My name is Catalin Augustin Stoica and I am a sociologist with extensive and varied (local and international) experience in public opinion polling, stratification, inequality, social movements, and economic sociology. I hold a Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford Uninversity. For more than 8 years I was the General Manager of the Center for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS) - a top, private Romanian firm for social and market research. Currently, I am an Associate Professor of Sociology at the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA, Bucharest, Romania). I have extensive teaching experience on topics such as survey methodology, economic sociology and economic anthropology, stratification, and quantitative methods. I have taught courses in both the US (as a graduate student at Stanford University) and Romania (as an assistant and subsequently an associate professor of sociology).
... 2. Ion Iliescu and Vladimir Tismaneanu, The Great Shock at the End of a Short Century: Ion Il... more ... 2. Ion Iliescu and Vladimir Tismaneanu, The Great Shock at the End of a Short Century: Ion Iliescu in Dialogue with Vladimir Tismaneanu on ... peo-ple became the victims of the very system they created or sup-ported (see, for instance, the cases of Egon Balas, Ana Pauker, or, to ...
Some scholars have claimed that the importance of communist-era ties such as „blat‟ or instrument... more Some scholars have claimed that the importance of communist-era ties such as „blat‟ or instrumental-personal relations will decrease during transition. Others have provided evidence that the importance of such ties has increased in post-communism. Using recent survey data from a nationally representative sample of respondents aged 25 years and over, I examine the types of social ties that have survived Communism in Romania and the factors that influence an individual‟s social capital or network resources. According to my analyses, in 2010 the frequency of an individual‟s ties to some domains has increased. Individual level factors that account for a respondent‟s social capital in 2010 are education, network resources in 1989, former Communist party membership, and occupational status.
The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate ... more The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate several determinants of COVID-19 CTs using survey data from Romania. Some of our findings are consistent with those of previous studies on other CTs: low values of social integration, open-mindedness, and analytical thinking predict conspiracy thinking as well as higher levels of collective narcissism. Other findings run counter to those of prior research on CTs. We hypothesize that this might be due to the specificity of the CTs under scrutiny and related to the Romanian context.
... PATRICK C. JOBES IOANA-MINERVA ICOLISAN CATALIN STOICA University of New England University o... more ... PATRICK C. JOBES IOANA-MINERVA ICOLISAN CATALIN STOICA University of New England University of Bucharest University of Bucharest ... Oberschall (1986) has described difficulties he encountered while teaching research methods in China. ...
The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate ... more The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate several determinants of COVID-19 CTs using survey data from Romania. Some of our findings are consistent with those of previous studies on other CTs: low values of social integration, open-mindedness, and analytical thinking predict conspiracy thinking as well as higher levels of collective narcissism. Other findings run counter to those of prior research on CTs. We hypothesize that this might be due to the specificity of the CTs under scrutiny and related to the Romanian context.
Migration, Location and Provision of Support to Older Parents: The Case of Romania, Aug 8, 2014
Low fertility and rapid out-migration in Romania are consequential for the migrants that confront... more Low fertility and rapid out-migration in Romania are consequential for the migrants that confront challenges of providing support to ageing parents. Systematic data allowing examination of intergenerational support are difficult to find for Eastern Europe, a region undergoing demographic and socio-economic transition. Using recently collected data from Romania this study models monetary and instrumental support from an adult child to an older parent as a function of location of residence and additional covariates that assume Romanian families operate following an integrative family framework wherein support obligations are considered to be shared across a
family network and support probabilities depend upon characteristics of the provider and the older parent. Multilevel multinomial models with random intercepts indicate international migrants are likely to give money; within Romania migrants and those living in the same locality as parents are unlikely to give money but likely to provide instrumental support. But, specific probabilities vary depending having sibling and where siblings live. Support is more likely provided to rural parents and to parents with functional limitations. Results elucidate the degree to which and why support is being provided within a rapidly ageing environment.
This volume discusses the mass protests of January-February, 2012 in Romania. The protests took t... more This volume discusses the mass protests of January-February, 2012 in Romania. The protests took the former governmental coalition, the political opposition, and pundits alike by surprise as most of them believed that “the polenta does not explode.” According to The Economist (“Rioting in Romania: the battle of Bucharest”, January 16, 2012), the latter is “the gnomic phrase Romanians use to describe the attitude of resigned acceptance typical of the country.” Some local and foreign analysts have deemed these protests the Romanian version of the Indignados movement for several reasons: First, the Romanian themes of discontent were highly diverse, ranging from pensions to health care, women’s rights, wages and environmental issues. Second, the Romanian demonstrations were supported by protestors from diverse social backgrounds: retirees, college students, unemployed individuals, employees of multinational companies, football hooligans (or the so-called “ultras”), reputable university p...
... 2. Ion Iliescu and Vladimir Tismaneanu, The Great Shock at the End of a Short Century: Ion Il... more ... 2. Ion Iliescu and Vladimir Tismaneanu, The Great Shock at the End of a Short Century: Ion Iliescu in Dialogue with Vladimir Tismaneanu on ... peo-ple became the victims of the very system they created or sup-ported (see, for instance, the cases of Egon Balas, Ana Pauker, or, to ...
Some scholars have claimed that the importance of communist-era ties such as „blat‟ or instrument... more Some scholars have claimed that the importance of communist-era ties such as „blat‟ or instrumental-personal relations will decrease during transition. Others have provided evidence that the importance of such ties has increased in post-communism. Using recent survey data from a nationally representative sample of respondents aged 25 years and over, I examine the types of social ties that have survived Communism in Romania and the factors that influence an individual‟s social capital or network resources. According to my analyses, in 2010 the frequency of an individual‟s ties to some domains has increased. Individual level factors that account for a respondent‟s social capital in 2010 are education, network resources in 1989, former Communist party membership, and occupational status.
