Eastern-European associations facing contemporary challenges. A dynamic inspection of convergence and similarities, with a focus on Romania

Description

The general objective of the project is to inspect the participation in associations in CEE as compared to other European countries, with a particular application to Romania. The research questions structure the specific objectives for the project:

SO1. To inspect the differential trajectories of participation by type of association in Europe, with a focus on CEE. A longitudinal and comparative approach is envisaged.
SO2. To inspect the changes in profiles of participants in associations in Romania, since 1990 to 2017, by type of association.
SO3. To inspect the activities, structures, and participant profiles in 3 types of associations in Romania.
SO4. To inspect the role of <working arrangements> and <migration-mediated exposure to other participative cultures> on the functioning and joining (three types of) associations in Romania.
SO5. To study convergence across Europe with respect to structure of types of association membership.
SO6. To depict overall tendencies in association membership in Romania.

Organisation:

Expected outcomes:

We propose 10 academic papers as milestones for project activities. Presentations in conferences (at least 4 for each member, 6 for BV), usage of results in Dana Țălnar-Naghi’s doctoral thesis, and use of the results in teaching activities (Bogdan Voicu, Marian Vasile, Dana Țălnar-Naghi) complete academic dissemination. Anonymized interviews will be provided to academic public for secondary analysis through our website. The website, use of the Youtube channels of Romanian Group of Social Values and RQSA, promotion of clips to our contacts in mass-media (all team members, and in particular Bogdan Voicu have frequent apparitions in Romanian mass-media) will target both scholars and general public. Use of findings in policy reports (all team members have a long record of reporting) will bring the results to policy makers and members in associations. Presentations in NGO conferences will be also targeted, aiming to disseminate the results to the category of organizations that we are studying, in a reflexive endeavor.

Involvement of students in transcribing is accompanied by sessions in which we explain the concept, methodological approach, and conceptual construction of the project. Subsequently, we invite them to discuss the results. This is also a means to encourage the students to use the interviews in their BA/MA dissertations, and to directly expose them to the knowledge generated through Assn.Dyn.