Правно-социологически параметри антидискриминационното правосъзнание
Legal and Sociological Features and Empirical Characteristics of Anti-discrimination Behaviour

Summary/Abstract: SOCIOLOGY OF LAW // Discrimination is a sociological term referring to the treatment taken toward or against a person of a certain group in consideration based solely on class or category. Discrimination is the actual behavior towards another group. Discriminatory behaviors take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or rejection. Discriminatory laws have existed in many countries, including Bulgaria. At European Union level equality and/or non-discrimination mainstreaming is a relatively recent development. Article 13 of the Amsterdam Treaty (1997) provided the opportunity to combat discrimination across a wider set of grounds – the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation. The Lisbon Treaty offers a valuable legal basis for advancing equality and/or non-discrimination mainstreaming. Article 10 of the treaty sets out that ‘in defining and implementing its policies and activities the Union shall aim to combat discrimination’ on the Article 13 grounds. This offers new opportunities to advance equality and/or non-discrimination mainstreaming. Legal consciousness is one of the most important factors that plays significant role in the process of implementation of non-discriminatory laws. The study reports results from a representative empirical legal-sociological research on legal consciousness and (non)discriminatory behaviour in the context of some very specific ethnic differences in Bulgaria. This indicates that public opinion about discrimination can play an important part in the preparation of the new non -discriminatory legislation.

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