- Adventus University, Social Work Faculty, Faculty Memberadd
- I am sociologist, university professor at the Adventus University, Faculty of Theology and Social Sciences, Romania. ... moreI am sociologist, university professor at the Adventus University, Faculty of Theology and Social Sciences, Romania. I teach, among others, ‘Sociology of communication’ and ‘Introduction to sociology’. During the period 1994-2008 I was senior researcher at the Institute of Sociology of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest. I hold a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Bucharest, Romania, a M.A. in Gender Study from the University of Bielefeld, Germany, and a M.A. in Communities and Organizations from the University of Bucharest. My research areas include sociology of communication and public sphere, media studies, gender studies, social problems, theories in sociology and social work.edit
Cartea de față își propune să ofere o sinteză a principalelor perspective teoretice utilizate în asistența socială, urmând dezvoltarea teoretică din științele socio-umane – în special psihologia și sociologia – din care au fost preluate,... more
Cartea de față își propune să ofere o sinteză a principalelor perspective teoretice utilizate în asistența socială, urmând dezvoltarea teoretică din științele socio-umane – în special psihologia și sociologia – din care au fost preluate, și scoțând în evidență specificul lor și modul în care au fost adaptate domeniului asistențial, la acestea adăugându-se modelele teoretice și metodologice dezvoltate în cadrul asistenței sociale. Lucrarea este structurată în opt capitole, fiecare – în afara primului capitol, care oferă o introducere în dezbaterea referitoare la teorie, în general, respectiv la dezvoltarea teoretică în asistența socială, în particular – tratând perspective teoretice distincte: perspectivele psihodinamice și tradiția psihanalitică, behaviorismul, perspectivele și modelele sistemice, perspectivele radicale și critice, perspectiva umanistă, perspectiva constructivistă, perspectivele privind asistența socială individualizată (modelele casework). În cadrul fiecăreia dintre aceste perspective sunt prezentate diferite teorii și modele, semnificative atât pentru paradigma în care se încadrează, cât și pentru relevanța lor în asistența socială. Cartea are primordial o vocație pedagogică, ea fiind de altfel rezultatul activității didactice realizate și remodelate pe parcursul mai multor ani. De aceea, ea se adresează în special studenților de la asistență socială, dar și studenților și masteranzilor din alte domenii înrudite, interesați de problematica asistenței sociale. De asemenea, cartea poate fi un ghid util pentru practicienii din domeniu, pentru cercetători, dar și pentru orice alte persoane interesate nu doar de sprijinul semenilor, ci și de un cadru științific pentru această activitate.
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Cartea „Sociologia comunicării" îşi propune să abordeze problematica largă a comunicării dintr-o perspectivă sociologică. Într-o perioadă istorică în care întreaga realitate socială este marcată de „comunicare” şi în care, într-adevăr, a... more
Cartea „Sociologia comunicării" îşi propune să abordeze problematica largă a comunicării dintr-o perspectivă sociologică. Într-o perioadă istorică în care întreaga realitate socială este marcată de „comunicare” şi în care, într-adevăr, a devenit axiomatic faptul că „totul comunică”, analizele riguroase ale comunicării şi ale rolului său în viaţa socială, urmând cadrele metodologice ştiinţifice, sunt necesare şi binevenite. Un astfel de demers îşi propune şi această carte: analiza comunicării prin perspectiva ştiinţifică deschisă de sociologie şi de alte științe denumite generic „ale comunicării”. Astfel, vor fi abordate şi analizate în acest cadru sociologic conceptele de bază din domeniu, structura şi elementele comunicării, formele şi tipurile comunicării, principalele modele teoretice dezvoltate de-a lungul timpului, rezultatele cercetărilor empirice care au schimbat optica specialiştilor în comunicare la anumite momente din timp, principalele preocupări care au structurat domeniul încă de la începuturile sale şi până în prezent.
Din cuprins: structura și elementele procesului de comunicare; comunicarea verbală; comunicarea non-verbală; „axiomele" comunicării; comunicarea interpersonală; comunicarea în grupuri și organizații; comunicarea de masă; efectele și influența mass media; funcțiile și disfuncțiile mass media; comunicarea publică; comunicarea publicitară; influențarea ca fenomen fundamental al comunicării; propaganda; persuasiunea; tehnici de persuasiune; manipularea; tehnici de manipulare.
Din cuprins: structura și elementele procesului de comunicare; comunicarea verbală; comunicarea non-verbală; „axiomele" comunicării; comunicarea interpersonală; comunicarea în grupuri și organizații; comunicarea de masă; efectele și influența mass media; funcțiile și disfuncțiile mass media; comunicarea publică; comunicarea publicitară; influențarea ca fenomen fundamental al comunicării; propaganda; persuasiunea; tehnici de persuasiune; manipularea; tehnici de manipulare.
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In diesem Buch wird die soziale Praxis der Geschlechtsangleichung (doing transgender) innerhalb von Arbeits- und Machtbeziehungen untersucht. Die Untersuchung widmet sich nicht nur dem Einfluss von Transsexualität auf berufliche Karrieren... more
In diesem Buch wird die soziale Praxis der Geschlechtsangleichung (doing transgender) innerhalb von Arbeits- und Machtbeziehungen untersucht. Die Untersuchung widmet sich nicht nur dem Einfluss von Transsexualität auf berufliche Karrieren und Machtpositionen im engeren Sinne, sondern auch, wie Transsexualität auf der Ebene sozialen Handelns und der Interaktion, der Identität und des Körpers inklusive der emotionalen Ebene verarbeitet wird (gender display).
Dabei wird in zwei Schritten vorgegangen: Im ersten Teil wird ein theoretisches Grundgerüst erarbeitet, das macht- und handlungstheoretische Aspekte, aber auch Dimensionen der kulturellen Codierung von Geschlecht sowie eine Betrachtung der Transsexualität als Geschlechterprozess umfasst. Im zweiten Schritt wird eine empirische Untersuchung vorgestellt, in der spezifische Konstellationen identifiziert werden, die nicht oder nicht ohne weiteres den bisherigen soziologischen Studien entsprechen. Der innovative Ansatz wird durch die methodologische 'Triangulation' deutlich gemacht und durch die Auswertung der Daten untermauert.
Dabei wird in zwei Schritten vorgegangen: Im ersten Teil wird ein theoretisches Grundgerüst erarbeitet, das macht- und handlungstheoretische Aspekte, aber auch Dimensionen der kulturellen Codierung von Geschlecht sowie eine Betrachtung der Transsexualität als Geschlechterprozess umfasst. Im zweiten Schritt wird eine empirische Untersuchung vorgestellt, in der spezifische Konstellationen identifiziert werden, die nicht oder nicht ohne weiteres den bisherigen soziologischen Studien entsprechen. Der innovative Ansatz wird durch die methodologische 'Triangulation' deutlich gemacht und durch die Auswertung der Daten untermauert.
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Placed at the crossroads of diverse disciplines – medical sciences, information and communication science, sociology of food, agricultural sciences – this book focuses on media, food and nutrition. Contributors to this volume come from... more
Placed at the crossroads of diverse disciplines – medical sciences, information and communication science, sociology of food, agricultural sciences – this book focuses on media, food and nutrition. Contributors to this volume come from different countries including the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico and Romania, and consider comparatively their native cultures. The book answers several questions: How are food and nutrition made visible and publicized? What is the role of media in relation to food and nutrition? What are the strategies of discourses surrounding food and nutrition within new public spaces?
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This book addresses the relationships and links between mass media and political conflicts. The empirical research presented in the book attempted to find out if there are any significant differences between the modalities of media... more
This book addresses the relationships and links between mass media and political conflicts. The empirical research presented in the book attempted to find out if there are any significant differences between the modalities of media coverage of conflicts, both regarding their neutrality and partisanship, and the use of standard wordings and construction of stereotypes, biases, and representations which, by their sometimes-obsessive resumption, could contribute to set up the image of a certain reality, more or less appropriate to the true one. I have chosen to “contextualize” the general approach into a particular one by the sociological analysis of media coverage of political and military conflicts which took place on the former Yugoslavia territory between 1991-1995 and 1999. The research was methodologically based on the content analysis of media discourses, combining quantitative analysis with the more sophisticated qualitative techniques for studying messages content. The sample included 12 international and national publications, among which six Western newspapers (New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Le Monde, The Guardian, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Süddeutsche Zeitung), four Serbian (Politika, Borba, Vecernije Novosti and Politika Ekspres), one Croatian (Globus) and one Romanian (Adevarul). Besides these printed publications, I also added to my research the public British television, BBC, analysed in connection to the 1999 Kosovo conflict. The findings of the analysis emphasized the significant differences between the media representations of the same events and allowed to point out the subtle mechanisms through which mass media construct images, stereotypes, biases regarding the entities implied in the conflict. Thus, I could determine and analyse the labelling in terms of “legitimate” aspirations of liberty, independence, dignity, “the good ones” and “the bad ones”, but also in terms of nationalism, fundamentalism, chauvinism, racism, paranoia, destruction, genocide, ethnic cleansing, ethnic exode, etc., as well as the possibilities of manipulation through mythologies, beliefs, or “primordial” qualities. All these journalistic practices and the comparisons between the different media are discussed in detail in the book. Beyond the relevance and utility of the research results presented and examined, this book leaves open the perspective of further analyses of media coverage of other contemporary conflicts, following a similar model.
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This book is the fruit of a junction of three thinking ideas/ issues/ themes, on the one hand theoretical, but on the other hand anchored in the reality we live in, in the social hic et nunc. The first pillar, the first impulse to think... more
This book is the fruit of a junction of three thinking ideas/ issues/ themes, on the one hand theoretical, but on the other hand anchored in the reality we live in, in the social hic et nunc. The first pillar, the first impulse to think of such topic has been given by the invasion had in language by some compounds with the particle ‘euro’. All the new words, compounds with the particle ‘euro’, relate to something that seems to go beyond the bureaucratic abstraction stage and also they seem to become consistent. We are talking about the United Europe, perceived however as a socio-cultural reality, which integrate the political-administrative part, but also overrun it. The concept of European identity, so necessary to understand the new reality about to be built, raises at the same time other issues. It starts from a political-administrative reality but does overrun it; it changes some cognitive value-related matters from the collective mentality; it involves the constitution of a unique system, clotted with representations related to society etc. Given all such difficulties, it becomes legitimate to ask: what is this European identity?; how can it be perceived?; how do we perceive, under these circumstances, the ‘national identity’?
The second premise of our project is the national identity
problematics. On the one hand, considering a history when the nationalist idea (in its extremist version) has been disclaimed, as well as considering the evolutions of social theories from the essentialist-naturalist paradigm to the constructivist paradigm, the concept of ‘national identity’ has undergone re-assessments and re-definitions. On the other hand however, the appearance of the European identity problematics re-draws the attention on the national identity, first and foremost in order to establish the relations betweens the two: is it a dichotomist relation? Or, on the contrary, must these two concepts be thought of jointly, the European identity following and integrating the national identity? Or maybe should we reassess the idea of national identity starting with the conceptual scheme given by the operationalization of such concept as ‘European identity’?
Finally, the third pillar of this work has been to mirror Romania’s situation at the beginning of the third millennium. On the one hand, it is about to join the European Union, a process having both a technical side –
harmonisation of the legislation to the community acquis, economic and political performances to make us competitive on the unique market etc. – and one side related to the interiorization of this process at the level of collective mentality, to the ownership on this process and also related to the development of social-media representations appropriate to the new reality. On the other hand, Romania’s recent history, even though it has not had a right extreme nationalist government episode, has rendered an acute devaluation of the ‘national’ idea, seen as opposed to openness, cosmopolite vision. In fact, Romanian nationalism from the communist period meant an autarchic close regime, for which what now represents the United Europe and which partially overlaps Western Europe is the ‘enemy’ whom it was best to have nothing to do with. It is thus noticed the existence of a breaking at least at the level of the official discourse – a breaking which appeared once the political status changed in 1989 – in perceiving both the idea of nationalism and the idea of Europe. Beyond this level, the way the national and the European identities are perceived (if the latter one exists) in the day-to-day discourse by common people and mass-media are matters that have been suggested to us by these three initial issues.
The second premise of our project is the national identity
problematics. On the one hand, considering a history when the nationalist idea (in its extremist version) has been disclaimed, as well as considering the evolutions of social theories from the essentialist-naturalist paradigm to the constructivist paradigm, the concept of ‘national identity’ has undergone re-assessments and re-definitions. On the other hand however, the appearance of the European identity problematics re-draws the attention on the national identity, first and foremost in order to establish the relations betweens the two: is it a dichotomist relation? Or, on the contrary, must these two concepts be thought of jointly, the European identity following and integrating the national identity? Or maybe should we reassess the idea of national identity starting with the conceptual scheme given by the operationalization of such concept as ‘European identity’?
Finally, the third pillar of this work has been to mirror Romania’s situation at the beginning of the third millennium. On the one hand, it is about to join the European Union, a process having both a technical side –
harmonisation of the legislation to the community acquis, economic and political performances to make us competitive on the unique market etc. – and one side related to the interiorization of this process at the level of collective mentality, to the ownership on this process and also related to the development of social-media representations appropriate to the new reality. On the other hand, Romania’s recent history, even though it has not had a right extreme nationalist government episode, has rendered an acute devaluation of the ‘national’ idea, seen as opposed to openness, cosmopolite vision. In fact, Romanian nationalism from the communist period meant an autarchic close regime, for which what now represents the United Europe and which partially overlaps Western Europe is the ‘enemy’ whom it was best to have nothing to do with. It is thus noticed the existence of a breaking at least at the level of the official discourse – a breaking which appeared once the political status changed in 1989 – in perceiving both the idea of nationalism and the idea of Europe. Beyond this level, the way the national and the European identities are perceived (if the latter one exists) in the day-to-day discourse by common people and mass-media are matters that have been suggested to us by these three initial issues.
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Mass society theory and the response to it focused researchers’ attention primarily on the unintended, negative consequences of mass media. Audiences were seen as passively responding to whatever content the media made available to them.... more
Mass society theory and the response to it focused researchers’ attention primarily on the unintended, negative consequences of mass media. Audiences were seen as passively responding to whatever content the media made available to them. Much of the empirical research was therefore ‘effects research’, which assumed that media did things to people, often without their consent or desire. This research tended to focus on negative effects – the ‘bad things’ that happen to people as a result of using media. In contrast to this perspective, active audience theories do not seek to understand what media do to people, but rather focus on assessing what people do with media. For this reason, these theories are referred to as audience-centered rather than source-dominated theories. This idea, that people use particular media and specific media content in certain ways in the hope of gratifying a particular need or set of needs, forms the basis of the theoretical perspective explored in this paper.
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Both for building a functional relationship between social worker and client, and for the success of the intervention, communication is essential in social work. That is why different verbal and nonverbal communication techniques are used... more
Both for building a functional relationship between social worker and client, and for the success of the intervention, communication is essential in social work. That is why different verbal and nonverbal communication techniques are used in order to build and maintain efficient relationships between those who communicate in social work and contribute, in this way, to the fulfilment of the proposed objectives of the intervention. However, sometimes communication is disrupted by various factors and obstacles, referred to as communication barriers. These can be both verbal and nonverbal. The more such disruptive factors are in social work communication, the more the outcomes in this field are affected. Therefore, it is recommended that the typical communication barriers are known by social workers in order to avoid them. This paper deals with the most common verbal and nonverbal barriers that can affect communication in social work. In addition to defining and discussing them, various examples from the practice of social work are provided, as well as several suitable recommendations for avoiding them.
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This chapter analyses and compares how the heads of state in three European countries, namely Germany, France, and Romania, appealed to solidarity in their speeches announcing the measures to restrict social life in early March 2020, when... more
This chapter analyses and compares how the heads of state in three European countries, namely Germany, France, and Romania, appealed to solidarity in their speeches announcing the measures to restrict social life in early March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread through Europe.
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The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has led to a series of actions at the political, economic, and social levels unprecedented so far. Due to the high risk of contagion, by both air and human touch, governments in many... more
The global pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus has led to a series of actions at the political, economic, and social levels unprecedented so far. Due to the high risk of contagion, by both air and human touch, governments in many countries around the world have resorted to sets of measures, some even drastic, aimed at restricting and reducing, as far as possible, the physical closeness between people. These measures affected to different extents life in society as we knew it, not only economic and cultural life but also social interactions and activities, communication, and inter-relationships between people. In general, the measures were justified at the political level through the attempts to keep the number of illnesses and deaths to a minimum. This chapter analyses comparatively how the actions, some of them severe, to restrict social life were justified in speeches announcing these measures by the heads of state in three European countries: Germany, France, and Romania, in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spread through Europe. Through a thematic discourse analysis, it examines the extent to which axiological and ethical issues have been invoked in these discourses, what axiological and ethical dimensions have been emphasized, and how they have been used to justify measures that have entailed social restrictions, including those on certain rights and freedoms. Moreover, it analyses the similarities and differences in terms of ethical and value-centred dimensions and cultural norms present, as well as in terms of their justificatory utilization, between the discourses of the heads of state of the three countries regarded by the study.
