Editors’ Words

Сп. „Реторика и комуникации“, брой 61, октомври 2024 г.

Rhetoric and Communications, Issue 61, October 2024

DOI 10.55206/BYOR9712

Prof. Margarita Bakracheva, DSc

Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”

E-mail: mbakrachev@uni-sofia.bg

Prof. Yanka Totseva, PhD

University of National and World Economy

E-mail: yanka.totseva@unwe.bg

Issue 61 of the Rhetoric and Communications Journal includes 8 articles, divided thematically into two sections, Rhetoric, Public and Academic Communi­ca­tion and Intercultural Communication and Education, and the presentation of a periodical – a scholarly journal.

Seven of the publications are in English, one in Bulgarian, four are by foreign authors, one by a Bulgarian author working outside the country and three by Bulgarian authors working in the country.

The authors are researchers in different fields. An example of international collaboration is the team from Romania and Belgium – Anca Anton, University of Bucharest, Romania и Eugen Glavan, Research Institute for the Quality of Life, Romanian Academy, Romania и Anne-Marie Cotton, Artevelde University of Applied Sciences, Belgium.

The articles in this isasue of the journal are part of the academic community in several European and one Asian country – Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Spain and Korea: Kalina Yocheva from Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Maya Sotirova – Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Todor Simeonov, Bul­garian Association of Reality Therapy, (Bulgaria); Mariusz Boguszewski – Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, (Poland); Gheorghe Anghel – Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science, University of Bucharest, (Romania); Jorge Cantó Moreno – Universidad de Alicante, (Spain); Spas Rangelov – College of International and Area Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, (Republic of Korea).

In line with the journal’s tradition, the publications are a colourful kaleido­scope, successfully combining different perspectives in the contemporary reading and communication of the traditional with the integration of the possibilities of modern media and digital technologies, taking into account the requirements and demands of the context. The publications present in-depth research in areas such as: diplomacy and its public response and civic perspectives; the place of new communication tools and academics in mobile journalism; the link between neuroscience and persuasive communication, presented through the paradigm of neurorhetoric; new communication tools in the learning process to promote inter­cultural dialogue; the place of visual elements in learning; tracing the role of ex­pressive means of communication in art as encoding universal messages regard­less of cultural, historical and political contexts; traditional messages and their place in the contemporary world and the specific needs of the contemporary con­text to adapt to the expectations of new generations and to develop a framework for unbiased interpretation.

The section on Rhetoric, Public and Academic Communication includes three articles presenting research on topics of both academic and social rele­vance – the intersections and mutual influence of public relations and democra­tised forms of diplomacy; the involvement of academicians in the evolving media environment through mobile journalism; and tracing aspects of neurorhetoric, conceptualised as the intersection between different rhetorical canons and specific brain functions in the real and virtual communication domains.

Democratised forms of diplomacy are analysed from the perspective of pub­lic relations by Anca Anton, Anne-Marie Cotto, and Eugen Glavan. Ghe­orghe Anghel focuses on mobile journalism as an increasingly relevant topic in the media environment and on the place of the academic world in this regard. Todor Simeonov examines the complex interaction between brain functions and persuasive communication in real and virtual contexts in the context of neu­rorhetoric.

Research on contemporary approaches and forms of communication and promotion of intercultural dialogue through comic-based educational materials is the focus of the five articles in the Intercultural Communication and Educa­tion section. They highlight the potential research methodologies that contribute to the development of a holistic, non-biased methodological framework, narrative art and the general and specific phenomena and processes in different cultures, as well as parenting, values and traditions reflected in children’s literature. Ma­riusz Boguszewski addresses the role of the development of theology in inter­cultural and interreligious contexts in the age of globalisation and the possibilities of academic education in promoting intercultural dialogue. Inte­grating graphic humour into education to engage learners in the acquisition and enrichment of visual literacy is explored by Jorge Cantó Moreno. Kalina Yoche­va explores linguistic and communicative features in art, drawing attention to cultural dif­ferences, behavioural patterns, stereotypes, prejudices and the influence of het­eronor­mative social structures. She raises the question of developing a holistic and robust methodological framework. From a comparative perspective, Spas Rangelov traces the parallels and differences in the artistic representation of messages in different cultures and historical periods related to the image of women and their position in social life. Maya Sotirova derives the pedagogical competence of the parent from the way it is reflected in Bulgarian children’s literature in the period from the late 19th to the mid-20th century, presenting archetypal characteristics in the universal image of the parent.

In the section Contemporary Research: Books Review, Radeya Ge­sheva provides an in-depth analysis of the Philology journal, presenting its his­tory, specific scope, sections and recent innovations related to its online presence in the digital environment.

Prof. Margarita Bakracheva, DSc. Vice- Dean of the Faculty of Education Stud­ies (FESA), Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. She is a lecturer in the fields of de­ve­l­opmental psychology, psychology of personality, social psychology, clinical and coun­selling psychology, art therapy, crisis intervention, etc. Her research focuses on identity, self-regulation, well-being, life satisfaction, life course development and cop­ing. She is the author of 8 monographs and coauthor of 7 further monographs and over 100 scien­tific publications. She has implemented programmes for the resolution of iden­tity crises, stress management and promotion of well-being and mindfulness.

 

Prof. Yanka Totseva, PhD. Yanka Totseva is a lecturer at the University of Na­tional and World Economy (UNWE), Department of Pedagogy – Head of Department. She has taught at the European Polytechnic University and Shumen University. Since 2001 she has been an associate professor of educational theory and didactics (peda­gogical rhetoric and didactics). She defended her doctoral thesis in 1994. Her research interests are in the fields of rhetoric, intercultural communication and inter­cultural education. She is the author of more than 100 scientific publications published in Bul­garia and abroad, including the books: Rhetoric (2006), co-author of Pedagogical Rhetoric (2000), Issues in Adult Education (2001), and Interactive Adult Learning (2009), etc. Guest lecturer at universities and colleges in Italy, Netherlands and Ireland. She has participated in 50 national and international projects.

 

Issue 61 of the Rhetoric and Communications Journal (October 2024) is published with the financial support of the Scientific Research Fund, Contract No. KP-06-NP5/65 of December 08, 2023.