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        <title>Social Change Review Feed</title>
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            <title><![CDATA[Civic Initiatives Acting as Resilience Actors for Older People during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Case Study Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2020–2025)]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2026-0001</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This article examines how informal civic initiatives emerged as resilience actors within the ecosystem of social services for older people in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2025). Drawing on longitudinal qualitative research using constructivist Grounded Theory across two phases of data collection (2022 and 2025–2026), the study identifies six civic initiatives that emerged spontaneously during the pandemic and analyses their operational profiles, collaborative relationships with formal institutions, and post-pandemic trajectories. The findings reveal a typology of civic resilience actors differentiated by mobilisation logic, functional role, and capacity for sustained engagement beyond the crisis. A key conceptual contribution is the distinction between active resilience—sustained, institutionalised capacity—and latent resilience—dormant civic capacity that remains available for future mobilisation but is not systematically maintained. The authors conclude that the effectiveness of the local pandemic response in Cluj-Napoca was shaped by dense pre-existing civic networks and accumulated relational capital, highlighting the importance of civic infrastructure for social service resilience and future crisis preparedness.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Solidarity and Welfare Spending in a Context of Crisis: A Research Note]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2025-0004</link>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper explores the extent to which variations in community-level welfare spending are reflected in individual-level attitudes of solidarity in a Romanian context defined by economic crisis. To this end, the study combines a static assessment of the relationship between local welfare expenditures and solidarity (employing 2012 WVS data) with a dynamic evaluation of how crisis-driven cuts in welfare spending have affected the sense of solidarity (drawing on 2009-2013 RES panel data). Multilevel regression analyses provide robust evidence that residing in communities with higher social expenditures tends to stimulate solidaristic attitudes towards vulnerable segments of the population. While variations in solidarity occurred in the context of crisis, they generally conformed to a growth pattern. Notably, this increase in solidarity is only marginally attributable to local welfare rollbacks; rather, it relates more closely to shifts in individual-level factors, such as generalised trust, religiosity, and economic optimism.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Book Review: Takle Marianne. 2025. Showing Social Solidarity with Future Generations. Abingdon &amp; New York: Routledge. 174 pp. ISBN 9781032510385.]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2025-0003</link>
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            <pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Is Winning Really a Win? The Influence of Gambling on Young Adults in Romania. A Survey-Based Study]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2025-0001</link>
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            <pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The present study examines the impact of excessive gambling on young adults in Romania, specifically those aged between 18 and 35. The primary aim of this investigation is to determine whether activities such as sports betting, casino games, and lotteries exert a significant influence on individuals’ lives. To explore this issue, a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research methodology was employed. Data were collected via an online questionnaire disseminated through social media platforms (Facebook and WhatsApp). The study considered several dimensions of excessive gambling, including the difficulty in controlling gambling impulses and its detrimental effects on financial stability and social relationships. Statistical analysis of responses obtained from a non-probability sample of 117 participants revealed a notable prevalence of excessive gambling, with financial hardship emerging as the most prominent consequence. The findings suggest that excessive gambling is more prevalent among unmarried individuals and has a more pronounced financial impact on urban youth. However, no statistically significant correlations were found between excessive gambling and variables such as age or employment status. The results underscore the importance of educational initiatives and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing gambling-related risks. From a practical standpoint, the development and implementation of targeted prevention and intervention strategies—particularly for vulnerable groups, such as those with low or unstable incomes—are strongly recommended. Moreover, the study highlights the urgent need for stricter regulatory measures to mitigate the adverse financial and social consequences of gambling. By offering a nuanced analysis of the socio-demographic factors associated with excessive gambling, this research contributes valuable insights and proposes directions for enhancing prevention efforts.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Measures regarding the protection of children from transnational families in Romania]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2025-0002</link>
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            <pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Among vulnerable groups, the most important social category, from the point of view of the evolution of the human species and society, is that of children. This paper examines the measures for protecting children from transnational families in Romania through the analysis of national legislative and policy documents, along with relevant European strategic frameworks, and a longitudinal descriptive analysis of statistical data from 2015–2023. The qualitative component evaluates the coherence between Romanian policies and EU objectives, while the quantitative analysis highlights trends and territorial disparities in the number of children with parents working abroad. The findings indicate a general decrease in reported cases but also persistent data gaps, uneven implementation across regions, and limited institutional capacity. The study concludes that improving data collection practices, strengthening interinstitutional coordination, and developing targeted interventions - especially in high-risk areas - are essential for enhancing the protection and well-being of children in transnational families. These measures would help close the gap between legislation and practice and contribute to more effective and sustainable future policies.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2024-0002</link>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <title><![CDATA[More than meets the eye? Coalition formation in a strong-leader local government system]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2024-0005</link>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper approaches local coalition formation at the second tier of local government in Romania within the specific context of super-election year 2024. It aims to answer a few questions concerning the coalition preferences of local actors and the coalition bargaining process that are pertinent to this context. Combining quantitative data concerning the outcomes of the elections with qualitative data, the description of this case also offers some insights for coalition research. These are linked to the challenges of measuring local coalitions, the particulars of coalition formation in strong-leader local government systems, and the matter of coalition congruence.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Rise of Populism during the Pandemic: The Case of AUR in Romania]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2024-0004</link>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The article examines the case of AUR a populist political party, that entered the political electoral arena during the COVID pandemic. The party’s populist messages on social media activated an electorate that is receptive to the appeal of a nationalist anti-establishment party. Combining a description of the discourse, strategies, leadership and context coupled with an investigation of a nationally representative survey, the paper argues that AUR has succeeded to become an established party by mobilization of the national and transnational electorate through social media. We further show that AUR appeals to a predominantely male, young and anti vaccination electorate in a similar fashion to other voters of populist parties in Europe indicating that the Romanian political system witnesses the emergence of a new left-right gendered political cleavage.