Method and approach

Method and data analysis techniques
The project will have as principal methodological approach secondary quantitative data analysis. The research design has several major components:

• Longitudinal approach, through analyzing the evolution of life satisfaction variation between years 1990-2011.
• Multilevel approach, through implementation in analysis of hierarchical models that acknowledge the differences between European countries (i.e. socialist/capitalist, different types of communism, different levels of development etc.).
• Comparative approach, through comparison between Romania and other ex-communist countries, or between ex-communist countries and capitalist societies.

Data sources
The main data regarding life satisfaction variance in Romania comes from a national project conducted by the Research Institute for the Quality of Life (ICCV) named “Diagnosis of quality of life”. Data was gathered during 1990 and 2010, between 1996 and 1998 being used a panel design.

Another important source of data is the Barometer of Public Opinion carried out bi-yearly or more often (in some years) by Soros Foundation from 1994 to 2007. There are other projects that cover specific aspects of quality of life like “Life in urban Romania” (SOROS).

For the comparative quantitative component of the project the data comes from international projects like European Quality of Life Survey, European/World Values Study, European Social Survey, Central and Eastern Eurobarometer, and Eurobarometer.

For the sections of the project that are based on multilevel analysis (hierarchical analysis) I will design a database with economical, social and political indicators at country level for all the countries included in analysis. These indicators come from multiple sources that are already known (i.e. Eurostat, World Bank, ILO etc.) or that will be identified during the literature review stage of the project.