DOI 10.55206/KBYT2933
Daniel Polihronov
Sofia University „St. Kliment Ohridski”
E-mail: d.polihronov@fp.uni-sofia.bg
Abstract: The article presents an interdisciplinary study of the impact of contemporary pop-folk music on the socialisation and education of young people in Bulgaria, situated in the context of the changing cultural and information environment. The research hypothesis is based on the understanding that pop-folk, having evolved from a marginal to a dominant cultural phenomenon, forms models of behaviour and values that often go beyond the boundaries of the aesthetic and become social codes for identification and imitation. On the basis of a theoretical-empirical study, including structured interviews with authors of lyrics – Lora Dimitrova and Petya Radeva, an interpretative analysis of the lyrical messages and their pedagogical implications is carried out. The interviewed songwriters share their personal ethical principles, professional compromises imposed by market dynamics, as well as reflections on the educational responsibility towards the young audience. The analysis outlines the dynamics between artistic fiction and social reality in conditions of weakened family and institutional control, low functional literacy and a high degree of identification with media images. The conclusions emphasise the need for cultural and pedagogical mediation aimed at forming critical thinking and social resilience. Artistic texts should be perceived not literally, but as a cultural product, the impact of which requires interdisciplinary interpretation and social regulation.
Keywords: contemporary pop folk music, educational process, messages, influence, songwriters, content analysis.
Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 65, October 2025