and stakeholders in disaster risk management in creating widely available, reasonably priced, and reliable catastrophe insurance solutions tailored to the specific needs and perspectives of the Macedonian population.
Key-words: North Macedonia, disaster risk finance, insurance, household risk perception, natural disasters, public awareness