Katerina Katsarska
Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences
Vol. 13, 2026, No. 1
Digital inequalities among young Roma mothers in Bulgaria
Katerina Katsarska
Abstract. This article examines digital inequalities among young Roma women with children in Bulgaria, focusing on how gender, ethnicity, age, and socio-economic status intersect to shape their employment trajectories and digital practices. Drawing on qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and a focus group conducted in the Fakulteta neighbourhood in Sofia, the study explores how young Roma mothers navigate labour market participation after childbirth. The findings reveal that employment decisions are primarily structured around childcare responsibilities, often resulting in downward occupational mobility, interrupted skill development, and constrained digital engagement. The analysis employs the concept of second-level digital divide as its primary analytical lens, situating the observed patterns within a broader framework of socio-economic stratification, and draws on intersectional concepts to show how multiple axes of disadvantage – gender, ethnicity, age, and parental status – compound structural barriers in ways that cannot be reduced to any single factor. The article demonstrates that digital inequality must be situated within broader socio-economic constraints, including poverty, care responsibilities, and ethnic marginalization, while being examined through its own specific mechanisms of access, skill levels, and meaningful use. The article contributes to debates on digital inequality by emphasizing the importance of contextual and intersectional approaches when studying marginalized populations.
Keywords: young Roma women with children, digital inequalities, second-level digital divide, gender, ethnicity, intersectionality
Papers of BAS. Humanities and Social Sciences
Vol. 12, 2025, No. 1
Digital inequalities among managers over 50:
The importance of age, education, and additional qualifications
Katerina Katsarska
Abstract. The article analyses digital inequalities among managers and entrepreneurs over the age of 50 in the city of Sofia. The study aims to present exclusionary and discriminatory practices based on age, educational attainment, and professional qualifications among business managers over 50. The analysis is grounded on qualitative methods. Using an intersectional approach, it explores the strategies for coping with exclusion and discrimination, with attention to differences related to gender, age, and education. In conclusion, public policies regarding digitalization are discussed.
Keywords: digital inequalities, age, discrimination, gender