Sociologie Românească (Romanian Sociology Review)
Not a member yet
1667 research outputs found
Sort by
Social Work International Conference (SWIC) 2025 “Social work in a shifting world: responding to transforming realities and their ripple effects”, The 9th Edition, Bucharest, October 29th-31st, 2025
Full text linkThe 9th edition of the Social Work International Conference (SWIC) took place in Bucharest between the 29th and 31st of October 2025. Organized by the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, in partnership with the Association of Schools of Social Work in Romania (ASSWR), the conference addressed the theme “Social work in a shifting world: responding to transforming realities and their ripple effects”. The event brought together academics, practitioners, and students from Romania and abroad to discuss social work responses to contemporary global and local challenges, such as digitalization, inequalities, professional resilience and social transformations
SECULARIZAREA ȘI CAMUFLĂRILE SACRULUI. Editura Polirom, Iași, 2025. Nicu Gavriluță
Full text linkThe new book Secularizarea și camuflările sacrului [Secularization and the Camouflages of the Sacred] of Nicu Gavriluță is a very valuable contribution to the study of secularization in Romania, from an author that described so far vey well how the sacred work in post-modern societies. The merit of this volume is that, by describing two faces of the same social aspect, secularization and the manifestation of the sacred, the author succeded to show the interactions between them that cannot be seen without a deep knowledge of their mechanisms
SOCIOLOGIA ELITELOR. ABORDĂRI CLASICE ȘI CONTEMPORANE. INSTITUTUL EUROPEAN, IAȘI, 2023. CIPRIAN IFTIMOAEI
Full text linkThe volume Sociologia elitelor. Abordări clasice și contemporane (The Sociology of Elites. Classical and Contemporary Approaches) fits into a relatively recent series of studies within the Romanian social sciences dedicated to examining elites in the context of transition, democratic consolidation, and good governance. The author brings together both classical and contemporary approaches to the study of elites, organizing them into four major schools of sociopolitical thought: the classical sociology of elites, the radical (critical) sociology of elites, elite pluralism, and democratic elitism. Ciprian Iftimoaei’s work makes an important contribution not only by systematizing elitist theories but also by integrating them into a coherent sociological framework applied to the Romanian post-communist context. The author succeeds in creating a dialogue between Western paradigms of elite studies and the Romanian sociological tradition, building a bridge between theoretical reflection and empirical analysis of contemporary political elites. Moreover, his approach is distinguished by the ability to operationalize key concepts such as power, domination, circulation, and elite consensus, thus providing a sociological model that can also be applied to other areas of political analysis. Conceptual rigor, balance between description and interpretation, and the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods make this volume a methodological benchmark for elite research in Romania
SOCIAL COHESION IN EUROPEAN SOCIETIES. CONCEPTUALISING AND ASSESSING TOGETHERNESS. Routledge, London and New York, 2023. Aruqaj Bujar
Full text linkStarting from the premise that the current problems facing Europe threaten social cohesion, the author seeks to answer a question that has preoccupied many classical thinkers and repeatedly resurfaces during periods of profound transformations: what holds society together? In the context of growing social inequalities, migration, demographic shifts, and axiological changes – amplified by recent events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine – Aruqaj Bujar provides a clear picture of social cohesion within and between European societies
YOUTH AND THE DIGITAL ERA. HOW DOES GENDER IDENTITY INFLUENCE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT PRODUCTION? ProUniversitaria Publishing House, Bucharest, 2024. Corina Seserman
Full text linkThis book is a breakthrough in studying the social media usage by teenagers and gender studies altogether. The author manages to pinpoint how gender identity influences social media behaviour of teenagers, which, in turn, is used to affirm and act one’s gender in front of the peers. The author begins by contextualizing gender identity studies within the current theoretical frameworks, including third gender theory, gender ambiguity, and feminist approaches. She then details her mixed-methods research design, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative techniques to capture the complex ways in which teenagers produce and consume social media content through a gendered lens. The book concludes by emphasizing the social implications of gendered digital practices, and the critical need for continued research. Seserman’s work offers a compelling look at how digital spaces act as arenas for both self-expression and social validation among youth shaped fundamentally by gender identity
In memoriam dr. Szabó Béla, conferențiar universitar (1977–2025)
Full text linkSzabó Béla (1977-2025) tragically passed away at 48, leaving behind a family in grief, colleagues, and an academic community in mourning. His journey was characterized by a strong dedication to social work, social policy, and the social economy. He significantly contributed as a member and researcher within the SOWOSEC – Social Work and Social Economy Program – a cooperation of European social work universities. Much of his effort focused on establishing distance learning programs, modernizing social work education, and improving access to high-quality training for students throughout Romania and Europe. His lectures at the Faculty of Sociology and Social Work at Babeș-Bolyai University inspired generations of students to think critically, act with compassion, and pursue social justice
Reveniri la Goicea (Mare): satul românesc între monografierea de tip gustian și abordarea proceselor locale de schimbare