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Food production and changes in the environment are in a complex relationship of mutual influence. On the one hand, the increment in food production, as a result of the increasing growth of the worldʹs population, has repercussions on the... more
Food production and changes in the environment are in a complex relationship of mutual influence. On the one hand, the increment in food production, as a result of the increasing growth of the worldʹs population, has repercussions on the environment. On the other hand, ecological changes have negative effects on agricultural production and the nutrition of a significant part of the worldʹs population, posing a major threat to food and nutrition security on a global‐scale. That is why, new topics and approaches such as food sovereignty and the sustainability of food production have lately emerged in the media coverage of the vast issue of nutrition. This paper presents the results of an analysis regarding the ways in which the environmental issues and the sustainability of food production are addressed in the German media. More precisely, the analysis focused on the online press articles dealing with human nutrition. The paper discusses the extent and ways in which links and correlations are made in the German media between food and environmental issues, the extent to which the journalists approach topics such as: sustainable food production, food sovereignty, organic and local agriculture, local animal husbandry, as well as the extent to which the German press makes
connections between unhealthy nutrition and unsustainable food production, or debates on various diets, controversies and social trends
related to human nutrition, and subsequent discussions about the food
of the future. The methodology of the study presented in this paper includes a thematic qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the German online articles on nutrition published during 2014 and 2016 as
well as a secondary analysis of this broader research, which aimed at the specific, focused objective of conducting a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the way in which media covered aspects regarding the sustainability of food production.
Keywords: food, nutrition, sustainability of food production, food sovereignty, media coverage, Germany.
connections between unhealthy nutrition and unsustainable food production, or debates on various diets, controversies and social trends
related to human nutrition, and subsequent discussions about the food
of the future. The methodology of the study presented in this paper includes a thematic qualitative and quantitative content analysis of the German online articles on nutrition published during 2014 and 2016 as
well as a secondary analysis of this broader research, which aimed at the specific, focused objective of conducting a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the way in which media covered aspects regarding the sustainability of food production.
Keywords: food, nutrition, sustainability of food production, food sovereignty, media coverage, Germany.
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This chapter deals with the gender dimension in the electoral campaign for the 2019 European elections. The research presented was conducted from the perspective of gender studies and multimodality, and targeted the campaign in all... more
This chapter deals with the gender dimension in the electoral campaign for the 2019 European elections. The research presented was conducted from the perspective of gender studies and multimodality, and targeted the campaign in all European Union countries. The analysed corpus consisted of 9751 documents, mainly social media content, but also posters, press advertising and political commercials. The main research focus, that is, the gender differences in the media coverage and in the self-presentation of political actors, has been highlighted through the nonverbal codes, such as clothing, posture and emotions’ display. The chapter concludes that there was male over-representation in terms of visual communication in all regions of Europe, that gender inequality and gender differences in the self-presentation of politicians persist, and that the gender gaps in politics are more prevalent in Eastern and Southern European countries.
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Femicides are topics frequently covered by the media, and journalists use different frames when reporting on such lethal acts of violence against women. This chapter addresses the media coverage and framing in German online press articles... more
Femicides are topics frequently covered by the media, and journalists use different frames when reporting on such lethal acts of violence against women. This chapter addresses the media coverage and framing in German online press articles of two femicides with victims of Romanian ethnicity. The research presented used as methodology thematic content analysis, along with media framing analysis. In the chapter, the results of this study are discussed, that is, the characteristics of media coverage and content related to the killings of the two Romanian women in the German press are analysed, the main frames used by the media in their reporting on the femicides are pointed out, and the extent to which journalists use in their narratives techniques of blaming the victims is examined. Moreover, the chapter investigates whether the media report the crimes against women as singular facts or address them in the broader context of social problems, and contribute, in this way, to the increase of public awareness and social responsibility towards them.
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Both social and environmental issues have been topics of interest and frequently addressed in the 2019 campaign for the European Parliament (EP). This paper presents the results of an analysis on the social and environmental dimensions as... more
Both social and environmental issues have been topics of interest and frequently addressed in the 2019 campaign for the European Parliament (EP). This paper presents the results of an analysis on the social and environmental dimensions as topics referred in the various materials used by candidate politicians in the 28 member states of European Union (EU) in the 2019 EP campaign. More precisely, in the present paper there is discussed the extent to which social and environmental issues and their various sub-themes, such as old people, children, women, gender and social inequality, civil rights, climate change and environmental sustainability, were present and addressed in the European campaign, as well as the extent to which all these themes were approached similarly or differently in the various European areas, namely Southern, Eastern, Continental and North-Western Europe.
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The chapter provides an analytical framework for the concept of discrimination, that is, the different, unfair treatment of some people based on their actual or perceived membership in certain groups or social categories. Discrimination... more
The chapter provides an analytical framework for the concept of discrimination, that is, the different, unfair treatment of some people based on their actual or perceived membership in certain groups or social categories. Discrimination is referred to in the broader context of stigmatization, as the action-related component of the stigma process. After discussing several definitions of discrimination and outlining its main features, the different forms of discrimination are addressed and exemplified, such as direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimization. Also, the most relevant aspects regarding victims of discrimination are discussed, a special focus is given to the negative impact of discrimination on victims in terms of social and economic status, well-being, and health. Besides the threatening effects on individuals and groups, the consequences of discrimination on communities and society as a whole are also outlined. The final part of the chapter deals with the major anti-discrimination strategies that can be undertaken at the macro, mezzo, and microsocial levels.
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The present paper deals with the role of empathy and active listening in social work, focusing mainly on the humanistic theoretical models, according to which active listening is a form of operationalization of empathy. Empathy is the... more
The present paper deals with the role of empathy and active listening in social work, focusing mainly on the humanistic theoretical models, according to which active listening is a form of operationalization of empathy. Empathy is the human specific ability to psychologically transpose the self into the psychology of the other, through a phenomenon of resonance and emotional communication. Listening plays an important role in this process and generally in communication between people. Especially the active listening maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, empathy makes us more understanding, because placing ourselves in the position of the interlocutor limits our tendency to judge their behaviour without nuance. Active listening means that the receiver of communication actively assumes this role, by expressly following the understanding of the transmitted message, manifestly showing their mindfulness, and immediately and explicitly offering the according feedback. In activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors. Besides outlining these aspects regarding empathy and active listening, especially from a humanistic perspective, in the paper the features and the main techniques of active listening used in social work are also delineated, explained and exemplified.
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Since January 2018, the government of Romania is headed by a woman, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, the first female prime minister in the history of the country. Beyond other controversial issues relating to the political situation in... more
Since January 2018, the government of Romania is headed by a woman, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă, the first female prime minister in the history of the country. Beyond other controversial issues relating to the political situation in Romania, especially those in connection with the frequent changes of prime ministers in recent years, media covered the appointment of Mrs. Dăncilă as prime minister with special scrutiny, paying attention to details that were not regarded as such in the case of the prior appointed male prime ministers. Thus, discussions could be encountered in the press, on themes mostly or only related to women, such as: how does this person look, how she dresses, how is her hairdo, what “female tricks” she uses, through what specific female strategies did she manage to have this rising political career or what man she owes her success.
The present paper deals with the analyse of the media coverage of the appointment, as well as the political activity and public appearance in the first months in office of the first Romanian female prime minister. On the basis of the results of a content analysis in the Romanian online news, the major topics on the subject are identified, and the main characteristics and patterns of media coverage of the first woman in a political executive leading position in Romania are outlined.
The present paper deals with the analyse of the media coverage of the appointment, as well as the political activity and public appearance in the first months in office of the first Romanian female prime minister. On the basis of the results of a content analysis in the Romanian online news, the major topics on the subject are identified, and the main characteristics and patterns of media coverage of the first woman in a political executive leading position in Romania are outlined.
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The present paper is a sociological approach to the issue of gender reassignment. The main objectives of my research are to explore the impact of the process of gender transition on the lives of the involved persons, to identify the... more
The present paper is a sociological approach to the issue of gender reassignment. The main objectives of my research are to explore the impact of the process of gender transition on the lives of the involved persons, to identify the displays and the artefacts to which they appeal in order to fit into the general normative vision of gender, as it exists at some point in society, as well as to analyse the communication and social practices and the role of interactions and social environment during the process of reassignment. In this respect, there are presented the findings of an empirical research based on a qualitative methodology, which involved a sociological case study of a transgender man-to-woman who has gone through gender reassignment seven years ago. As regards the theoretical perspective, this approach can be subsumed to the interactionist-constructivist current of doing gender/ undoing gender/ doing transgender approaches. The results of the empirical study highlight the complexity of the process of gender reassignment, pointing out the simultaneously doing and undoing gender practices and the reflected usage of communication and social artefacts and behaviours that correspond to the perceived social norms of gender.
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Le volume présente des approches multidisciplinaires de la nutrition, de la communication et de la société. Les études nous invitent de penser la nutrition comme ordre social et culturel de la vie et non pas seulement comme pain... more
Le volume présente des approches multidisciplinaires de la nutrition, de la communication et de la société. Les études nous invitent de penser la nutrition comme ordre social et culturel de la vie et non pas seulement comme pain quotidien. A l'ère de la médiatisation et de la médicalisation il devient extrêmement important de comprendre les connexions entre la vie quotidienne, la communication et la société. En outre ce volume lance un débat multidisciplinaire sur le pouvoir et nous interpelle à penser et repenser continuellement notre vie et notre société.
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This chapter discusses the results of a research on media coverage of nutrition in Germany, an issue of great media interest in this country. The research objectives are to identify the most typical frames used in the coverage of the... more
This chapter discusses the results of a research on media coverage of nutrition in Germany, an issue of great media interest in this country. The research objectives are to identify the most typical frames used in the coverage of the theme of nutrition, to point out the major debate topics and the related issues on this subject, and to outline the characteristics of the media coverage. The methodology used is the content analysis, applied to the German online media over a three-year period. The most frequent topics and frames in the German media coverage of nutrition are health and diets, including the risks associated with nutrition and food, and these subjects are addressed mostly in detailed analysis articles, usually providing information from reliable sources.
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In the process of the growth of the European Union (EU), the future of national identity and the possibility of a European identity transcending national identities are themes of a major interest in scientific researches. The different... more
In the process of the growth of the European Union (EU), the future of national identity and the possibility of a European identity transcending national identities are themes of a major interest in scientific researches. The different approaches attempt to find answers to questions like: in what relation is national identity with the new 'European identity', or should European identity replace the national identity? This study aims to explore the national Romanian identity in the topical context - how strong it really is, ways of defining itself, use of stereotypes, whether flattering or pejorative. Also, it was attempted to find out the extent to which there is a European identity assumed by the interviewed subjects. Furthermore, the research offers relevant data on social representations about notion of 'Europe' and Romania's place in Europe, on the knowledge people have about the EU, and, in particular, on their attitude towards Romania's integration in the EU.
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This chapter deals with the relationship between national identity and the new 'European identity'. Issues such as how people define and assume the national identity, and the extent to which an European identy is taken on and embraced by... more
This chapter deals with the relationship between national identity and the new 'European identity'. Issues such as how people define and assume the national identity, and the extent to which an European identy is taken on and embraced by the interviewed subjects are addressed and discussed. Moreover, there are analysed the social representations about the notions of 'Europe' and 'European Union', as well as about Romania's place in Europe and Romanian's integration in European Union, as resulted from the research presented in the chapter.
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Far from being a past or obsolete phenomenon, racism is branching out and spreading in many forms today. The scope of the concept of racism remains, however, difficult to demarcate. So is the differentiation of this term from other... more
Far from being a past or obsolete phenomenon, racism is branching out and spreading in many forms today. The scope of the concept of racism remains, however, difficult to demarcate. So is the differentiation of this term from other notions that designate similar attitudes, behaviors and practices. This paper discusses some issues of current interest in relation to racism, starting with the link between the terms "racism" and »race«, and debating the current distancing and even separation of the two concepts, despite the linguistic link. The paper also analyzes various definitions and perspectives on racism. Some content issues are approached, such as the fact that racism is, as contrary to some shared attitudes such as xenophobia, both an ideology or theory and a set of exclusionary and marginalizing practices. Furthermore, different forms of racism are addressed, from 'classical', biological racism, which resorted to biological differentiations, to the forms of racism that characterize the contemporary world, which emphasize cultural differences and/or include racist views and practices embedded in social values, norms and even in the functioning of society. These present-day forms of racism have been referred to by various expressions, such as cultural racism, differential racism, symbolic racism, racism without races, neo-racism, and institutional racism. Some conclusions are drawn from these delimitations, discussions and reflections, such as that maybe it might be more accurate to speak of racisms in the plural, given that the hypothesis of multiple racisms is increasingly confirmed by practice, as well as the fact that not only multiple racisms but also multiple dogmata should be considered in order to have a comprehensive overview of exclusion, marginalization, oppression, exploitation or discrimination.
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Obiectivul acestui studiu îl reprezintă încercarea unei explicaţii a conflictului/războiului din fosta Iugoslavie care a avut loc între anii 1991–1995. O astfel de analiză a presupus găsirea răspunsului la întrebări precum: Ce tip sau... more
Obiectivul acestui studiu îl reprezintă încercarea unei explicaţii a
conflictului/războiului din fosta Iugoslavie care a avut loc între anii 1991–1995. O astfel de analiză a presupus găsirea răspunsului la întrebări precum: Ce tip sau tipuri de conflicte au avut loc în fosta Iugoslavie în perioada menţionată? La ce formă (forme) de conflict ne raportăm? Poate fi explicat conflictul iugoslav prin prisma principalelor teorii ale conflictelor? Cum pot fi structurate explicaţiile mai mult sau mai puţin ştiinţifice care au fost date acestui fenomen? În ce măsură sociologia poate oferi un răspuns?
[This article presents the most relevant explanations of the conflict/war in the former Yugoslavia (1991-1995), as well as a possible sociological theoretical interpretation of this conflict.]
conflictului/războiului din fosta Iugoslavie care a avut loc între anii 1991–1995. O astfel de analiză a presupus găsirea răspunsului la întrebări precum: Ce tip sau tipuri de conflicte au avut loc în fosta Iugoslavie în perioada menţionată? La ce formă (forme) de conflict ne raportăm? Poate fi explicat conflictul iugoslav prin prisma principalelor teorii ale conflictelor? Cum pot fi structurate explicaţiile mai mult sau mai puţin ştiinţifice care au fost date acestui fenomen? În ce măsură sociologia poate oferi un răspuns?
[This article presents the most relevant explanations of the conflict/war in the former Yugoslavia (1991-1995), as well as a possible sociological theoretical interpretation of this conflict.]
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Values are at the basis of a large part of social work. They are states or modes of action considered to be desirable, assessments and orientations included in the systems of preference and reference of individuals, groups, and... more
Values are at the basis of a large part of social work. They are states or modes of action considered to be desirable, assessments and orientations included in the systems of preference and reference of individuals, groups, and communities. Although the values represent beliefs or convictions that are not based on scientific arguments, they lead and direct the professional activities in social work, being an integral part, often with a directive role in the theoretical and methodological models that guide the action in this field. Starting from the outline of the definitions of values and the delineation of the types of values, this paper deals further with the ways in which the significance and the roles of values are highlighted in the theoretical and methodological models of intervention developed over time in social work.
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The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused a number of unprecedented actions at the political level. In order to argue the need for the extraordinary measures that restricted social life, the heads of state addressed the population through... more
The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused a number of unprecedented actions at the political level. In order to argue the need for the extraordinary measures that restricted social life, the heads of state addressed the population through explanatory, justifying, but also mobilizing speeches. This paper analyses the speeches given to the nation in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, by the heads of state of three countries in the European Union: France, Germany and Romania. The main objective of the study was to identify the ethical reference systems to which the speakers appealed, and the method used was thematic discourse analysis. The study shows that the three heads of state used in their messages to the population, in a distinct way, ethical systems and frames of reference such as history, homeland, nation, European Union, humanity, democracy. The paper discusses in detail the ways in which these reference systems appear in the speeches, what aspects emphasized and eluded the speakers, as well as the similarities and differences revealed by the thematic analysis between the three discourses.
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Moral Values in Political Discourses in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Analysis of the Speeches of the Heads of State of Germany, France and Romania [Valorile morale în mesajele politice în contextul pandemiei de Covid-19: Analiza comparativă a discursurilor şefilor de stat]more
The unexpected situation caused by the rapid spread of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) at the beginning of 2020 led to a series of unprecedented political actions and measures. In many democratic European countries, this also meant state... more
The unexpected situation caused by the rapid spread of the new coronavirus (Covid-19) at the beginning of 2020 led to a series of unprecedented political actions and measures. In many democratic European countries, this also meant state intervention in areas previously not regulated by the state, as in the private sphere of individuals. Aimed at limiting the spreading of the virus and preventing illness and death, such measures have been justified precisely through moral values such as individual and public health, life as a fundamental value, solidarity, unity, responsibility, support and care for others, etc., which, in this context, were considered to be paramount in relation to other values, such as freedom in general or the right to decisions and the unrestricted private sphere. This article analyses the speeches given to the nation in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, by the heads of state of three countries in the European Union: Germany, France, and Romania. Using thematic discourse analysis, there is examined the extent and the way in which the speakers appealed to moral values in their discourses to announce and justify the restrictive measures, but also to persuade, mobilize and encourage the population. The analysis reveals that, in their speeches, the heads of state of Germany, France, and Romania resorted, albeit to a different extent, to a multitude of moral values, not only to announce and to justify the actions to restrict social life and limit the rights and freedoms of citizens, but also to make them understood and accepted. The paper investigates in detail these ethical values, their significance and the context in which they were used, as well as the similarities, respectively the differences highlighted by the thematic discourse analysis between the speeches of the three heads of state.
