Associate Professor Albena Dimitrova, Ph.D.

Education and Career

New Bulgarian University - Sofia,
Bachelor's in "Sociology and Social Anthropology",
Master's in "Sociology - Social Diagnosis, Prognostics, and Design"

South-West University "Neofit Rilski" - Blagoevgrad

PhD in Sociology. Doctorate on the topic "Study of Violence in Sports".

Associate Professor in the professional field 7.6. Sports, specialty "Sports" (Sociology of Sport) since 2020.

Pedagogical Activity

Lecture Courses:

Leading lecturer in the educational qualification degree of Bachelor's in "Sociology of Sport", Faculty elective discipline "Violence in Sport", Faculty elective discipline "Occupation and Sport", Elective discipline "Sociology of Sport", Elective discipline "Hidden Disability in Society" - lectures, practical (seminar) exercises, including for foreign students under the ERASMUS academic exchange program.

Leading lecturer in Master's programs:

• Physical Education and Sport - Socio-Psychological Aspects of Teaching "Physical Education and Sport"
• Adapted Physical Activity and Sport, Adapted Sport and Inclusive Education - "Social Adaptation of People with Disabilities"
• High-Performance Sport - Faculty elective discipline "The Profession of the Sports Coach"
• Sports Journalism - Elective discipline "Sport in Civil Society", Elective discipline "Empirical Sociological Research in Sports Journalism".

Participation in the development and updating of curricula for bachelor's and master's educational qualification degrees, and as an expert in international, national, institutional, research projects, and operational programs - "Student Internships", "Developing Survival Readiness of Students in a Social Environment through Specialized Kung Fu Training", "Impact of Yoga on Mental Health, Physical Qualities, and Wellbeing", "Sport and Security", "You Are Part of Us", "Specialized Psychophysical Training of Students for Survival in Extreme Situations", "Program for Studying the Psychophysical Preparation of Students" with the support of the State Agency for Youth and Sports, INCLUDE EU: Citizenship rights for a Resilient Europe, SUPPORTER, and others.

Scientific Interests

• Sport and Violence
• Deviant Behavior in Sport
• Social Capital and Physical Activity
• Social Integration of Adolescents
• Adapted Sport and Inclusive Education.

Additional Information

• Head of the "Philosophy and Sociology of Sport" Department
• Member of the Faculty Council of the "Pedagogy" Faculty at NSA "Vasil Levski"

Membership in Professional Associations

• Bulgarian Sociological Association.

Notable Publications

• Dimitrova, A. (2019). Deviant Behavior in Sport: Reality and Perspectives. Monograph, "NSA PRESS", Sofia, ISBN 978-954-718-591-3.
• Dimitrova, A. (2017). Sociology of Sport. University Textbook. NSA PRESS, Sofia, ISBN 978-954-718-457-6
• Author Collective (2022). "Physical Education and Sport", Specialized Preparation, Textbook for XI and XII Grades, NSA Press Sofia, ISBN 978-954-718-697-2
• Dimitrova, A. (2023). Sociological Study on Students' Awareness for Increasing Physical Activity and Protecting Urban Environment, Volume 26, NSA PRESS, pp. 113 – 123.
• Dimitrova, A., Simeonova, D. (2023). Sociological Features of Violence Among Students in Conditions of Social Crisis. SHS Web of Conferences 176, 04003
• Dimitrova, A. (2022). Radicalization and Sport. Yearbook of the National Sports Academy "Vasil Levski", Volume 2, pp. 15 - 24.
• Dimitrova, A. (2009). Theoretical Analysis of Violence in Sport. In: Personality, Motivation, Sport. Sofia, Vol. 14, pp. 106.
• Dimitrova, A. (2019). Volunteering in Sport - A Powerful Factor for Integration, Improving Education, and Sustainable Development. In: Strategies of Educational and Scientific Policy, Issue 2, pp. 196, National Publishing House for Education and Science "Az-buki".
• Dimitrova, A. (2017). Social Integration of People with Disabilities in the Field of Sport. In: International Congress “Applied Sports Sciences”, Sofia, Bulgaria: NSA Press, pp. 445- 448.
• Dimitrova, A. (2022). Current Sociological Problems Related to Tennis in the System of Bulgarian School Education. In: International Congress “Applied Sports Sciences”, Proceeding Book, Volume 2, 2 - 3 December 2022, Sofia, Bulgaria: NSA Press, pp. 402- 408.
• Dimitrova, A., Dimitrov, V. (2021). Sport as an Opportunity to Increase Employment in the Regions. In: TRAKIA JOURNAL OF SCIENCES. Volume 19, 2021, Supplement 1, Series Social Sciences. SECTION 7: Sports Problems of Business and Communities’ Faculty of Economics, TRAKIA UNIVERSITY. 1313-7069 - ISSN TJS: Social Sciences.