Full text linkThe Romanian village has long been an object of scientific interest, with strong foundations laid by the monographic school led by Dimitrie Gusti. Today, this legacy remains relevant, though the rural context has changed profoundly. Villages once documented by Gusti’s teams offer valuable ground for tracing a historical trajectory that spans a century and several sociopolitical eras. This paper revisits key efforts to combine synchronic and diachronic perspectives in rural research, from the innovative methodologies of monographers such as H. H. Stahl and A. Golopenția to more recent studies focused on understanding both the lived realities of the Romanian village and its structural transformations. Reassessing and adapting the monographic model may also inform more effective and sustainable rural development policies. Drastically impacted by collectivization and forced systematization during communism, and entering a new crisis after 1990, the Romanian village faces acute challenges: mass emigration, aging populations, declining birth rates, deteriorating infrastructure, and weakened social cohesion. In this context, village research can no longer rely on descriptive or nostalgic approaches. Methodological renewal is essential. The present essay proposes a reflection on how a new monographic investigation – in the spirit of the early 20th-century inquiries – might be reimagined today. Using the case of Goicea Mare, first studied in 1925, we explore what aspects remain relevant and how a return to this site might shed light on the evolving dynamics of rural life in contemporary Romania
Heroes Too, Need to Connect. A Hero/Heroin’s Journey to Community Belonging and Cohesion
Full text linkThe research discusses partial findings from the “Hero’s Journey” intervention program conducted in Jerusalem from October 2023 to June 2024 across three senior citizen clubs, with 39 women and one man participating. Based on Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” model with contemporary adaptations, the 12-session program exposed participants to myths from around the world and their cultures. Participants shared personal stories and created artwork related to the meeting themes. The intervention sought to bring together personal stories and community narratives, using myths and legends to create positive change for individuals and communities. Out of the three parameters the study aimed to influence, the article focuses on two: a sense of belonging and social cohesion. Utilizing quantitative and qualitative data, the article addresses only the quantitative findings, which show a significant change in participants’ sense of belonging and group cohesion
Social clustering of health behaviors in rural Romania: a personal network analysis
Full text linkBackground. Romanian sociology has lacked systematic personal network analysis (PNA) methods for rural research. Social clustering patterns in health behaviors indicate whether interventions should target individuals or social groups, yet detecting these patterns requires network-level data. We develop and test a PNA design for Romanian rural contexts, using health behaviors to demonstrate the method’s capacity to detect social clustering. Methods. We conducted tablet-assisted interviews with 83 adult residents in Lerești (Argeș County). Respondents listed social contacts and provided demographic and behavioral data for themselves and their contacts. We tested the protocol across three health topics: vaccination and media use (61 ego networks), smoking (76 egos), and processed food high in salt intake (83 ego networks). Mixed-effects models analyzed clustering patterns with alters nested within egos. Results. We detected social clustering in all three topics of interest. Vaccination showed assortative patterns (OR = 3.75, 95% CI 1.79-7.85) and media effects: online-only health information use associated with lower alter vaccination (OR = 0.37, 95% CI 0.15-0.92). Smoking clustered in family-dense networks with demographic variations. Food intake displayed local assortativity beyond composition effects (OR = 1.17, p = 0.01). Network context explained 11-67% of behavioral variance across health topics. Conclusions. PNA can be systematically applied in Romanian rural communities to detect social mechanisms across behavioral domains. Our design generates reproducible data suitable for mixed-effects analysis and reveals network effects that individual-level analysis would miss. This method contributes to Romanian rural sociology’s empirical tradition and provides tools for network-informed public health interventions
Cum reface linia de autobuz Pitești-Moșoaia stilurile de viață rurale: predictibilitate, constrângeri și oportunități în comuna Moșoaia, județul Argeș
Full text linkThe introduction of the Pitești-Moșoaia bus line in 2024 has triggered significant social transformations in this peri-urban Romanian community. This article examines the impact of public transportation infrastructure on everyday mobility, access to services, family dynamics, gender roles, and overall quality of life. Drawing on a mixed-method approach – including a structured survey, participant observation, and informal interviews – the research adopts a holistic, community-centred perspective inspired by Dimitrie Gusti’s sociological school and its monographic tradition of studying rural life in context. The findings indicate that the bus service has reconfigured temporal routines, reduced dependency on private vehicles, and enabled increased social and economic participation. It fosters greater intergenerational connectivity and helps reduce social isolation, particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, young people, and job seekers. While highlighting the positive effects, the study also examines structural constraints, including limited schedule frequency, infrastructure gaps, and discrepancies between rural rhythms and urban transport logics. Beyond its immediate context, the case of Moșoaia offers insights into the potential of public transport to serve as a vector for rural development, social cohesion, and environmental sustainability. The research situates mobility not merely as movement, but as a socially embedded resource that reshapes opportunities, identities, and local futures in post-communist rural Romania