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Listening plays an important role in communication between people. Especially the active listening maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. This form of listening means,... more
Listening plays an important role in communication between people. Especially the active listening maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. This form of listening means, that the receiver of communication actively assumes this role, by expressly following the understanding of the transmitted message, manifestly showing his mindfulness, and immediately and explicitly offering the according feedback. In activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors. This paper deals with the role of active listening in social work, focusing mainly on the humanist theoretical models, according to which active listening is a form of operationalization of empathy. Besides outlining these theoretical views, in the paper the characteristics of this form of listening are delineated and the main techniques of active listening that are used in social work are explained and exemplified.
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Gender equality and the persistence of gender inequalities are topics of great interest in the European Union (EU). With a turnout of around 40 percent female members, the European Parliament currently has one of the highest proportions... more
Gender equality and the persistence of gender inequalities are topics of great interest in the European Union (EU). With a turnout of around 40 percent female members, the European Parliament currently has one of the highest proportions of women compared to any parliament in the world. However, no conclusions can be drawn about the substantive representation of women, nor about gender sensitivity in parliament and its institutions. Reducing gender inequality, addressing women's issues and promoting gender equality in European Parliament policies are therefore still key issues in the EU. In this context, the problem of women and gender inequalities were topics of interest and themes frequently addressed in the 2019 election campaign for the European Parliament. This paper presents the results of a research on the gender dimension in this campaign in all EU member states in 2019. The analysed corpus consists of 9750 print documents (posters and press advertisements), political commercials and social media content. The results presented in the paper, corresponding to the central objectives of the research, focus on the analysis of the extent to which in the election campaign for the European Parliament there was, on the one hand, a convergence towards gender equality in terms of political actors involved, and on the other hand, a homogeneity at European level with respect to the gender dimension, in other words similarities or identifiable differences between the regions and countries of the European Union regarding this dimension.
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Due to its character of totalitarian regime and through the major changes imposed in the society, the communist regime in Romania between 1945 and 1989 represents a distinct period in the history of the country. A series of inflicted... more
Due to its character of totalitarian regime and through the major changes imposed in the society, the communist regime in Romania between 1945 and 1989 represents a distinct period in the history of the country. A series of inflicted macrosocial processes, such as the strictly centralized economy, collectivization and nationalization, as well as some phenomena such as the control of citizens’ lives, the impossibility of free expression, censorship of the press and culture, the lack of consumer goods, restrictions on utilities, and so on, negatively marked the fate of many Romanians during this period. However, many people remember this period with nostalgia. The present paper deals with the popular culture in Romania during the communist period (1945–1989), as seen, considered, and remembered by people who lived in that era, or at least in a period of it. The research was based on the method of life histories and focussed on the viewings of the subjects regarding the practices, rituals, artefacts, and products of popular culture in the communist time. Both folk culture and mass culture are discussed and analysed, as well as the elements of lifestyle, as described by the subjects. Moreover, the influences on the popular culture in that period are outlined, such as those of some large-scale phenomena like industrialisation and urbanisation, Western trends, Soviet propaganda, or the different impositions of the Romanian authorities, according to the various stages the communist regime has been going through in this period. The gathered data show that, while many memories of people are sorrowful and bitter, other recalls and considerations regarding the cultural practices of that time, and especially the human relations built by the means of these practices, are full of nostalgia. These aspects concerning popular culture in a particular historical period and nostalgia related to it are discussed in detail in the paper.
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Pandemia globală de Covid-19 a provocat la nivel politic o serie de acțiuni fără precedent. Pentru a argumenta necesitatea măsurilor extraordinare care au restricționat viața socială, șefii de stat s-au adresat populației prin discursuri... more
Pandemia globală de Covid-19 a provocat la nivel politic o serie de acțiuni fără precedent. Pentru a argumenta necesitatea măsurilor extraordinare care au restricționat viața socială, șefii de stat s-au adresat populației prin discursuri explicative, justificative, dar și mobilizatoare. În lucrarea de față sunt analizate discursurile ținute în fața națiunii în martie 2020, la începutul pandemiei, de către șefii de stat a trei țări din Uniunea Europeană: Franța, Germania și România. Obiectivul principal al studiului a fost identificarea sistemelor etice de referință la care locutorii au făcut apel, metoda utilizată fiind analiza tematică a discursului. Analiza realizată relevă faptul că cei trei șefi de stat au folosit în mesajele lor către populație, într-o manieră distinctă, sisteme etice și cadre de referință precum istoria, patria, națiunea, Uniunea Europeană, omenirea, democrația. În lucrare sunt discutate detaliat modalitățile în care aceste sisteme de referință apar în discursuri, ce aspecte au accentuat, respectiv au eludat vorbitorii, ca și asemănările și deosebirile reliefate de analiza tematică între cele trei discursuri.
[The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused a number of unprecedented actions at the political level. In order to argue the need for the extraordinary measures that restricted social life, the heads of state addressed the population through explanatory, justifying, but also mobilizing speeches. This paper analyses the speeches given to the nation in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, by the heads of state of three countries in the European Union: France, Germany and Romania. The main objective of the study was to identify the ethical reference systems to which the speakers appealed, and the method used was thematic discourse analysis. The study shows that the three heads of state used in their messages to the population, in a distinct way, ethical systems and frames of reference such as history, homeland, nation, European Union, humanity, democracy. The paper discusses in detail the ways in which these reference systems appear in the speeches, what aspects emphasized and eluded the speakers, as well as the similarities and differences revealed by the thematic analysis between the three discourses.]
[The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused a number of unprecedented actions at the political level. In order to argue the need for the extraordinary measures that restricted social life, the heads of state addressed the population through explanatory, justifying, but also mobilizing speeches. This paper analyses the speeches given to the nation in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, by the heads of state of three countries in the European Union: France, Germany and Romania. The main objective of the study was to identify the ethical reference systems to which the speakers appealed, and the method used was thematic discourse analysis. The study shows that the three heads of state used in their messages to the population, in a distinct way, ethical systems and frames of reference such as history, homeland, nation, European Union, humanity, democracy. The paper discusses in detail the ways in which these reference systems appear in the speeches, what aspects emphasized and eluded the speakers, as well as the similarities and differences revealed by the thematic analysis between the three discourses.]
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Background: The Internet has become one of the most common informative media for health-related issues. Regarding older people, more research is needed to collect indepth data on the Internet use for health information. The present study... more
Background: The Internet has become one of the most common informative media for health-related issues. Regarding older people, more research is needed to collect indepth data on the Internet use for health information. The present study aimed to provide an overview on health-related Internet use by seniors in Germany.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical qualitative study was conducted on 10 German seniors aged 65-83 years. In order to obtain the required information, in-depth semistructured interviews were carried out between March-June 2017. The subjects were selected by snowball sampling technique. The transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: The findings of the study revealed that seniors' activity on the Internet includes a variety of medical interests. Most of the interviewees access specific medical websites directly, without using search engines. Although about half of the respondents seemed overloaded with the amount of online health information, most of them claimed to be able to evaluate its reliability.
Conclusion: For most of the interviewees the health-related information on the Internet provides a basis of knowledge. However, despite the fact that the seniors consider online information useful, most of them prefer to consult at least one doctor when it comes to make health-related decisions, still adhering to the physician-centred care model.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical qualitative study was conducted on 10 German seniors aged 65-83 years. In order to obtain the required information, in-depth semistructured interviews were carried out between March-June 2017. The subjects were selected by snowball sampling technique. The transcribed interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Results: The findings of the study revealed that seniors' activity on the Internet includes a variety of medical interests. Most of the interviewees access specific medical websites directly, without using search engines. Although about half of the respondents seemed overloaded with the amount of online health information, most of them claimed to be able to evaluate its reliability.
Conclusion: For most of the interviewees the health-related information on the Internet provides a basis of knowledge. However, despite the fact that the seniors consider online information useful, most of them prefer to consult at least one doctor when it comes to make health-related decisions, still adhering to the physician-centred care model.
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This paper presents an exploratory qualitative analysis on health-related internet use by older adults aged over 65 years, a case study consisting of ten in-depth interviews of seniors in Germany. The research focuses on the influence of... more
This paper presents an exploratory qualitative analysis on health-related internet use by older adults aged over 65 years, a case study consisting of ten in-depth interviews of seniors in Germany. The research focuses on the influence of using the internet for health-related information on the communication between seniors and doctors and on the physician-patient relationship. According to the findings of the research, while in the quantity of communication between older persons and the doctors no significant influence could be assessed, in the quality and the content of the face-to-face/ real communication some changes, as consequences of online informing, could be delimited. Mostly these changes are determined by the fact that seniors are pre-informed before medical visits and thus have additional topics to discuss with doctors. Moreover, the pattern of the physician-patient relationship is affected by the internet consumption. In a medical system, as the German one is, in which the model of the relationship between doctors and patients is predominantly informative and deliberative, and not paternalistic, patients have now, additionally, with the development and use of the internet, the opportunity to search for information and opinions not only medical, scientific, but also about doctors and clinics, as well as the possibility to provide feedback and ratings. These facts place patients now in a position of power in relation to doctors, given that the online ratings, scores and reviews can influence the subsequent inflow of patients of a physician, medical office or clinic.
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In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and non-verbal signs,... more
In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and non-verbal signs, maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors, in activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work. Starting with the delineation of the place of listening in the verbal communication and the outlining of the characteristics of the active listening, this paper deals further with the ways in which the importance and the roles of listening and active listening are highlighted in the theoretical and methodological models of intervention developed in social work.
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The study of change is a major concern at present in all fields of science. Traditionally, in philosophy and socio-human sciences, the concept of change was approached as opposed to that of stability, with intense debates about the... more
The study of change is a major concern at present in all fields of science. Traditionally, in philosophy and socio-human sciences, the concept of change was approached as opposed to that of stability, with intense debates about the desirability and importance of order and stability vs. the unpredictability of change. While in classical approaches to organizational change the conceptions that favoured order, stability, and routine prevailed, modern approaches recognize the decisive role of accepting change for the development and progress of organizations. In the field of organization development and organizational becoming nowadays strategies are sought and devised in order to align the organizations not only with their rapid inner changing, but also with the external multiple, complex, and dynamic environments. Starting from an outline of the factors of change and of the term of change as it has been conceptualized in sociology, the present paper aims to delineate a general framework for addressing organizational change. In this regard, after discussing the relationship between organizational change and the social and economic environment and delineating the main areas and agents of change in an organization, the various types of change in the organization and the models of their approach are addressed. Furthermore, since the resistance to change is a common and omnipresent human and social phenomenon, including at the level of groups and organizations, the paper approaches also the causes and manifestations of change resistance, as well as the possible measures for combating this phenomenon, in situations where the change is beneficial and necessary.
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At present, most organizations are constantly developing strategies to adapt to environmental dynamics. Change, more than stability, has become the state that characterizes the organizational environment. In order to cope with the... more
At present, most organizations are constantly developing strategies to adapt to environmental dynamics. Change, more than stability, has become the state that characterizes the organizational environment. In order to cope with the continuously dynamic complexity of the broader social and economic context, organizations must also evolve and make the necessary changes to stay competitive, be it technological, procedural, strategic changes, or changes in the structure and training of the staff. The efficiency of transformations and various forms of transition in an organization can be achieved through change management, through which strategies are designed and developed, in order that employees accept change and organization adapts to the dynamics of the environment and to the new conditions. In this paper, a conceptual and analytical framework is delineated to address change management in organizations. Starting from the term of change as it has been conceptualized in sociology, in the paper there are discussed the main aspects of organizational change, as well as the principles of effective change management. Moreover, since the resistance to change is a phenomenon encountered inclusively at the level of the groups and organizations, the paper deals also with this concept and, in this context, addresses the barriers and obstacles to organizational change, analysing their causes and the possible measures to combat them in the situations in which change would be beneficial.
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This study aims to analyse the gender dimension in the European Parliament elections in May 2019 based on the extensive research carried out at the level of the entire European Union (Platform Europe 2019). Our main objective was to... more
This study aims to analyse the gender dimension in the European Parliament elections in May 2019 based on the extensive research carried out at the level of the entire European Union (Platform Europe 2019). Our main objective was to identify the extent to which there are gender differences in the multimodal content included in the documents and items used during the election campaign for the 2019 European Parliament in all EU countries at the time. Besides identifying the types of items in the campaign and the gender of politicians, in our analysis we focused on similarities and differences by gender dimension in terms of the main message of the content conveyed, the emotion used by the documents as leverage, the rationality called for by the documents, as well as some nonverbal codes, such as the facial expression and the outfit of politicians. According to our analysis, we are witnessing a new phase of 'hybridization', that is, in terms of messages transmitted and attitudes adopted, a twoway process has been identified: not only do female politicians adopt attitudes and behaviours regarded as masculine, but also male politicians take on attributes considered feminine, such as displaying emotionality.
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The unbalanced gender-specific division of labour emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue... more
The unbalanced gender-specific division of labour emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue to persist even today. The present paper aims to provide an outline of the main concepts used for analysing gendered inequalities in professional careers and to delineate the most significant explanations regarding this phenomenon. Besides gender stereotypes and gender roles, other terms which conceptualize the gender-based inequalities and discrimination in professional careers are addressed, such as gender pay gap, horizontal segregation, evaluative discrimination, vertical segregation, glass ceiling, sticky floor, and gender status beliefs. Furthermore, there are discussed both theoretical economic approaches, which emphasize the role of human capital and explain discrimination of women in the labour market by the expectations on their lower productivity, and theoretical sociological approaches, which highlight other aspects, such as differences in power, social and cultural norms and values, and take into consideration the importance of social capital, social interactions and networks, and social closure in professional career and ascension. In the last part of the paper the key aspects of the debate are emphasized and some remarks about the necessity of larger, more integrative and practice-oriented researches in this regard are made.
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The concept of 'stigma' was introduced into the social sciences by sociologist Erving Goffman in his classic monograph "Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity" (1963). Goffman identified various forms of stigmata, both... more
The concept of 'stigma' was introduced into the social sciences by sociologist Erving Goffman in his classic monograph "Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity" (1963). Goffman identified various forms of stigmata, both visible and invisible ("hidden"), examined the process of stigmatization in everyday social interactions, and analyzed the consequences of stigmatization on the identity of individuals. Stigmatization describes the process through which actual or potential negative characteristics are ascribed to a person and thus this person is assigned to certain social groups. At the same time, stigmatization involves the association to the person concerned of the prejudices and stereotypes connected to the assigned devaluating characteristic, as well as an underlying, context-dependent process of differentiation, control and discrimination. Stigmatized individuals and groups experience multiple forms of discrimination and are going through different crises. This paper addresses the stigmatization process, the varied types of stigmata, and the coping strategies most commonly used by those who are stigmatized. The paper also highlights the most important approaches and types of intervention that can be used to combat stigmatization and promote destigmatization.
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Sociologist Erving Goffman introduced in 1963 the term ‘stigma’ in social sciences in his classic monograph “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” and examined the process of stigmatization in everyday social interaction.... more
Sociologist Erving Goffman introduced in 1963 the term ‘stigma’ in social sciences in his classic monograph “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” and examined the process of stigmatization in everyday social interaction. Stigmatization can take many forms, and the types of stigmata are numerous. The stigmatization process is very complex and has profound consequences on those affected by it. In this paper, the concept of social stigma is addressed, the process of stigmatization is approached and the most frequent forms of stigmata and stigmatization, as well as their effects, both psychological and social, are outlined.
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This paper addresses the stigmatization process, outlining the meaning of the social stigma and the different types of stigmata, focusing further on the ways in which stigmatized people cope with stigma and on the main intervention... more
This paper addresses the stigmatization process, outlining the meaning of the social stigma and the different types of stigmata, focusing further on the ways in which stigmatized people cope with stigma and on the main intervention strategies that can be used for destigmatization. A social stigma is an undesirable characteristic or an unfavourable element, along with any generalization or attribution of further characteristics that can lower or humiliate the individual. Not the characteristic itself, but a negative meaning in the social and cultural context, make the person concerned a stigma bearer. Stigmatization describes how actual or potential negative characteristics are ascribed to a person, and thus this person is assigned to a certain socially disregarded group. At the same time, stigmatization involves associating the person concerned with the prejudices and stereotypes connected to the assigned devaluating characteristic and the experience of varied forms of discrimination. To avoid the consequences of their social stigma, the people concerned to develop in diverse social situations in different ways to cope with their stigmatization. Among these, correction, avoidance or defensive attitude, inner distance, compensation, alternative relationships, external assignment, and hostile bravado are highlighted and discussed in the paper. Destigmatization, as a reverse process to stigmatization, can be targeted through various intervention strategies. The paper addresses the most frequently used destigmatizing intervention strategies, namely protest, education, and contact, emphasizing their strengths, especially of the last two, and arguing that, depending on the type of stigma and the social context, a mixture of intervention strategies is more effective, and therefore desirable.
