PRACTICAL DIMENSIONS OF SOCIAL PEDAGOGY: DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BULGARIAN REALITIES.

This paper presents the results of a recent empirical research on the practical dimensions of social pedagogy in Bulgaria. The research is based on a discourse analysis of publications and academic documents which reflect relatively different practical aspects of socio-educational activities and events, seen not only as social steps and developments, but also as educational practices. The information and data which were obtained and analysed show that seen as a specific type of social practice, social pedagogy is used as a sort of "umbrella concept" comprising of several autonomous activities and practices in areas like education, social work or social control and correction. The results justify the expectation that social pedagogy and social work are interrelated but not identical. The research outcome also confirms the observation, that basic norms of society form an intrinsic part of the contents of education, which makes the interaction between human educability and sociability crucial and inevitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]