Thirty five years after the fall of socialism, there is still no reconciliation with this period. There is no narrative which validates the various life experiences, as well as both the positive and negative aspects of the development of the country.   Instead,  most of the analysis have become highly politicised and have been influenced by the political orientation of Bulgaria after 1989. Consequently, research and study of dissidence has become challenging due to the conflicting accounts, competing memories and the lack of consensus on its definition. This paper aims to map this challenge and explore the possibility of reconciling the disruptions of the near past by implementing Soft Systems Methodology as both a method for analysing the historical complexities, and  as a teaching methodology.