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The term 'racism' is omnipresent in the current everyday discourse. It was conceptualized in different sciences but continues to raise debates and controversies. This paper is a contribution to the conceptual delineation regarding the... more
The term 'racism' is omnipresent in the current everyday discourse. It was conceptualized in different sciences but continues to raise debates and controversies. This paper is a contribution to the conceptual delineation regarding the racism and other phenomena associated with it, such as ethnocentrism and xenophobia, focusing especially on the term of 'cultural racism'. After outlining a framework for defining this term and depicting the main features of racialist thinking processes, such as essentialization, reductionism and absolutization, the paper gives particular attention to the discussions regarding the question if cultural racism is a new form of the 'classical', biological racism, or represents a different phenomenon, and this would be the reason why, in the scientific discourse, there should be used another, more adequate term, which should replace the problematic word 'racism'. The main arguments of the theoretical perspectives which sustain each answer are presented, thus highlighting the key aspects of the contemporary racism. Furthermore some remarks are made regarding the approach and research of this phenomenon and it is emphasized that emergent questions require further investigation both for the theoretical development and the practical application and anti-racist strategies.
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Due to the dynamism and heterogeneity specific to most societies nowadays, cultural diversity is a constant of social life. Therefore, different cultural identities, cultural contacts and exchanges, interculturality, but also subcultures... more
Due to the dynamism and heterogeneity specific to most societies nowadays, cultural diversity is a constant of social life. Therefore, different cultural identities, cultural contacts and exchanges, interculturality, but also subcultures and countercultures are, in today’s globalized world, features of contemporary societies, characterized by multiculturalism and social mobility. Especially as a result of the new waves of migration and fleeing in recent years, new discussions in the academic field have emerged related to the new contexts of cultural diversity, multiculturalism, cultural integration, social inclusion. The cultural impact and the various contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies generated debates and polemics both in political and scientific sphere. This paper deals with the current sociological approaches as regards interculturality and the major cultural processes and phenomena that emerge in a multicultural society. In this respect, a general framework for addressing these issues is delineated, and notions such as human and cultural diversity, multiculturalism, interculturality, acculturation, interculturation, but also concepts of subculture and counterculture are discussed. The current views and approaches in sociology are highlighted and the complexity and the difficulties that epitomise and accompany some cultural processes are pointed out.
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The new waves of migrants and refugees which in the last years were coming to Europe led to multiple problems and controversies in the host societies, including polemics in the political sphere. In the academic field, various debates have... more
The new waves of migrants and refugees which in the last years were coming to Europe led to multiple problems and controversies in the host societies, including polemics in the political sphere. In the academic field, various debates have also emerged, with regard to issues such as social and cultural integration, social inclusion vs. social exclusion, etc. Not only politicians, but also scholars try to find answers and solutions to the problems generated by the cultural impact and the various contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies. In this context, there are discussed, both theoretically and practically, views and concepts as acculturation, interculturality, interculturation, multiculturalism and so forth. The present paper aims to delineate a general framework for addressing interculturality and social integration of migrants. In this regard, after outlining the terms of integration and inclusion and their significance for the integration policies, the various types and dimensions of the social integration of migrant individuals and groups are in-depth addressed, with particular emphasis on the issues concerning the cultural integration.
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The recent waves of immigration to Europe have led to a number of challenges in the adoption countries at the cultural, as well at the social, structural level. The varied contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture... more
The recent waves of immigration to Europe have led to a number of challenges in the adoption countries at the cultural, as well at the social, structural level. The varied contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies can lead to dissensions and even social conflicts. Discussions, both theoretically and practically, on possible solutions to such problems can be found on a broad spectrum, its possible poles being the ideas of acculturation and interculturation. Moreover, the debates are not limited only to the field of culture and social interactions, but they also focus on the initiation of some actions at the social level of policies and concrete measures to facilitate the integration of migrants. The present paper is a sociological approach to these aspects, the main purpose being, on one hand, the conceptualization of the terms of diversity and integration, as well as those of acculturation, interculturation and multiculturalism, and on the other hand the delimitation of the links between the cultural level of the practices, values and symbolic representations and the structural level of integration policies. In this respect, there is analysed and discussed the extent to which public policies are characterized, besides an inherent logic of socioeconomic nature, also by a logic of cultural, identitarian nature.
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In recent years, European countries are facing new waves of immigrants and refugees, who follow the classic immigration routes from east to west and from south to north. This social and demographic phenomenon, whose current dynamics could... more
In recent years, European countries are facing new waves of immigrants and refugees, who follow the classic immigration routes from east to west and from south to north. This social and demographic phenomenon, whose current dynamics could not be predicted, leads to multiple and various problems at the political and social level, as well as to challenges at both cultural and structural, macro-social level. The diverse contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies can generate dissensions and even social conflicts. That is why various discussions, both theoretically and practically, have emerged, dealing with possible solutions to such problems. Furthermore, the debates are not limited only to the field of culture and social interactions, but they also focus on the initiation of some actions at the social level of policies and concrete measures to facilitate the integration of migrants. The present paper is a sociological contribution to these discussions. The primary objectives are, on one hand, to conceptualize the terms of diversity and integration, and on the other hand to delimit the links between the cultural level of the practices, values, and symbolic representations and the structural level of integration policies. In this regard, the concept of "integration" is analytically and operationally approached, and the desiderata of integration politics are addressed.
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The present paper approaches the problematic of contemporary racism, which is further on a theme of major interest in human and social sciences. The focus is put on the present conceptualizations of racism in sociology and on theoretical... more
The present paper approaches the problematic of contemporary racism, which is further on a theme of major interest in human and social sciences. The focus is put on the present conceptualizations of racism in sociology and on theoretical approaches in this respect. Different meanings of ‘racism’ are delimited, from the narrow to extensive definitions, and the concepts of ‘cultural/ differential racism’ and ‘institutional racism’ are examined in-depth. The research questions deal with the relationship between the concepts of ‘race’ and ‘racism’, with the role of the processes of essentialization, reductionsm and absolutization in the racist thinking, as well as with the dilemma regarding the essence of the cultural racism: is it a different phenomenon, or another manifestation of the same ‘biological/ classical racism’? Furthermore, aspects about a change of the racism paradigm, which emerged along with the new conceptualization of the contemporary racism, namely ‘institutional racism’, are brought into discussion.
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The emergence of the opportunities opened by the internet raises also questions of interest for research regarding the extent to which these have an impact on the formations of non-heterosexual life and on the experience of marginalised... more
The emergence of the opportunities opened by the internet raises also questions of interest for research regarding the extent to which these have an impact on the formations of non-heterosexual life and on the experience of marginalised sexual identities. There have been different approaches in this regard and answers vary from optimistic and utopian appraisals concerning cyberspace in the early 90s to the more moderate and sceptic visions in the 2000s. Starting from this framework of debates, the present paper aims to explore the meaning of the term "cyberqueer", including the theoretical context of its occurrence, to briefly highlight some critical considerations relating to cyberqueer research and to look over the main recurrent themes linked up with this concept, such as queer and cyberqueer identity, body and (dis)embodied practices and the forthcoming process of blurring the dividing boundaries between real/virtual, online/offline and public/private.
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The present paper deals on a general level with the relationship between transsexuality and power, approaching the extent to which gender reassignment and the transition from one gender to another influence the position of power of the... more
The present paper deals on a general level with the relationship between transsexuality and power, approaching the extent to which gender reassignment and the transition from one gender to another influence the position of power of the people involved. Specifically, the research presented here aimed to analyse the interconnection between gender, work, leadership and power position in the case of transgender people who have gone through a process of gender transition. Using a qualitative methodology, which involved a sociological case study within there were conducted three semi-structured in-depth interviews and a two-week participant observation, there was on one hand ensued to identify to what extent there is a proportionality between the reassignment of gender and the position of power, and on the other hand how transsexuality and gender reassignment/ transition impact the professional career path and the leadership position of the concerned persons. The results of the empirical study highlight the complexity of the relationship between gender and power, pointing out not only the dependence between them, but also their transcendence rapport and its circumstances.
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The concept of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and the notion of ‘multiple masculinities’ have become since their launch by R. W. Connell (1987; 1995) central constructs in gender studies and sociology of gender, generating numerous theoretical... more
The concept of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and the notion of ‘multiple masculinities’ have become since their launch by R. W. Connell (1987; 1995) central constructs in gender studies and sociology of gender, generating numerous theoretical discussions, considerations and reconsiderations, as well as empirical applications. Some scholars, as M. Schippers (2007), building upon the insights of Connell and other authors, challenge the prevailing focus on masculinity and shift attention also to femininity, conceptualizing as well ‘hegemonic femininity’ and ‘multiple femininities’. This paper presents the theoretical background of these concepts, approaching for starters P. Bourdieu’s conceptualizations of gendered habitus and masculine domination, then outlining the main aspects regarding hegemonic masculinity, hegemonic femininity and the multiple configurations within each of them, and highlighting the contributions of Connell and Schippers and their different argumentations. Furthermore there is addressed the link between masculinity and power, along with the actual changes with regard to masculinity and femininity, including the novelties of their hegemonic forms.
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Since her appointment in January 2018, the first female prime minister of Romania has been constantly in the focus of the news. Either it was about ordinary political events and statements, current activity and meetings with counterparts... more
Since her appointment in January 2018, the first female prime minister of Romania has been constantly in the focus of the news. Either it was about ordinary political events and statements, current activity and meetings with counterparts from other countries, or it was about extraordinary actions and assertions that have attracted the attention and sometimes criticism and sarcasm of the media, the first woman in a political executive leading position in the history of Romania has always been in the spotlight of the media. Moreover, topics usually or mostly related to women, such as how does she looks or dresses, how is her hairdo or her makeup, have been on the media agenda regarding the female premier. The present paper analyses the national and local media coverage of the Romanian female prime minister since her nomination in January 2018 and continuing with the first months of her term. The article pays particular attention to the extent to which the first female premier of Romania, as represented by the national and regional media, embodies or not the hegemonic femininity.
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In the last 25 years a new perspective in studying discrimination and social inequality has come into prominence: intersectional analysis. This approach offers an integrative perspective to deal with various dimensions of social... more
In the last 25 years a new perspective in studying discrimination and social inequality has come into prominence: intersectional analysis. This approach offers an integrative perspective to deal with various dimensions of social inequality and cultural variety, taking into account different categories such as "race", ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, body, health, age, religion, etc. The present paper aims to provide an outline of the concept of “intersectionality” and of the main themes of debate regarding the intersectional analysis. After delineating some significant historical reference points regarding the intersectionality research and defining the term, two major issues are addressed and discussed: on the one hand the problem of the relevant categories which should be taken into consideration, and how their interdependency – and not adding – should be approached, on the other hand the problem of the appropriate levels of analysis and the connection between them. In the last part of the paper the key aspects of the intersectional analysis are highlighted and some remarks about the necessity of larger, more integrative and institutionalized researches in this regard are made.
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This paper aims to provide an overview of the main theoretical approaches on gender, following the logic of theoretical development and progress from the structural-functionalist perspective to the constructivist (interactionist,... more
This paper aims to provide an overview of the main theoretical approaches on gender, following the logic of theoretical development and progress from the structural-functionalist perspective to the constructivist (interactionist, ethnomethodological) one and, further, to the deconstructivist paradigm in social sciences. In this respect, there are addressed first the theoretical approaches regarding gender socialization, roles and identities, attention focusing particularly on T. Parsons and E. Goffman's perspectives, followed by H. Garfinkel's ethnomethodological view on heteronormativity and naturalization of the binary sexual status. The paper continues with approaching the concept of "doing gender" introduced by C. West and D.H. Zimmerman in 1987, and the theoretical debate opened by this concept. Finally there are presented some approaches and conceptualizations of gender from the perspective of the deconstructivist current, such as the conception of gender as a result of symbolic representations, the challenging of the differentiation made between sex (biological) and gender (socio-cultural roles attributed to the sex), as well as the theoretical discussions about "undoing gender" and "redoing gender".
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Since January 2018, the government of Romania is headed by a woman, the first female prime minister in the history of the country. Beyond other controversial issues relating to the political situation in Romania, especially those in... more
Since January 2018, the government of Romania is headed by a woman, the first female prime minister in the history of the country. Beyond other controversial issues relating to the political situation in Romania, especially those in connection with the frequent changes of prime ministers in recent years, media covered the appointment of Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă as premier with special scrutiny, paying attention to details that were not regarded as such in the case of the prior appointed male prime ministers. Thus, discussions could be encountered in the press, on themes mostly related to women, like how does this person dresses, how is her hairdo, or what man she owes her success. This paper deals with the analyze of the media coverage of the topics related to the first woman in a political executive leading position in Romania, such as her nomination and her political activity and public appearance in the first months in office. Based on the results of a content analysis of the Romanian online news, the frames used by the national media in their coverage of these topics are investigated, the major themes on the subject are identified, and the main patterns of media coverage are delineated.
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On 29 January 2018, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă became the first female prime minister of Romania. Beyond the usual media debates whenever a new prime minister is appointed, regardless of if a man or a woman, including references to... more
On 29 January 2018, Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă became the first female prime minister of Romania. Beyond the usual media debates whenever a new prime minister is appointed, regardless of if a man or a woman, including references to political, organizational, administrative, strategic or economic qualities or virtues, the appointment of Mrs. Dăncilă has caused in Romanian media approaches and discussions that, in this form, did not appear in the case of the prior appointed male prime ministers. The present paper aims to analyse the prevailing discussion topics regarding both the appointment of Mrs. Dăncilă as prime minister and, further on, her activity and her public appearance since she is in office. In this regard, starting from a theoretical framework opened by the concept of "hegemonic femininity", a content analysis on the main online Romanian media during January-April 2018 was carried out, on the basis of which the main features of the media covered portrait of the first woman in a political executive leading position in Romania are outlined.The article argues that the media constructed image of the first female prime minister of Romania does not fit into the image of hegemonic femininity.
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While several decades ago shame was still the “hidden emotion” or the “sleeper in psychopathology”, lately it has become a frequent subject of study, some scholars arguing that shame is now so commonly seen as “the bedrock of... more
While several decades ago shame was still the “hidden emotion” or the “sleeper in psychopathology”, lately it has become a frequent subject of study, some scholars arguing that shame is now so commonly seen as “the bedrock of psychopathology”. Yet, there exist many differences of view regarding shame, and there are few methodologies to explore empirically these differences. Shame has been approached by a wide variety of theories in various scientific disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. Not only are there different scientific and theoretical approaches to shame, but one can also identify different schools of thought, like psychoanalytic, behavioural, cognitive, constructivist, deconstructivist and so forth. Shame can also be conceptualized and studied in regard to its components and mechanisms, as for example examining it in terms of emotion (e.g. as a primary vs. an auxiliary emotion, or as a composite of other affects or emotions), cognitions and beliefs about the self, behaviours and actions, evolved mechanisms, or interpersonal dynamic interrelationships. Shame can be experienced internal, relational and social, being an individual feeling with deep social and cultural roots. The self-detriment comparison with others, the absence of recognition or prestige, the social exclusion, as well as the infringement of moral rules can frequently be causes of shame. That is why shame is often understood in a dichotomist and opposed relationship with (social) honour, which can be also experienced as internal emotion, relational episode or cultural practice. Both honour and its opposite, shame, are however fundamentally social categories. My paper aims to outline a general framework for addressing shame and honour as social constructs. In this regard, after discussing the conception according to which all human emotions are social constructions, the terms of shame and honour are delineated, their cultural and social roots are highlighted, and some of their most important conceptual and theoretical approaches are summarized. Moreover, since these constructs are socially different with regard to men and women, the gendered nature of the cultural and moral shape of shame and honour in contemporary world is also addressed.
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The present paper deals with the popular culture in Romania during the communist period in 1947–1989. Using the research method of life histories of people living at that time, subjective data about the lived culture were gathered as they... more
The present paper deals with the popular culture in Romania during the communist period in 1947–1989. Using the research method of life histories of people living at that time, subjective data about the lived culture were gathered as they remembered and described. In the paper the practices and rituals of popular culture as well as the products and artefacts are analysed and discussed. The research focused both on elements of folk culture and lifestyle in the communist era, and also on what influenced them, such as the historical intervals, macrosocial processes, foreign trends, impositions of the authoritarian communist regime etc. Thus, in the paper there are discussed the results of the research that pointed out that the Romanian popular culture in the communist epoch was influenced both by the distinct stages the communist regime has been going through in this period, and by some large-scale phenomena that led to transformations in society, such as industrialisation and urbanisation. Moreover, while the practices, products and artefacts of popular culture imposed by the communist regime did not become really ‘popular’, some Western influences could be ascertained especially after 1959, when a ‘relaxation period’ in the communist regime began. These Western influences upon the Romanian popular culture did occur especially through media, particularly music and cinema, and these determined also in Romania, even during a regime that strictly controlled people’s lives, certain trends in cultural practices and lifestyle, which could not be avoided even by an authoritarian and totalitarian regime.