The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate ... more The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate several determinants of COVID-19 CTs using survey data from Romania. Some of our findings are consistent with those of previous studies on other CTs: low values of social integration, open-mindedness, and analytical thinking predict conspiracy thinking as well as higher levels of collective narcissism. Other findings run counter to those of prior research on CTs. We hypothesize that this might be due to the specificity of the CTs under scrutiny and related to the Romanian context.
... PATRICK C. JOBES IOANA-MINERVA ICOLISAN CATALIN STOICA University of New England University o... more ... PATRICK C. JOBES IOANA-MINERVA ICOLISAN CATALIN STOICA University of New England University of Bucharest University of Bucharest ... Oberschall (1986) has described difficulties he encountered while teaching research methods in China. ...
The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate ... more The current pandemic has generated many conspiracy theories (CTs). In this paper, we investigate several determinants of COVID-19 CTs using survey data from Romania. Some of our findings are consistent with those of previous studies on other CTs: low values of social integration, open-mindedness, and analytical thinking predict conspiracy thinking as well as higher levels of collective narcissism. Other findings run counter to those of prior research on CTs. We hypothesize that this might be due to the specificity of the CTs under scrutiny and related to the Romanian context.
Migration, Location and Provision of Support to Older Parents: The Case of Romania, Aug 8, 2014
Low fertility and rapid out-migration in Romania are consequential for the migrants that confront... more Low fertility and rapid out-migration in Romania are consequential for the migrants that confront challenges of providing support to ageing parents. Systematic data allowing examination of intergenerational support are difficult to find for Eastern Europe, a region undergoing demographic and socio-economic transition. Using recently collected data from Romania this study models monetary and instrumental support from an adult child to an older parent as a function of location of residence and additional covariates that assume Romanian families operate following an integrative family framework wherein support obligations are considered to be shared across a
family network and support probabilities depend upon characteristics of the provider and the older parent. Multilevel multinomial models with random intercepts indicate international migrants are likely to give money; within Romania migrants and those living in the same locality as parents are unlikely to give money but likely to provide instrumental support. But, specific probabilities vary depending having sibling and where siblings live. Support is more likely provided to rural parents and to parents with functional limitations. Results elucidate the degree to which and why support is being provided within a rapidly ageing environment.
This volume discusses the mass protests of January-February, 2012 in Romania. The protests took t... more This volume discusses the mass protests of January-February, 2012 in Romania. The protests took the former governmental coalition, the political opposition, and pundits alike by surprise as most of them believed that “the polenta does not explode.” According to The Economist (“Rioting in Romania: the battle of Bucharest”, January 16, 2012), the latter is “the gnomic phrase Romanians use to describe the attitude of resigned acceptance typical of the country.” Some local and foreign analysts have deemed these protests the Romanian version of the Indignados movement for several reasons: First, the Romanian themes of discontent were highly diverse, ranging from pensions to health care, women’s rights, wages and environmental issues. Second, the Romanian demonstrations were supported by protestors from diverse social backgrounds: retirees, college students, unemployed individuals, employees of multinational companies, football hooligans (or the so-called “ultras”), reputable university p...
33% of Romanians think that what happened in December 1989 was a coup d'etat; 52% believe it was ... more 33% of Romanians think that what happened in December 1989 was a coup d'etat; 52% believe it was a revolution, 1%-something else, and 14% do not know, according to a recent opinion poll conducted by The Center for Urban and Regional Sociology-CURS. In this research note (in Romanian language) I analyze CURS' recent and previous opinion polls on the topic of December 1989. Although the "Revolution" narrative is now held by a majority, a third of the country's adult population still deems December 1989 a coup d'etat. Collective memories of the recent past are influenced by many factors, such as an individual's age (generation), education level, and his/her political opinions. Moreover, collective memories (or what and how we remember the recent past) are also influenced by how people live now, as compared to previous years (or during communism, in this case).
Funded by Friedrich Ebert Foundation - Romania, this study aimed to fill a gap in our knowledge o... more Funded by Friedrich Ebert Foundation - Romania, this study aimed to fill a gap in our knowledge of Romanian youth (individuals aged 15 to 29 years). The study combined quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Specifically, we conducted a survey on a random, nationally representative sample of 1,302 respondents aged 15 to 29 years and 10 focus-groups with young people from various Romanian regions, from both urban and rural areas. The main themes of this study were: young people's socio-economic status; cultural consumption; concerns and aspirations; education and the labor market; values; spirituality; civic and political participation. The report contains the results of uni-variate and bi-variate analyses of the survey, seasoned with insights from the qualitative part (i.e., focus-groups). The English translation of the report was provided via FES and is not the responsibility of the authors; the Romanian version of the report is available in the "Resources" sectio...
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family network and support probabilities depend upon characteristics of the provider and the older parent. Multilevel multinomial models with random intercepts indicate international migrants are likely to give money; within Romania migrants and those living in the same locality as parents are unlikely to give money but likely to provide instrumental support. But, specific probabilities vary depending having sibling and where siblings live. Support is more likely provided to rural parents and to parents with functional limitations. Results elucidate the degree to which and why support is being provided within a rapidly ageing environment.
family network and support probabilities depend upon characteristics of the provider and the older parent. Multilevel multinomial models with random intercepts indicate international migrants are likely to give money; within Romania migrants and those living in the same locality as parents are unlikely to give money but likely to provide instrumental support. But, specific probabilities vary depending having sibling and where siblings live. Support is more likely provided to rural parents and to parents with functional limitations. Results elucidate the degree to which and why support is being provided within a rapidly ageing environment.