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Smile and laughter are universal means of transmitting nonverbal messages. Smile is a very complex expression capable to transmit a wide range of information, denoting a wide range of emotions and feelings, such as pleasure, joy,... more
Smile and laughter are universal means of transmitting nonverbal messages. Smile is a very complex expression capable to transmit a wide range of information, denoting a wide range of emotions and feelings, such as pleasure, joy, happiness, satisfaction, promise, sociability, amusement, but also cynicism, embarrassment, emotional pain, slyness, shame and sarcasm. However, the interpretation of the meaning of the smile also varies from one culture to another, or even from one subculture to another. Instead, laughter seems to have more universal human connotations and interpretations, because it is the expression of some basic universal human emotions, such as joy, cheerfulness, pleasure, happiness. Laughter is generally the expression of good mood, but, more than that, it can also cause good mood. That is why laughter is also used as part of some therapies. However, the vocal component of laughter, considered part of paraverbal communication, may have specific cultural determinations. For example, when people accentuate by laughing a certain vowel, they want to express, at least in European culture, different mental states and behavioural intentions, which are decipherable only when the codes of communication and their meanings are known. Significations and interpretations of laughter and smile are thus functions of the socio-cultural context. The present paper deals with these aspects, highlighting the social and cultural dimensions of these two suggestive components of nonverbal communication.
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The topic of nutrition is of great interest in German media, but the patterns of media coverage vary as regards content, approach, or form. This paper presents the findings of a research which aimed to identify, at a general level, the... more
The topic of nutrition is of great interest in German media, but the patterns of media coverage vary as regards content, approach, or form. This paper presents the findings of a research which aimed to identify, at a general level, the major debate topics and the related issues on the subject of nutrition and food, as well as the main characteristics of the corresponding media coverage. At a specific level, different research questions focused both on the content and the form of the media messages. In this regard, a thematic content analysis of the German online media over a three-year period was conducted. According to the research results, the most common debate topics concerning nutrition were those related to health, diets, and the risks associated with nutrition and food, especially those pointing health, medical conditions and environment. Such topics were addressed by the German media over the considered time frame mostly in detailed articles, containing analyzes, reviews and viewpoints, and attended by a considerable number of photos and videos, largely emphasizing the importance of healthy nutrition and health food, and giving many recommendations and useful information in this matter. At the same time, however, creating a certain paradox, media constantly attempted to animate food and drink, mediatizing countless foods and drinks, some of them unhealthy, and generally numerous culinary delights and temptations.
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Food and nutrition have been topics constantly addressed, in various forms, in the media, in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Lately, within the media coverage of this vast issue, new ways of approaching and new associations have... more
Food and nutrition have been topics constantly addressed, in various forms, in the media, in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Lately, within the media coverage of this vast issue, new ways of approaching and new associations have emerged, topics like health food, sustainable nutrition, diverse dietary trends, risks associated with nutrition or, generally, with some lifestyles, the treatment and attitude towards animals grown for consumption, harming the environment, etc., being currently themes addressed in the media as frequently as recipes, dietary recommendations, plants cultivation and animal husbandry, or traditional dishes and culinary habits. This paper presents the results of a comparative study on the coverage of nutrition topics in Germany and Romania. The research, based on a content analysis of online thematic press articles from the two countries, covers a three-year period (2014-2016). The main research objectives pursued in the study were to identify the most relevant aspects regarding both the content and the form of the coverage of the topic of nutrition, and to make comparisons in these respects. The paper discusses in particular the similarities and differences between the two countries regarding the media construction of nutrition as a general problem.
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The importance of nutrition as a research topic is linked not only to healthy eating and different types of medical conditions, such as obesity, allergies, malnutrition, but also to the relationship between nutrition and physical... more
The importance of nutrition as a research topic is linked not only to healthy eating and different types of medical conditions, such as obesity, allergies, malnutrition, but also to the relationship between nutrition and physical activity, to state’s and large food companies’ commercial activities, as well as to the sustainability of food production. On that basis, numerous studies have analyzed media content related to food and nutrition, their basic assumption being that (new and old) media have the ability to change the audience’s perceptions, behaviors and attitudes towards various values which are accepted in contemporary societies. This paper presents the results of a comparative study of the way in which Romanian and German media cover the topic of nutrition. The research method used was the content analysis, applied to a sample of articles published on online media from the two countries between 2014 and 2016. Having as research objective the identification of the most relevant aspects regarding the content and shape of nutrition’s coverage in media, this article discusses the similarities and differences recorded in the online press of the two countries on the topic of interest. According to the findings, the similarities are mainly related to some topics and subjects addressed, as well as to the ways of covering them, in particular through analysis articles, while the differences could instead be ascertained regarding the content of the articles, including the ways in which the journalists assume social roles in approaching, informing, debating, and educating concerning issues of public interest.
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Food and nutrition are topics constantly covered, in various forms, in the media, both in fiction and non-fiction areas. New approaches and associations have recently emerged in the media coverage of this broad issue, with topics such as... more
Food and nutrition are topics constantly covered, in various forms, in the media, both in fiction and non-fiction areas. New approaches and associations have recently emerged in the media coverage of this broad issue, with topics such as healthy eating, sustainable nutrition, various dietary trends, risks associated with nutrition or, general speaking, lifestyles, treatment and attitudes towards animals intended for consumption, environmental damage, etc. currently representing themes addressed in the media as frequently as recipes, dietary recommendations, plant cultivation and animal husbandry, as well as traditional dishes and culinary habits. This paper presents the results of a comparative study on the media coverage of nutrition in Romania and Germany. The research, based on a content analysis of online thematic press articles from the two countries, covers a period of three years (2014–2016). The main research objectives pursued in the study are identifying the most relevant aspects regarding both the content and the form of media coverage of the topic of nutrition, and making comparisons in these respects. The paper particularly discusses the similarities and differences between the two countries as regards the media construction of the issue of food as a general concern.
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Mass media, both through science journalism and popular science, play a key role in informing the public about developments in medicine and nutrition science. Nowadays, alongside topics already established in the media, such as... more
Mass media, both through science journalism and popular science, play a key role in informing the public about developments in medicine and nutrition science. Nowadays, alongside topics already established in the media, such as nutritional values of food, diets and dietary recommendations, malnutrition, different types of diseases and medical conditions, etc., new topics are increasingly being approached by journalists, confirming and consolidating at the same time the public interest in contemporary societies for such topical issues as health food, healthy eating and lifestyle, sustainability of food production, but also damages to the environment, eating habits and practices harmful to humans and the environment, obesity, new allergies and medical conditions, etc.
This paper presents the results of a research aimed at identifying, at a general level, the ways in which the German media addresses the topic of nutrition and food. From a theoretical perspective, the study is placed in the wider paradigm of socio-cultural constructivism, while in terms of methodology in the line with researches that use content analysis to make inferences in systematically identifying and highlighting the features of messages. By analysing the press articles published online during a three-year time frame, I aimed to delineate the most relevant aspects regarding the content and form of the media coverage of the investigated issue and its subsumed topics. The present article discusses in particular the frames in which the subjects in this field are placed and dealt with by the German online print press, the controversial issues and the disputed problems in relation to the food and the means of covering such aspects, as well as the positioning of journalists as active social actors in the process of media construction of the topic of nutrition.
This paper presents the results of a research aimed at identifying, at a general level, the ways in which the German media addresses the topic of nutrition and food. From a theoretical perspective, the study is placed in the wider paradigm of socio-cultural constructivism, while in terms of methodology in the line with researches that use content analysis to make inferences in systematically identifying and highlighting the features of messages. By analysing the press articles published online during a three-year time frame, I aimed to delineate the most relevant aspects regarding the content and form of the media coverage of the investigated issue and its subsumed topics. The present article discusses in particular the frames in which the subjects in this field are placed and dealt with by the German online print press, the controversial issues and the disputed problems in relation to the food and the means of covering such aspects, as well as the positioning of journalists as active social actors in the process of media construction of the topic of nutrition.
Research Interests:
In the last years a shift in the practice of medical communication has occurred and it leads to a displacement from a paternalistic model of patient-provider information toward a model implying an em-beddedness of the medical and human... more
In the last years a shift in the practice of medical communication has occurred and it leads to a displacement from a paternalistic model of patient-provider information toward a model implying an em-beddedness of the medical and human values in the medical interaction and in the decision-taking process of the informed patient. Researches show that older adults respond differently to online communication than younger adults. In this context, seniors face new challenges as regards health-related information and medical communication. The present study deals comparatively with the health-related internet use by the seniors in two European countries: Romania and Germany. Using a qualitative methodology, which involved the in-depth semi-structured interviewing of twenty persons aged 65 years or over who used the internet including for health-related search, we tried to find out which are the similarities and differences between the two samples as concerns health-related online informing and medical communication. Our research has revealed a number of interesting results and inferences. Thus, while between the two samples there are similarities as regards using the internet as a starting point for general information related to health and making informed medical decisions, there exist also a series of differences as regards various aspects, such as the health-related internet use itself-the interest and the ways of searching, the accessed content and websites, the trust in the reliability of the online information, the online feedback and activism etc., as well as the openness to discuss with the physicians about the information gained by the internet consumption.
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Today, people are increasingly informed about health-related issues and are taking on a participatory role in healthcare. The active search for information, facilitated in particular by the internet, through which individuals try to... more
Today, people are increasingly informed about health-related issues and are taking on a participatory role in healthcare. The active search for information, facilitated in particular by the internet, through which individuals try to support their decisions about their own health, as well as the involvement in medical interaction from a decision-making position, have become common practice. In this trend towards informative, interpretive and deliberative models that currently mark the healthcare and the relationship between physician and patient, the older people constitute a particular age group, given that, on the one hand, they have their own pace of adaptation to the new ways of communication and information, and on the other hand, they grew up and lived a large part of their life in a culture where the doctor made all the critical decisions. This paper addresses the issue of the use of the internet for health-related problems by the seniors. The results of a case study of the older people in Germany, which involved a qualitative research based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, are presented and discussed. The main objectives and research questions that were pursued in the study aimed to identify the major aspects of the forms and content of the internet use by seniors for medical information and decisions, as well as to delimit the influences of this new way of information and communication, specific to the current trend in healthcare, on real medical communication, both with doctors and other patients, as well as on medical practice and experiences in general.
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Since the beginning of the ‘90s, the Internet has revolutionized the communication world in unprecedented ways. No other medium managed to achieve this, and the Internet along with other technologies has opened channels of communication... more
Since the beginning of the ‘90s, the Internet has revolutionized the communication world in unprecedented ways. No other medium managed to achieve this, and the Internet along with other technologies has opened channels of communication different from all the classic ways of communicating. Its potential of altering traditional communication systems turned into an important subject of research in the field of communication. This article presents the results of a research that aimed to identify: the extent to which Romanian adolescents have access to the Internet and the characteristics of this access; the patterns of using the Internet and the conveyance of a ‘portrait’ of the Internet uses, of the place of the Internet consumption into the larger media consumption, on one hand, and in the customs of interpersonal communication, on the other hand; the effects the Internet has on young people, both on the personal plan, and on the plan of social micro-relationships, not to mention the wider plan of social life; the expectations towards the Internet – not only personal, relational and social ones, but also the expectations related to technological evolution.
Research Interests:
Starting from the theoretical premise according to which Internet users are an active force in the "generative process of technology" and from the results of a larger investigation conducted using both quantitative and qualitative... more
Starting from the theoretical premise according to which Internet users are an active force in the "generative process of technology" and from the results of a larger investigation conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this work deals with the patterns of Internet consumption and use by Romanian adolescents. The study presents data related to the frequency and duration of Internet use by adolescents, data related to the most used Internet applications, as well as data related to the significance of Internet for young people and the self perception of the influence of this new means of communication. The conclusions of the work refer to the impact of Internet on communication-it is "facilitated" by the Internet, as far as adolescents are concerned and, in any case, it is "transformed", "changed" by this new means of communication. The Internet is a space that offers various entertainment opportunities which are impossible to offer by other means of communication, such as on-line gaming and downloading, as well as information. The Internet offers, without any restriction, information from all fields and related to all preoccupations, including information related to school, universities and professions which can be chosen in life. The work is also a debate on the fact that Internet is almost exclusively characterized in positive terms by adolescents, despite the warning signals given and emphasized by some with respect to the "danger" represented by the Internet. As a conclusion, the work shows that according to the investigated data, young people use the Internet frequently and to a large extent, that it is an integral part of their life and its use is a routine "ritual" without which, for many adolescents, life can't even be conceived.
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Perspectiva teoretică pe care se bazează acest studiu este cea constructivistă, conform căreia „media nu descriu o realitate obiectivă, existentă în sine, cât o construiesc". Pe de altă parte, studiul ia ca premisä o nouă perspectivă... more
Perspectiva teoretică pe care se bazează acest studiu este cea constructivistă, conform căreia „media nu descriu o realitate obiectivă, existentă în sine, cât o construiesc". Pe de altă parte, studiul ia ca premisä o nouă perspectivă asupra practicii jurnalistice, conform căreia obiectivitatea şi neutralitatea jurnaliştilor sunt noţiuni diferite, astfel că jurnalismul trebuie să fie „etic", iar jurnaliştii nu trebuie să fie „neutri" din punct de vedere moral, deoarece au o responsabilitate socială. Un exemplu concret îl reprezintă mediatizarea violenţei domestice în principalele cotidiene naţionale din România, care relevă cvsi-absenţa unui „jurnalism-avocat", adică a unui jurnalism al responsabilităţii sociale. În timp ce faptele de violenţă domestică sunt prezentate în presa scrisă ca fapte diverse, eventual ieşite din comun sau senzaţionale, informaţiile şi comentariile cu adevărat importante referitoare la această problemă socială lipsesc aproape în totalitate.
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This paper intends to approach the recent historical process of reconstruction of national identity inside the theoretical and explanatory perspective of social sciences-sociology and communication sciences. More precisely, I place my... more
This paper intends to approach the recent historical process of reconstruction of national identity inside the theoretical and explanatory perspective of social sciences-sociology and communication sciences. More precisely, I place my approach within the new scientific paradigm that opened the constructivist trend in human and social sciences. The study is an exploratory and theoretical one, representing the first phase of research on the identification of some characteristics of a possible future of national identity. My research project deals with the issue of national identity versus European identity in the process of the so-called »Europeanization« dealing with theoretical and empirical perspectives of communication. Therefore, I am first interested in this/these identities' construction on a discursive level inside of media communication.
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Based on a political event - the November 23rd, 2003's official visit of the USA President in Romania - largely covered by media, we tried to see if, besides the actual political action (establishing contacts, signing contacts and... more
Based on a political event - the November 23rd, 2003's official visit of the USA President in Romania - largely covered by media, we tried to see if, besides the actual political action (establishing contacts, signing contacts and bilateral agreements etc.) this visit has acted up to yet another level, a symbolic one. Thus, situating ourselves rather within the perspective opened by Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz' studies on media events and their typology, and applying this grid of interpreting to the reality of the circumstances the visit took place, we shall assert that we witnessed the building of a transformative media event, whose crucial characteristic is that it acts onwards reality in a symbolic manner, so that it comes to imposing a new situation within the sphere of the plausible, a new situation unconceivable until that moment. We looked up to Romanian national newspapers issued the next day of the visit to validate this hypothesis of the symbolic action. It was revealed to us that the ceremony operated, on the one hand, on a spatial-temporal level, by proposing a new framing; on the other hand, the innovative solution that the event brought into the sphere of the possible was to make compatible the idea of integrating into NATO with the request of establishing a cordial relationship with Russia.
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One of the theoretical models through which have tried to understand and explain the construction of "Europe" was the one that identified in this process two realities having the same reference: the political reality (the "bureaucracy" in... more
One of the theoretical models through which have tried to understand and explain the construction of "Europe" was the one that identified in this process two realities having the same reference: the political reality (the "bureaucracy" in Brussels and the policy of each member state or of each state undergoing pre-accession processes) and the collective mind. As Dominique Wolton, the main theoretician of the model, has put it, the two realities in the construction process tend to separate, because of the latter's inertia to change. Mass media have an important role in shortening this distance, as it puts the two realities in contact, especially through the deliberative formats which not only that they "reflect" reality but they participate in the construction of the mental reality. Our study presents the results of research in the Romanian space, on the one hand of the social representations on the national and European ("Europe") and on the other hand of the way in which a certain type of political reality (the electoral campaign) has generated or not a "mobilization" of the press around the same subject. The general aim was thus the study of the measure in which identity-European and national-is a main theme (the way in which it is used, built, perceived and assumed) in the current Romanian society.
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Romania's upcoming accession to the European Union has opened two new lines of discussion. On the one hand, at political and administrative level, discussions are related to the legislation, to economic advantages and disadvantages,... more
Romania's upcoming accession to the European Union has opened two new lines of discussion. On the one hand, at political and administrative level, discussions are related to the legislation, to economic advantages and disadvantages, common policies in various domains, in other words, Romania's capacity to integrate in the "Brussels bureaucracy." On the other hand, discussions relate to the level of the accession's social and media representations, in other words, there are talks about the effects of this change of identity/of status from the point of view of image, both in the every day discourse and in the political and media discourse. We have considered that a privileged moment for putting forward and/or exploiting these issues is that of the electoral campaign before the accession, precisely because of the importance of accession issues on the political agenda and, at least supposedly, on the public agenda. As such, our analysis has surveyed the way in which the two lines mentioned above (with special focus on the second one) are found in the discourses of the presidential candidates in the 2004 electoral campaign. To be more specific, we have analyzed the final electoral talk shows broadcasted on the public TV channel.
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Dezechilibrul în diviziunea muncii în funcție de gen și-a făcut simțită prezența încă de la sfârșitul secolului al XIX-lea, când munca femeilor era exploatată și prost plătită pe piața salarială. Inegalitățile de gen profesionale dintre... more
Dezechilibrul în diviziunea muncii în funcție de gen și-a făcut simțită prezența încă de la sfârșitul secolului al XIX-lea, când munca femeilor era exploatată și prost plătită pe piața salarială. Inegalitățile de gen profesionale dintre femei și bărbați continuă să persiste și astăzi. Lucrarea de față oferă o prezentare generală a explicațiilor teoretice și a conceptelor utilizate pentru analiza inegalităților de gen în carierele profesionale. Pe lângă stereotipurile și rolurile de gen, sunt abordați și alți termeni care conceptualizează inegalitățile de gen pe piaţa muncii, precum ‘gender pay gap’ (diferența de remunerare între femei și bărbați), segregarea orizontală și verticală, discriminarea evaluativă, sau ‘glass ceiling’ (‘plafonul de sticlă’). În plus, sunt discutate atât abordările teoretice economice, care subliniază rolul capitalului uman și explică discriminarea femeilor pe piața muncii prin așteptările privind productivitatea mai scăzută a acestora, cât și abordările sociologice, care evidențiază alte aspecte semnificative pentru cariera și ascensiunea profesională, precum diferențele de putere, normele și valorile sociale și culturale, ‘închiderea socială’ (‘social closure’), sau importanța capitalului social și a rețelelor sociale. În ultima parte a lucrării sunt evidențiate aspectele cheie ale dezbaterii și sunt făcute câteva observații cu privire la necesitatea unor cercetări mai ample în acest domeniu, mai integratoare și mai orientate spre practică.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Gender Equality, Gender division of labour, Gender Inequalities, gender inequalities in labor market and Social Security, and 6 moreGender inequality, Gendered Inequalities, Gender and Labor, Gender and inequality, Gendered Division of Labor, Inegalitatea De Gen, and Gender Equality Issues In Education and In the Labor Market
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Conference Program
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The unbalanced gender-specific division of labor emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue... more
The unbalanced gender-specific division of labor emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue to persist even today. The present paper aims to provide an outline of the main concepts used for analysing gendered inequalities in professional careers and to delineate the most significant explanations regarding this phenomenon. Besides gender stereotypes and gender roles, other terms which conceptualize the gender-based inequalities and discrimination in professional careers are addressed, such as gender pay gap, horizontal segregation, evaluative discrimination, vertical segregation, glass ceiling, sticky floor, and gender status beliefs. Furthermore, there are discussed both theoretical economic approaches, which emphasize the role of human capital and explain discrimination of women in the labor market by the expectations on their lower productivity, and theoretical sociological approaches, which highlight other aspects, such as differences in power, social and cultural norms and values, and take into consideration the importance of social capital, social interactions and networks, and social closure in professional career and ascension. In the last part of the paper the key aspects of the debate are emphasized and some remarks about the necessity of larger, more integrative and practice-oriented research in this regard are made.
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Communication is essential in social work both for building a functional relationship between social worker and client, and for the success of the intervention. That is why different communication techniques are used in order to build and... more
Communication is essential in social work both for building a functional relationship between social worker and client, and for the success of the intervention. That is why different communication techniques are used in order to build and maintain efficient relationships between those who communicate in social work and contribute, in this way, to the fulfilment of the proposed objectives of the intervention. However, sometimes communication is disrupted by various factors and obstacles, referred to as communication barriers. These can be both verbal and nonverbal. The more such disruptive factors are in social work communication, the more the outcomes in this field are affected. Therefore, it is recommended that the typical communication barriers are known by social workers in order to avoid them. This paper deals with the most common nonverbal barriers that can affect communication in social work. In addition to defining and discussing them, various examples from the practice of social work are provided, as well as several suitable recommendations for avoiding them.
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Conference Agenda
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Approaches and debates on gender and sexuality are a topical area in sociology and social research. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the main theoretical approaches on gender, following the logic of theoretical... more
Approaches and debates on gender and sexuality are a topical area in sociology and social research. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the main theoretical approaches on gender, following the logic of theoretical development and progress from the structural-functionalist perspective to the constructivist (interactionist, ethnomethodological) one and, further, to the deconstructivist paradigm in social sciences. In this regard, theoretical perspectives on gender socialization, social roles assigned to biological genders, as well as conceptualizations of gender identities are first addressed. Particular attention is paid here to T. Parsons' views to gender socialization, gender roles, and the institutionalized 'normality' of heterosexuality, E. Goffman's approach to ‘the arrangement between the sexes’, sexual subcultures and gender identity, and H. Garfinkel's ethnomethodological view on sexual status, naturalization of the binary sexual status, heteronormativity, and how bona fide members of society manifest themselves as 'normal', i.e. 'in consensus with the majority' in terms of both sexuality and gender. The paper continues with approaching the concepts of ‘accomplishment of gender’ and ‘doing gender’ introduced by C. West and D.H. Zimmerman in 1987, and the theoretical debates opened by the latter. Finally, some views and conceptualizations of gender from the perspective of the deconstructivist current are presented, such as the conception of gender as a result of symbolic representations, the challenging of the differentiation made between sex (biological) and gender (socio-cultural roles ascribed to the sex), as well as the current theoretical discussions about ‘undoing gender’ and ‘redoing gender’.
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Due to its character of regime enforced from outside and through the major changes imposed in the society, the communist regime in Romania between 1945 and 1989 represents a distinct period in the history of the country. A series of... more
Due to its character of regime enforced from outside and through the major changes imposed in the society, the communist regime in Romania between 1945 and 1989 represents a distinct period in the history of the country. A series of inflicted macrosocial processes, such as the strictly centralized economy, collectivization and nationalization, as well as some phenomena such as the control of citizens' lives, the impossibility of free expression, censorship of the press and culture, the lack of consumer goods, restrictions on utilities, and so on, marked negatively the fate of many Romanians during this period. However, many people remember this period with nostalgia.
The present paper deals with the popular culture in Romania during the communist period (1947-1989), as seen, considered and remembered by people who lived in that era, or at least in a period of it. The research was based on the method of life histories and focussed on the viewings of the subjects regarding the practices, rituals, artefacts and products of popular culture in the communist time. Both folk culture and mass culture are discussed and analysed, as well as the elements of lifestyle, as described by the subjects. Moreover, the influences on the popular culture in that period are outlined, such as those of some large-scale phenomena like industrialisation and urbanisation, Western trends, Soviet propaganda, or the different impositions of the Romanian authorities, according to the various stages the communist regime has been going through in this period. The gathered data show that, while many memories of people are sorrowful and bitter, other recalls and considerations regarding the cultural practices of that time, and especially the human relations built by the means of these practices, are full of nostalgia. These aspects concerning popular culture in a particular historical period and nostalgia related to it are discussed in detail in the paper.
The present paper deals with the popular culture in Romania during the communist period (1947-1989), as seen, considered and remembered by people who lived in that era, or at least in a period of it. The research was based on the method of life histories and focussed on the viewings of the subjects regarding the practices, rituals, artefacts and products of popular culture in the communist time. Both folk culture and mass culture are discussed and analysed, as well as the elements of lifestyle, as described by the subjects. Moreover, the influences on the popular culture in that period are outlined, such as those of some large-scale phenomena like industrialisation and urbanisation, Western trends, Soviet propaganda, or the different impositions of the Romanian authorities, according to the various stages the communist regime has been going through in this period. The gathered data show that, while many memories of people are sorrowful and bitter, other recalls and considerations regarding the cultural practices of that time, and especially the human relations built by the means of these practices, are full of nostalgia. These aspects concerning popular culture in a particular historical period and nostalgia related to it are discussed in detail in the paper.
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XXVème Colloque Franco-Roumain en Sciences de L’Information et de la Communication ”Mondialisation de la communication. La diversité des cultures en questions”, Iași, Roumanie, 26-28 Mai 2022
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Conference Agenda
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Paper presented to 8th International Conference on Innovative Scientific Research, Adana, Turkey, April 15-17, 2022
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Femicides are topics frequently covered by the media and journalist use different frames when reporting on such lethal acts of violence against women. This paper addresses the media coverage and framing in German online press articles of... more
Femicides are topics frequently covered by the media and journalist use different frames when reporting on such lethal acts of violence against women. This paper addresses the media coverage and framing in German online press articles of two cases of femicides with victims of Romanian ethnicity. The research presented used as methodology thematic content analysis, along with media framing analysis. In the paper the results of this study are analysed and discussed, that is, there are highlighted the characteristics of media coverage of the killings of two Romanian women in the German online press, the main frames used by the media in their reporting on the femicides, as well as the extent to which journalists use techniques of blaming the victims in the depiction of femicides. Also, the content of the articles is examined, including the investigation of what aspects related to victims and perpetrators are emphasized in the narratives. Moreover, there is approached the extent to which femicides are treated in media as individual issues or as part of social issues, that is, there is discussed to what extent the media report the crimes against women as singular facts or address them in the broader context of social problems, and contribute, in this way, to the increase of public awareness and social responsibility towards a serious and widespread social problem, namely violence against women.
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In this paper there is analysed comparatively how the heads of state in three European countries, namely Germany, France, and Romania, appealed to the ethical value of solidarity in their speeches announcing the measures to restrict... more
In this paper there is analysed comparatively how the heads of state in three European countries, namely Germany, France, and Romania, appealed to the ethical value of solidarity in their speeches announcing the measures to restrict social life in mid-March 2020, when the covid-19 pandemic spread through Europe. Moreover, the value systems of reference and other ethical aspects that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the French President Emmanuel Macron, and the Romanian President Klaus Johannis referred to during their speeches they gave in March 2020, are also comparatively analysed and discussed. The research method used is the thematic discourse analysis.
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Gender equality and the persistence of gender inequalities are topics of great interest in the European Union (EU). With a turnout of around 40 percent of women members, the European Parliament (EP) currently has one of the highest... more
Gender equality and the persistence of gender inequalities are topics of great interest in the European Union (EU). With a turnout of around 40 percent of women members, the European Parliament (EP) currently has one of the highest proportions among any parliament in the world (Ahrens and Rolandsen Agustín, 2020). However, no conclusions can be drawn whatsoever about the substantive representation of women, nor about the gender sensitivity in Parliament and its bodies as institutions. Addressing women's issues and promoting gender equality in EP policies are therefore still key subjects in the EU (European Parliament, 2019). In this context, reducing gender inequalities, including the issue of women's and other gender identities' participation in European politics, is a topic of great interest. This paper analyses the extent to which this problem was reflected in the 2019 election campaign for the EP. The results of a research conducted in all EU member states in 2019 election campaign are discussed. The analysed corpus consists of 9751 documents such as print (posters and press advertising), political commercials and social media content (Facebook posts). The main objective followed was to investigate gender dimension in the 2019 European parliamentary elections, and the specific research questions were to what extent there is a convergence towards gender equality in terms of political actors involved in the election campaign, and if there is homogeneity at European level – or at least a convergence towards it – in terms of the category of gender. In other words, I was interested in examining the extent to which one can identify similarities or differences between the regions and countries of the European Union in terms of the gender dimension, a special focus being given to the comparison between Eastern Europe and the other European areas, namely Southern, Continental and North-Western Europe.
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Food production and changes in the environment are in a complex relationship of mutual influence. On the one hand, the increment in food production, as a result of the increasing growth of the world's population, has repercussions on the... more
Food production and changes in the environment are in a complex relationship of mutual influence. On the one hand, the increment in food production, as a result of the increasing growth of the world's population, has repercussions on the environment, and on the other hand ecological changes have negative effects on agricultural production and the nutrition of a significant part of the world's population, posing a major threat to food and nutrition security on a global-scale. That is why, lately, in the media coverage of the vast issue of nutrition, new topics, approaches and associations have emerged, such as food sovereignty and the sustainability of food production, but also the relationship and interaction between the world's growing population and the environment in a continuous degradation, or the threats that hover over people, but also over the Earth, the living space and the home that shelters humanity. This paper presents the results of an analysis regarding the ways in which the environmental issues and the sustainability of food production are addressed in the German media. More precisely, the press articles dealing with human nutrition were taken into consideration in the in analysis. The paper discusses the extent and ways in which links and correlations are made in the German media between food and environmental issues, to what extent do journalists approach topics such as sustainable food production, food sovereignty, organic and local agriculture, local animal husbandry, as well as the extent to which the German press makes connections between unhealthy nutrition and unsustainable food production, or analyzes and debates on various diets, controversies and social trends related to human nutrition, and the food of the future. The methodology of the study presented in this paper includes thematic content analysis, both quantitative and qualitative, of articles on nutrition published in the period 2014-2016 in the German media in their online form and, in addition, the secondary analysis of this broader research, which aimed at the specific, focused objective of examining quantitatively and qualitatively the media covered aspects regarding the sustainability of food production.
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In the practice of medical communication, the paternalistic model of patient-provider information has been challenged in the last years by a model implying an embeddedness of the medical and human values in the medical interaction and in... more
In the practice of medical communication, the paternalistic model of patient-provider information has been challenged in the last years by a model implying an embeddedness of the medical and human values in the medical interaction and in the decision-taking process of the informed patient. Also, patients have increasingly begun to adopt a participative role in healthcare, by actively seeking information and rationale for the decisions they make about their health. However, when it comes to searching for medical information on the internet, people are frequently overloaded with the sheer amount of information available online. Moreover, elderly adults respond differently to online communication than younger ones. In this context, seniors face new challenges relating to medical communication, and health-related information and decisions. This paper addresses the health-related internet use by seniors in Germany, through a qualitative methodology, which involved ten in-depth semi-structured interviews with persons aged 65 years or more who use the internet including for health-related search. The findings of the study are discussed in detail in the paper, following the answers to the research questions pursued, referring to the types of health-related information searched, such as general or specific, as for example regarding some medical conditions, if and which advices, recommendations, information about illnesses, treatments, physicians and clinics have been sought, where the searches took place, on what types of websites, such as general, specialized, scientific, etc., the extent to which the interviewees show confidence in the reliability of the internet information and advices, if they are overloaded with the quantity of online health- related information, and so on. Besides, a point of research interest was to find out to what extent the online communication and gaining information related to health from the internet influences the real, face to face communication between the elder patients and their physicians. Starting from these topics and the results of the research, the conclusions of the paper outline how the German seniors use the internet for health-related information and decisions.
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Conference Agenda
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The 21st century saw the end of the Third Industrial Revolution, the rapid growth of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and, the entrance into the Fifth Industrial Revolution (now coexisting with the Fourth). The extension of AI use is a... more
The 21st century saw the end of the Third Industrial Revolution, the rapid growth of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and, the entrance into the Fifth Industrial Revolution (now coexisting with the Fourth). The extension of AI use is a common feature of the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions. Until recently AI was a topic mostly present in the discourse of IT industry representatives, but for a decade it has entered into the vocabulary of sociologists of the future. Trying to envision the intricate impact that the acceleration of technological development has on the acceleration of social change, sociologists looked into the future and presented different pictures of tomorrow’s societies. Looking into the writings of these sociologists, our chapter will try to answer to the questions: ‘What will be the place of lethal violence in the future?’, ‘Will future bring us the end of violence?’. Our answers will take the shape scenarios depending on the different ways in which AI can be to prevent, regulate, monitor, or punish people that manifested acts of lethal violence.
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Based on a political event - the November 23rd, 2003's official visit of the USA President in Romania - largely covered by media, we tried to see if, besides the actual political action (establishing contacts, signing contacts and... more
Based on a political event - the November 23rd, 2003's official visit of the USA President in Romania - largely covered by media, we tried to see if, besides the actual political action (establishing contacts, signing contacts and bilateral agreements etc.) this visit has acted up to yet another level, a symbolic one. Thus, situating ourselves rather within the perspective opened by Daniel Dayan and Elihu Katz' studies on media events and their typology, and applying this grid of interpreting to the reality of the circumstances the visit took place, we shall assert that we witnessed the building of a transformative media event, whose crucial characteristic is that it acts onwards reality in a symbolic manner, so that it comes to imposing a new situation within the sphere of the plausible, a new situation unconceivable until that moment. We looked up to Romanian national newspapers issued the next day of the visit to validate this hypothesis of the symbolic action. It was revealed to us that the ceremony operated, on the one hand, on a spatial-temporal level, by proposing a new framing; on the other hand, the innovative solution that the event brought into the sphere of the possible was to make compatible the idea of integrating into NATO with the request of establishing a cordial relationship with Russia.
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Starting from the theoretical premise according to which the Internet users are an active force in the "generative process of technology", and from the results of a larger investigation conducted using both quantitative and qualitative... more
Starting from the theoretical premise according to which the Internet users are an active force in the "generative process of technology", and from the results of a larger investigation conducted using both quantitative and qualitative methods, this work deals with the patterns of the Internet consumption and use by Romanian adolescents. The study presents data related to the frequency and duration of the Internet use by adolescents, data related to the most used Internet applications, as well as data related to the significance of the Internet for young people, and the self perception of the influence of this new means of communication. The conclusions of the work refer to the impact of the Internet on communication - it is "facilitated" by the Internet, as far as adolescents are concerned and, in any case, it is "transformed" and "changed" by this new means of communication. Moreover, the Internet is a space that offers various entertainment opportunities which are impossible to offer by other means of communication, such as on-line gaming and downloading, as well as information. The Internet offers, without any restriction, information from all fields and related to all preoccupations, including information related to school, universities and professions which can be chosen in life. The work is also a debate on the fact that the Internet is almost exclusively characterized in positive terms by adolescents, despite the warning signals given and emphasized by some with respect to the "danger" represented by the Internet. As a conclusion, the work shows that according to the investigated data, young people use the Internet frequently and to a large extent, that it is an integral part of their life and its use is a routine "ritual" without which, for many adolescents, life can't even be conceived.
The paper starts from the theoretical perspective opened by the culturalist approach, that introduced the so-called break from the end of ’50s in cultural studies, and took into consideration the meaning of the concept 'popular culture'... more
The paper starts from the theoretical perspective opened by the culturalist approach, that introduced the so-called break from the end of ’50s in cultural studies, and took into consideration the meaning of the concept 'popular culture' not as opposite to that of
'elite culture' or 'high culture', but as a term which refers to the cultural products, practices and artefacts produced by and for people, also with a special focus on their complex relationship with the political and economic agenda of the period. The research focuses on the popular culture in the communist Romanian society between 1947–1989. The general objective of this larger study was to outline the main aspects of the popular culture in the communist Romania and to identify the popular culture practices and artefacts and their roots. In this paper there will be presented the results regarding the folk culture as a distinct part of the popular culture.I analyzed both the practices of folk culture (what is included in the term of lived culture) and the products and artefacts of folk culture (as a part of the larger concept of lifestyle). Besides this, because these issues have been little explored from this perspective in Romania, I also paid close attention to unanticipated themes that could arise from the empirical research.The method used for accomplishing the objectives of the research was the social biography
(in the form of life histories). More exactly, I used the technique of ‘multiple autobiographies’, understanding the term in its classic sense, as subjects’ narrations about themselves, about their own lives. This method allowed me to obtain ‘subjective’ data about the ‘lived culture’, and also about the existence, evolution, appropriation, negotiation, resistance or rejection of the popular culture products, which in the end could lead us to outline the situation of popular culture elements in Romania in the communist epoch.
'elite culture' or 'high culture', but as a term which refers to the cultural products, practices and artefacts produced by and for people, also with a special focus on their complex relationship with the political and economic agenda of the period. The research focuses on the popular culture in the communist Romanian society between 1947–1989. The general objective of this larger study was to outline the main aspects of the popular culture in the communist Romania and to identify the popular culture practices and artefacts and their roots. In this paper there will be presented the results regarding the folk culture as a distinct part of the popular culture.I analyzed both the practices of folk culture (what is included in the term of lived culture) and the products and artefacts of folk culture (as a part of the larger concept of lifestyle). Besides this, because these issues have been little explored from this perspective in Romania, I also paid close attention to unanticipated themes that could arise from the empirical research.The method used for accomplishing the objectives of the research was the social biography
(in the form of life histories). More exactly, I used the technique of ‘multiple autobiographies’, understanding the term in its classic sense, as subjects’ narrations about themselves, about their own lives. This method allowed me to obtain ‘subjective’ data about the ‘lived culture’, and also about the existence, evolution, appropriation, negotiation, resistance or rejection of the popular culture products, which in the end could lead us to outline the situation of popular culture elements in Romania in the communist epoch.
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Both for building a functional relationship between social worker and client, and for the success of the intervention, communication is essential in social work. That is why different verbal and nonverbal communication techniques are used... more
Both for building a functional relationship between social worker and client, and for the success of the intervention, communication is essential in social work. That is why different verbal and nonverbal communication techniques are used in order to build and maintain efficient relationships between those who communicate in social work and contribute, in this way, to the fulfilment of the proposed objectives of the intervention. However, sometimes communication is disrupted by various factors and obstacles, referred to as communication barriers. These can be both verbal and nonverbal. The more such disruptive factors are in social work communication, the more the outcomes in this field are affected. Therefore, it is recommended that the typical communication barriers are known by social workers in order to avoid them. This paper deals with the most common verbal and nonverbal barriers that can affect communication in social work. In addition to defining and discussing them, various examples from the practice of social work are provided, as well as several suitable recommendations for avoiding them.
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The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused a number of unprecedented actions at the political level. In order to argue the need for the extraordinary measures that restricted social life, the heads of state addressed the population through... more
The global Covid-19 pandemic has caused a number of unprecedented actions at the political level. In order to argue the need for the extraordinary measures that restricted social life, the heads of state addressed the population through explanatory, justifying, but also mobilizing speeches. This paper analyses the speeches given to the nation in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic, by the heads of state of three countries in the European Union: France, Germany and Romania. The main objective of the study was to identify the ethical reference systems to which the speakers appealed, and the method used was thematic discourse analysis. The study shows that the three heads of state used in their messages to the population, in a distinct way, ethical systems and frames of reference such as history, homeland, nation, European Union, humanity, democracy. The paper discusses in detail the ways in which these reference systems appear in the speeches, what aspects emphasized and eluded the speakers, as well as the similarities and differences revealed by the thematic analysis between the three discourses.
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The emergence of the opportunities opened by the internet raises also questions of interest for research regarding the extent to which these have an impact on the formations of non-heterosexual life and on the experience of marginalised... more
The emergence of the opportunities opened by the internet raises also questions of interest for research regarding the extent to which these have an impact on the formations of non-heterosexual life and on the experience of marginalised sexual identities. There have been different approaches in this regard and answers vary from optimistic and utopian appraisals concerning cyberspace in the early 90s to the more moderate and sceptic visions in the 2000s. Starting from this framework of debates, the present paper aims to explore the meaning of the term “cyberqueer”, including the theoretical context of its occurrence, to briefly highlight some critical considerations relating to cyberqueer research and to look over the main recurrent themes linked up with this concept, such as queer and cyberqueer identity, body and (dis)embodied practices and the forthcoming process of blurring the dividing boundaries between real/virtual, online/offline and public/private.
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In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and non-verbal signs,... more
In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and non-verbal signs, maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors, in activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work. Starting with the delineation of the place of listening in the verbal communication and the outlining of the characteristics of the active listening, this paper deals further with the ways in which the importance and the roles of listening and active listening are highlighted in the theoretical and methodological models of intervention developed in social work.
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In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and nonverbal signs,... more
In communication between people, listening plays an important role. Active listening, which implies giving the full attention to the speaker and showing interest to the communication by using a variety of verbal and nonverbal signs, maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors, in activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work. Starting with the delineation of the place of listening in the verbal communication and the outlining of the characteristics of the active listening, this paper deals further with the ways in which the importance and the
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Both social and environmental issues have been topics of interest and frequently addressed in the 2019 campaign for the European Parliament (EP). This paper presents the results of an analysis on the social and environmental dimensions as... more
Both social and environmental issues have been topics of interest and frequently addressed in the 2019 campaign for the European Parliament (EP). This paper presents the results of an analysis on the social and environmental dimensions as topics referred in the various materials used by candidate politicians in the 28 member states of European Union (EU) in the 2019 EP campaign. More precisely, in the present paper there is discussed the extent to which social and environmental issues and their various sub-themes, such as old people, children, women, gender and social inequality, civil rights, climate change and environmental sustainability, were present and addressed in the European campaign, as well as the extent to which all these themes were approached similarly or differently in the various European areas, namely Southern, Eastern, Continental and North-Western Europe.
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Since her appointment in January 2018, the first female prime minister of Romania has been constantly in the focus of the news. Either it was about ordinary political events and statements, current activity and meetings with counterparts... more
Since her appointment in January 2018, the first female prime minister of Romania has been constantly in the focus of the news. Either it was about ordinary political events and statements, current activity and meetings with counterparts from other countries, or it was about extraordinary actions and assertions that have attracted the attention and sometimes criticism and sarcasm of the media, the first woman in a political executive leading position in the history of Romania has always been in the spotlight of the media. Moreover, topics usually or mostly related to women, such as how does she looks or dresses, how is her hairdo or her makeup, have been on the media agenda regarding the female premier. The present paper analyses the national and local media coverage of the Romanian female prime minister since her nomination in January 2018 and continuing with the first months of her term. The article pays particular attention to the extent to which the first female premier of Roman...
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Since her appointment in January 2018, the first female prime minister of Romania has been constantly in the focus of the news. Either it was about ordinary political events and statements, current activity and meetings with counterparts... more
Since her appointment in January 2018, the first female prime minister of Romania has been constantly in the focus of the news. Either it was about ordinary political events and statements, current activity and meetings with counterparts from other countries, or it was about extraordinary actions and assertions that have attracted the attention and sometimes criticism and sarcasm of the media, the first woman in a political executive leading position in the history of Romania has always been in the spotlight of the media. Moreover, topics usually or mostly related to women, such as how does she looks or dresses, how is her hairdo or her makeup, have been on the media agenda regarding the female premier. The present paper analyses the national and local media coverage of the Romanian female prime minister since her nomination in January 2018 and continuing with the first months of her term. The article pays particular attention to the extent to which the first female premier of Roman...
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This paper presents an exploratory qualitative analysis on health-related internet use by older adults aged over 65 years, a case study consisting of ten in-depth interviews of seniors in Germany. The research focuses on the influence of... more
This paper presents an exploratory qualitative analysis on health-related internet use by older adults aged over 65 years, a case study consisting of ten in-depth interviews of seniors in Germany. The research focuses on the influence of using the internet for health-related information on the communication between seniors and doctors and on the physician-patient relationship. According to the findings of the research, while in the quantity of communication between older persons and the doctors no significant influence could be assessed, in the quality and the content of the face-to-face/ real communication some changes, as consequences of online informing, could be delimited. Mostly these changes are determined by the fact that seniors are pre-informed before medical visits and thus have additional topics to discuss with doctors. Moreover, the pattern of the physician-patient relationship is affected by the internet consumption. In a medical system, as the German one is, in which t...
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Today, people are increasingly informed about health-related issues and are taking on a participatory role in healthcare. The active search for information, facilitated in particular by the internet, through which individuals try to... more
Today, people are increasingly informed about health-related issues and are taking on a participatory role in healthcare. The active search for information, facilitated in particular by the internet, through which individuals try to support their decisions about their own health, as well as the involvement in medical interaction from a decision-making position, have become common practice. In this trend towards informative, interpretive and deliberative models that currently mark the healthcare and the relationship between physician and patient, the older people constitute a particular age group, given that, on the one hand, they have their own pace of adaptation to the new ways of communication and information, and on the other hand, they grew up and lived a large part of their life in a culture where the doctor made all the critical decisions. This paper addresses the issue of the use of the internet for health-related problems by the seniors. The results of a case study of the ol...
Research Interests: The Internet and German
In the last years a shift in the practice of medical communication has occurred and it leads to a displacement from a paternalistic model of patient-provider information toward a model implying an embeddedness of the medical and human... more
In the last years a shift in the practice of medical communication has occurred and it leads to a displacement from a paternalistic model of patient-provider information toward a model implying an embeddedness of the medical and human values in the medical interaction and in the decision-taking process of the informed patient. Researches show that older adults respond differently to online communication than younger adults. In this context, seniors face new challenges as regards health-related information and medical communication. The present study deals comparatively with the health-related internet use by the seniors in two European countries: Romania and Germany. Using a qualitative methodology, which involved the in-depth semi-structured interviewing of twenty persons aged 65 years or over who used the internet including for health-related search, we tried to find out which are the similarities and differences between the two samples as concerns health-related online informing ...
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The present paper deals on a general level with the relationship between transsexuality and power, approaching the extent to which gender reassignment and the transition from one gender to another influence the position of power of the... more
The present paper deals on a general level with the relationship between transsexuality and power, approaching the extent to which gender reassignment and the transition from one gender to another influence the position of power of the people involved. Specifically, the research presented here aimed to analyse the interconnection between gender, work, leadership and power position in the case of transgender people who have gone through a process of gender transition. Using a qualitative methodology, which involved a sociological case study within there were conducted three semi-structured in-depth interviews and a two-week participant observation, there was on one hand ensued to identify to what extent there is a proportionality between the reassignment of gender and the position of power, and on the other hand how transsexuality and gender reassignment/ transition impact the professional career path and the leadership position of the concerned persons. The results of the empirical ...
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The term ‘racism’ is omnipresent in the current everyday discourse. It was conceptualized in different sciences but continues to raise debates and controversies. This paper is a contribution to the conceptual delineation regarding the... more
The term ‘racism’ is omnipresent in the current everyday discourse. It was conceptualized in different sciences but continues to raise debates and controversies. This paper is a contribution to the conceptual delineation regarding the racism and other phenomena associated with it, such as ethnocentrism and xenophobia, focusing especially on the term of ‘cultural racism’. After outlining a framework for defining this term and depicting the main features of racialist thinking processes, such as essentialization, reductionism and absolutization, the paper gives particular attention to the discussions regarding the question if cultural racism is a new form of the ‘classical’, biological racism, or represents a different phenomenon, and this would be the reason why, in the scientific discourse, there should be used another, more adequate term, which should replace the problematic word ‘racism’. The main arguments of the theoretical perspectives which sustain each answer are pres...
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This paper addresses the stigmatization process, outlining the meaning of the social stigma and the different types of stigmata, focusing further on the ways in which stigmatized people cope with stigma and on the main intervention... more
This paper addresses the stigmatization process, outlining the meaning of the social stigma and the different types of stigmata, focusing further on the ways in which stigmatized people cope with stigma and on the main intervention strategies that can be used for destigmatization. A social stigma is an undesirable characteristic or an unfavourable element, along with any generalization or attribution of further characteristics that can lower or humiliate the individual. Not the characteristic itself, but a negative meaning in the social and cultural context, make the person concerned a stigma bearer. Stigmatization describes how actual or potential negative characteristics are ascribed to a person, and thus this person is assigned to a certain socially disregarded group. At the same time, stigmatization involves associating the person concerned with the prejudices and stereotypes connected to the assigned devaluating characteristic and the experience of varied forms of discriminatio...
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The topic of nutrition is of great interest in German media, but the patterns of media coverage vary as regards content, approach, or form. This paper presents the findings of a research which aimed to identify, at a general level, the... more
The topic of nutrition is of great interest in German media, but the patterns of media coverage vary as regards content, approach, or form. This paper presents the findings of a research which aimed to identify, at a general level, the major debate topics and the related issues on the subject of nutrition and food, as well as the main characteristics of the corresponding media coverage. At a specific level, different research questions focused both on the content and the form of the media messages. In this regard, a thematic content analysis of the German online media over a three-year period was conducted. According to the research results, the most common debate topics concerning nutrition were those related to health, diets, and the risks associated with nutrition and food, especially those pointing health, medical conditions and environment. Such topics were addressed by the German media over the considered time frame mostly in detailed articles, containing analyzes, reviews and...
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The importance of nutrition as a research topic is linked not only to healthy eating and different types of medical conditions, such as obesity, allergies, malnutrition, but also to the relationship between nutrition and physical... more
The importance of nutrition as a research topic is linked not only to healthy eating and different types of medical conditions, such as obesity, allergies, malnutrition, but also to the relationship between nutrition and physical activity, to state’s and large food companies’ commercial activities, as well as to the sustainability of food production. On that basis, numerous studies have analyzed media content related to food and nutrition, their basic assumption being that (new and old) media have the ability to change the audience’s perceptions, behaviors and attitudes towards various values which are accepted in contemporary societies. This paper presents the results of a comparative study of the way in which Romanian and German media cover the topic of nutrition. The research method used was the content analysis, applied to a sample of articles published on online media from the two countries between 2014 and 2016. Having as research objective the identification of the most relev...
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In recent years, European countries are facing new waves of immigrants and refugees, who follow the classic immigration routes from east to west and from south to north. This social and demographic phenomenon, whose current dynamics could... more
In recent years, European countries are facing new waves of immigrants and refugees, who follow the classic immigration routes from east to west and from south to north. This social and demographic phenomenon, whose current dynamics could not be predicted, leads to multiple and various problems at the political and social level, as well as to challenges at both cultural and structural, macro-social level. The diverse contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies can generate dissensions and even social conflicts. That is why various discussions, both theoretically and practically, have emerged, dealing with possible solutions to such problems. Furthermore, the debates are not limited only to the field of culture and social interactions, but they also focus on the initiation of some actions at the social level of policies and concrete measures to facilitate the integration of migrants. The present paper is a sociological contribution to thes...
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Since January 2018, the government of Romania is headed by a woman, the first female prime minister in the history of the country. Beyond other controversial issues relating to the political situation in Romania, especially those in... more
Since January 2018, the government of Romania is headed by a woman, the first female prime minister in the history of the country. Beyond other controversial issues relating to the political situation in Romania, especially those in connection with the frequent changes of prime ministers in recent years, media covered the appointment of Vasilica Viorica Dăncilă as premier with special scrutiny, paying attention to details that were not regarded as such in the case of the prior appointed male prime ministers. Thus, discussions could be encountered in the press, on themes mostly related to women, like how does this person dresses, how is her hairdo, or what man she owes her success. This paper deals with the analyze of the media coverage of the topics related to the first woman in a political executive leading position in Romania, such as her nomination and her political activity and public appearance in the first months in office. Based on the results of a content analysis of the Rom...
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This paper intends to approach the recent historical process of re-construction of national identity inside the theoretical and explanatory perspective of social sciences – sociology and communication sciences. More precisely, I place my... more
This paper intends to approach the recent historical process of re-construction of national identity inside the theoretical and explanatory perspective of social sciences – sociology and communication sciences. More precisely, I place my approach within the new scientific paradigm that opened the constructivist trend in human and social sciences. The study is an exploratory and theoretical one, representing the first phase of research on the identification of some characteristics of a possible future of national identity. My research project deals with the issue of national identity versus European identity in the process of the so-called »Europeanization« dealing with theoretical and empirical perspectives of communication. Therefore, I am first interested in this/these identities’ construction on a discursive level inside of media communication. Theoretical and empirical approaches from the viewpoints of sociology, anthropology, and political theory attempt to find answers to ques...
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SINCE the beginning of the '90s, the Internet has revolutionized the com-munication world in unprecedented ways. No other medium managed to achieve this, and the Internet along with other technologies has opened chan-nels of... more
SINCE the beginning of the '90s, the Internet has revolutionized the com-munication world in unprecedented ways. No other medium managed to achieve this, and the Internet along with other technologies has opened chan-nels of communication different from all the classic ...
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The present paper deals with the role of empathy and active listening in social work, focusing mainly on the humanistic theoretical models, according to which active listening is a form of operationalization of empathy. Empathy is the... more
The present paper deals with the role of empathy and active listening in social work, focusing mainly on the humanistic theoretical models, according to which active listening is a form of operationalization of empathy. Empathy is the human specific ability to psychologically transpose the self into the psychology of the other, through a phenomenon of resonance and emotional communication. Listening plays an important role in this process and generally in communication between people. Especially the active listening maintains the communication relations and contributes to mitigating conflicts in different social contexts. Moreover, empathy makes us more understanding, because placing ourselves in the position of the interlocutor limits our tendency to judge their behaviour without nuance. Active listening means that the receiver of communication actively assumes this role, by expressly following the understanding of the transmitted message, manifestly showing their mindfulness, and immediately and explicitly offering the according feedback. In activities where communication and comprehension are essential, as is the case with social work, active listening is the most desirable form of response in the interaction between interlocutors. Besides outlining these aspects regarding empathy and active listening, especially from a humanistic perspective, in the paper the features and the main techniques of active listening used in social work are also delineated, explained and exemplified.
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The study of change is a major concern at present in all fields of science. Traditionally, in philosophy and socio-human sciences, the concept of change was approached as opposed to that of stability, with intense debates about the... more
The study of change is a major concern at present in all fields of science. Traditionally, in philosophy and socio-human sciences, the concept of change was approached as opposed to that of stability, with intense debates about the desirability and importance of order and stability vs. the unpredictability of change. While in classical approaches to organizational change the conceptions that favoured order, stability, and routine prevailed, modern approaches recognize the decisive role of accepting change for the development and progress of organizations. In the field of organization development and organizational becoming nowadays strategies are sought and devised in order to align the organizations not only with their rapid inner changing, but also with the external multiple, complex, and dynamic environments. Starting from an outline of the factors of change and of the term of change as it has been conceptualized in sociology, the present paper aims to delineate a general framework for addressing organizational change. In this regard, after discussing the relationship between organizational change and the social and economic environment and delineating the main areas and agents of change in an organization, the various types of change in the organization and the models of their approach are addressed. Furthermore, since the resistance to change is a common and omnipresent human and social phenomenon, including at the level of groups and organizations, the paper approaches also the causes and manifestations of change resistance, as well as the possible measures for combating this phenomenon, in situations where the change is beneficial and necessary.
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Due to the dynamism and heterogeneity specific to most societies nowadays, cultural diversity is a constant of social life. Therefore, different cultural identities, cultural contacts and exchanges, interculturality, but also subcultures... more
Due to the dynamism and heterogeneity specific to most societies nowadays, cultural diversity is a constant of social life. Therefore, different cultural identities, cultural contacts and exchanges, interculturality, but also subcultures and countercultures are, in today’s globalized world, features of contemporary societies, characterized by multiculturalism and social mobility. Especially as a result of the new waves of migration and fleeing in recent years, new discussions in the academic field have emerged related to the new contexts of cultural diversity, multiculturalism, cultural integration, social inclusion. The cultural impact and the various contrasts between the native culture of immigrants and the culture of the host societies generated debates and polemics both in political and scientific sphere. This paper deals with the current sociological approaches as regards interculturality and the major cultural processes and phenomena that emerge in a multicultural society. In this respect, a general framework for addressing these issues is delineated, and notions such as human and cultural diversity, multiculturalism, interculturality, acculturation, interculturation, but also concepts of subculture and counterculture are discussed. The current views and approaches in sociology are highlighted and the complexity and the difficulties that epitomise and accompany some cultural processes are pointed out.
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Sociologist Erving Goffman introduced in 1963 the term ‘stigma’ in social sciences in his classic monograph “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” and examined the process of stigmatization in everyday social interaction.... more
Sociologist Erving Goffman introduced in 1963 the term ‘stigma’ in social sciences in his classic monograph “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” and examined the process of stigmatization in everyday social interaction. Stigmatization can take many forms, and the types of stigmata are numerous. The stigmatization process is very complex and has profound consequences on those affected by it. In this paper, the concept of social stigma is addressed, the process of stigmatization is approached and the most frequent forms of stigmata and stigmatization, as well as their effects, both psychological and social, are outlined.
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The unbalanced gender-specific division of labour emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue... more
The unbalanced gender-specific division of labour emerged as early as the end of the nineteenth century, when women work was exploited and underpaid in the wage market. The gendered professional inequalities between women and men continue to persist even today. The present paper aims to provide an outline of the main concepts used for analysing gendered inequalities in professional careers and to delineate the most significant explanations regarding this phenomenon. Besides gender stereotypes and gender roles, other terms which conceptualize the gender-based inequalities and discrimination in professional careers are addressed, such as gender pay gap, horizontal segregation, evaluative discrimination, vertical segregation, glass ceiling, sticky floor, and gender status beliefs. Furthermore, there are discussed both theoretical economic approaches, which emphasize the role of human capital and explain discrimination of women in the labour market by the expectations on their lower productivity, and theoretical sociological approaches, which highlight other aspects, such as differences in power, social and cultural norms and values, and take into consideration the importance of social capital, social interactions and networks, and social closure in professional career and ascension. In the last part of the paper the key aspects of the debate are emphasized and some remarks about the necessity of larger, more integrative and practice-oriented researches in this regard are made.
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Femicides are topics frequently covered by the media, and journalists use different frames when reporting on such lethal acts of violence against women. This chapter addresses the media coverage and framing in German online press articles... more
Femicides are topics frequently covered by the media, and journalists use different frames when reporting on such lethal acts of violence against women. This chapter addresses the media coverage and framing in German online press articles of two femicides with victims of Romanian ethnicity. The research presented used as methodology thematic content analysis, along with media framing analysis. In the chapter, the results of this study are discussed, that is, the characteristics of media coverage and content related to the killings of the two Romanian women in the German press are analysed, the main frames used by the media in their reporting on the femicides are pointed out, and the extent to which journalists use in their narratives techniques of blaming the victims is examined. Moreover, the chapter investigates whether the media report the crimes against women as singular facts or address them in the broader context of social problems, and contribute, in this way, to the increase...
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Studied as an economic, socio-cultural phenomenon within disciplinary boundaries but questioning “traditional disciplinary divisions,” food has been configuring a new field of research since the end of the last century, Food Studies,... more
Studied as an economic, socio-cultural phenomenon within disciplinary boundaries but questioning “traditional disciplinary divisions,” food has been configuring a new field of research since the end of the last century, Food Studies, linked to Media Studies. Anthropology, sociology, history, psychology and other branches of human and social sciences are mobilized to work together to understand cultures and culinary practices and to question critically societal implications of food production and consumption. Beyond the classical approaches in sociology, for which food has a functional role (ensuring survival) or socio-symbolic (“Tell me what you eat, I will tell you who you are”), we emphasize the recent shift in Food Studies. In many respects, this displacement is nourished by a more clearly anthropological perspective: the food phenomenon as a situation in which identities, individual and collective, are defined, (re)constructed and negotiated simultaneously.
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This chapter discusses the results of a research on media coverage of nutrition in Germany, an issue of great media interest in this country. The research objectives are to identify the most typical frames used in the coverage of the... more
This chapter discusses the results of a research on media coverage of nutrition in Germany, an issue of great media interest in this country. The research objectives are to identify the most typical frames used in the coverage of the theme of nutrition, to point out the major debate topics and the related issues on this subject, and to outline the characteristics of the media coverage. The methodology used is the content analysis, applied to the German online media over a three-year period. The most frequent topics and frames in the German media coverage of nutrition are health and diets, including the risks associated with nutrition and food, and these subjects are addressed mostly in detailed analysis articles, usually providing information from reliable sources.
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The present paper approaches the problematic of contemporary racism, which is further on a theme of major interest in human and social sciences. The focus is put on the present conceptualizations of racism in sociology and on theoretical... more
The present paper approaches the problematic of contemporary racism, which is further on a theme of major interest in human and social sciences. The focus is put on the present conceptualizations of racism in sociology and on theoretical approaches in this respect. Different meanings of ‘racism’ are delimited, from the narrow to extensive definitions, and the concepts of ‘cultural/ differential racism’ and ‘institutional racism’ are examined in-depth. The research questions deal with the relationship between the concepts of ‘race’ and ‘racism’, with the role of the processes of essentialization, reductionsm and absolutization in the racist thinking, as well as with the dilemma regarding the essence of the cultural racism: is it a different phenomenon, or another manifestation of the same ‘biological/ classical racism’? Furthermore, aspects about a change of the racism paradigm, which emerged along with the new conceptualization of the contemporary racism, namely ‘institutional racis...
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The present paper approaches the problematic of contemporary racism, which is further on a theme of major interest in human and social sciences. The focus is put on the present conceptualizations of racism in sociology and on theoretical... more
The present paper approaches the problematic of contemporary racism, which is further on a theme of major interest in human and social sciences. The focus is put on the present conceptualizations of racism in sociology and on theoretical approaches in this respect. Different meanings of ‘racism’ are delimited, from the narrow to extensive definitions, and the concepts of ‘cultural/ differential racism’ and ‘institutional racism’ are examined in-depth. The research questions deal with the relationship between the concepts of ‘race’ and ‘racism’, with the role of the processes of essentialization, reductionsm and absolutization in the racist thinking, as well as with the dilemma regarding the essence of the cultural racism: is it a different phenomenon, or another manifestation of the same ‘biological/ classical racism’? Furthermore, aspects about a change of the racism paradigm, which emerged along with the new conceptualization of the contemporary racism, namely ‘institutional racis...
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The emergence of the opportunities opened by the internet raises also questions of interest for research regarding the extent to which these have an impact on the formations of non-heterosexual life and on the experience of marginalised... more
The emergence of the opportunities opened by the internet raises also questions of interest for research regarding the extent to which these have an impact on the formations of non-heterosexual life and on the experience of marginalised sexual identities. There have been different approaches in this regard and answers vary from optimistic and utopian appraisals concerning cyberspace in the early 90s to the more moderate and sceptic visions in the 2000s. Starting from this framework of debates, the present paper aims to explore the meaning of the term “cyberqueer”, including the theoretical context of its occurrence, to briefly highlight some critical considerations relating to cyberqueer research and to look over the main recurrent themes linked up with this concept, such as queer and cyberqueer identity, body and (dis)embodied practices and the forthcoming process of blurring the dividing boundaries between real/virtual, online/offline and public/private.
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The concept of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and the notion of ‘multiple masculinities’ have become since their launch by R. W. Connell (1987; 1995) central constructs in gender studies and sociology of gender, generating numerous theoretical... more
The concept of ‘hegemonic masculinity’ and the notion of ‘multiple masculinities’ have become since their launch by R. W. Connell (1987; 1995) central constructs in gender studies and sociology of gender, generating numerous theoretical discussions, considerations and reconsiderations, as well as empirical applications. Some scholars, as M. Schippers (2007), building upon the insights of Connell and other authors, challenge the prevailing focus on masculinity and shift attention also to femininity, conceptualizing as well ‘hegemonic femininity’ and ‘multiple femininities’. This paper presents the theoretical background of these concepts, approaching for starters P. Bourdieu’s conceptualizations of gendered habitus and masculine domination, then outlining the main aspects regarding hegemonic masculinity, hegemonic femininity and the multiple configurations within each of them, and highlighting the contributions of Connell and Schippers and their different argumentations. Furthermore there is addressed the link between masculinity and power, along with the actual changes with regard to masculinity and femininity, including the novelties of their hegemonic forms.
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The chapter provides an analytical framework for the concept of discrimination, that is, the different, unfair treatment of some people based on their actual or perceived membership in certain groups or social categories. Discrimination... more
The chapter provides an analytical framework for the concept of discrimination, that is, the different, unfair treatment of some people based on their actual or perceived membership in certain groups or social categories. Discrimination is referred to in the broader context of stigmatization, as the action-related component of the stigma process. After discussing several definitions of discrimination and outlining its main features, the different forms of discrimination are addressed and exemplified, such as direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, victimization. Also, the most relevant aspects regarding victims of discrimination are discussed, a special focus is given to the negative impact of discrimination on victims in terms of social and economic status, well-being, and health. Besides the threatening effects on individuals and groups, the consequences of discrimination on communities and society as a whole are also outlined. The final part of the chapter deals with the ...
The concept of ‘stigma’ was introduced into the social sciences by sociologist Erving Goffman in his classic monograph “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” (1963). Goffman identified various forms of stigmata, both... more
The concept of ‘stigma’ was introduced into the social sciences by sociologist Erving Goffman in his classic monograph “Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity” (1963). Goffman identified various forms of stigmata, both visible and invisible (“hidden”), examined the process of stigmatization in everyday social interactions, and analyzed the consequences of stigmatization on the identity of individuals. Stigmatization describes the process through which actual or potential negative characteristics are ascribed to a person and thus this person is assigned to certain social groups. At the same time, stigmatization involves the association to the person concerned of the prejudices and stereotypes connected to the assigned devaluating characteristic, as well as an underlying, context-dependent process of differentiation, control and discrimination. Stigmatized individuals and groups experience multiple forms of discrimination and are going through different crises. This paper...
Food and nutrition have been topics constantly addressed, in various forms, in the media, in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Lately, within the media coverage of this vast issue, new ways of approaching and new associations have... more
Food and nutrition have been topics constantly addressed, in various forms, in the media, in both fiction and non-fiction genres. Lately, within the media coverage of this vast issue, new ways of approaching and new associations have emerged, topics like health food, sustainable nutrition, diverse dietary trends, risks associated with nutrition or, generally, with some lifestyles, the treatment and attitude towards animals grown for consumption, harming the environment, etc., being currently themes addressed in the media as frequently as recipes, dietary recommendations, plants cultivation and animal husbandry, or traditional dishes and culinary habits. This paper presents the results of a comparative study on the coverage of nutrition topics in Germany and Romania. The research, based on a content analysis of online thematic press articles from the two countries, covers a three-year period (2014-2016). The main research objectives pursued in the study were to identify the most relevant aspects regarding both the content and the form of the coverage of the topic of nutrition, and to make comparisons in these respects. The paper discusses in particular the similarities and differences between the two countries regarding the media construction of nutrition as a general problem.