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Analysing Romanian Students’ Orientations Towards Entrepreneurship: A Survey Study in Sibiu]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2024-0001</link>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This study aims to identify the factors that explain students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship and their intentions to pursue entrepreneurship. The study used a quantitative methodology and collected data from 204 students through a questionnaire survey. The research hypotheses derive from established theoretical models, such as experiential learning theory, planned behaviour theory, social learning theory, and push-pull theory applied to entrepreneurship. The results show that career aspirations, exposure to entrepreneurial models, and the number of people students know as entrepreneurs play a significant role in explaining entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions. Other variables, such as academic performance, residential environment, and gender, also explain students’ entrepreneurial intentions.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Expatriates at the Polls: An analysis of predictors affecting voter participation in the 2019 EU Elections]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2024-0003</link>
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            <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2025 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[In the wake of the 2024 elections, far-right parties have capitalized on prevailing social and economic grievances to expand their electoral base. These parties raised issues such as immigration, national security, and economic dissatisfaction to appeal to voters seeking drastic changes from the status quo. This paper focuses on expatriates’ voter turnout in the last 2019 European elections and examines whether the turnout of the European elections is influenced by the period expatriates have been living in another EU country. Additionally, this paper aims at testing if expatriates are more inclined to have an extreme political orientation than non-expatriates. Employing several logistic regression models to examine the effects between different types of determinants and turnout and extreme political orientation, this paper aims at testing to what extent the period of residence, perception of the economic situation, trust and European views influence the expatriates’ voters to go to the polls.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Book Reviews]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0001</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Editorial Introduction: Exploring Return Migration and its Transformative Potential in Romania and Beyond]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0008</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Change starts from within: Migration and processes of social and cultural change. A Romanian case]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0007</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper analyzes Romania’s dynamic migratory process with a focus on the return migration from Norway and the sociocultural changes that it might involve for Romanian migrants and their home societies. The focus on Norway as a case study can bring a valuable, accurate, and deep understanding of Romanian immigration. These indicate that Romanians faced many challenges in their migratory journey in Norway, but that for a source country like Romania, return migration could, in the long term, contribute to its social and cultural changes. This research resulted in three key findings. Firstly, through their migratory experience from Norway, Romanian returnees internalized social remittances, and changed their attitudes, behavior, values, and expectations before disseminating their knowledge in their family -and social environment. Secondly, the prevalence of social remittances might be dependent on the motivation of returnees to transfer their knowledge, ideas, and practices in the scope of contributing to social change. The prevalence of social remittances might also be dependent on the way the societies of origin receive the resources that returnees attempt to transmit and culturally diffuse. Thirdly, Romania, as an emigration society, has had a relaxed attitude towards change. However, repatriated Romanians maintain a confident outlook on the potential of their skills and know-how conferring them influence over certain cultural aspects in the spheres of work and social relationships.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[The Diaspora’s influence on Regional Innovation Performance – a new theoretical and empirical approach toward understanding it]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0004</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The occurrences of “brain-gain” and “brain-loss” are significant concerns for both the countries experiencing the departure of intellectual talent and those that ultimately receive such individuals. The phenomenon holds significance for stakeholders and their policy recommendations on social, economic and political areas. Moreover, there exists extensive literature elucidating the reasons behind certain nations encountering the phenomenon of “brain loss” while simultaneously observing the return of individuals to their homelands. Simultaneously, there is a limited amount of research conducted regarding the observation and comprehension of the activities in which the returning diaspora is involved post their return. Even more, there is less research done on the way the return diaspora is influencing regional innovation performance. To enhance comprehension, this article introduces a novel theoretical and empirical approach aimed at understanding the engagement of the returning diaspora in the innovation process and its impact on regional innovation performance. The novelty of this approach consists in the combination of classical theories on returning diaspora, Regional Innovation Performance and Social Fields Theory. As a result, the focus will be on the combination of the three social forces (institutions, networks, and cognitive frames) and returning diaspora. The evaluation of diaspora’s impact on regional innovation performance primarily hinges on the combination and comprehension of these two factors. However, this article serves as a theoretical proposal aimed at enhancing understanding of the phenomenon and establishing a model for systematic data collection. The empirical results could lead to policy recommendations for various stakeholders and bring improvements for helping and encouraging innovation activities in the region.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Examining Traits of Engagement in Solidarity Actions in Romania: An Analysis of Findings from Social Values Studies with a Comparative Emphasis]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0002</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Social solidarity is increasingly under scrutiny in the contemporary world. Modern phenomena such as individualization, globalization, and migration have sparked inquiries into the dynamics and transformations of solidarity. Within this context, our study seeks to address one dimension of solidarity: the actions that embody it. We embark on a two-fold mission. On the one hand, we delve into the characteristics of the people engaging in solidarity actions. On the other hand, we compare results regarding acts of solidarity in Romania across different time frames. Our analysis mainly draws from the data collected through the European Values Survey in 2018. Comparisons are made with results from previous analyses and data from the 2012 World Values Survey. To accomplish these ends, we rely on both descriptive and multivariate analyses. Results suggest that approximately two-thirds of Romanians engage in solidarity actions. The likelihood of involving in solidarity actions is mainly influenced by age, religious behaviour, individualization, membership in associations, and recent volunteering behaviour.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Here or there, who do you trust? Patterns of social trust following the migration experience of Romanians in Spain and France]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0006</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper links the concept of social trust and that of migration by exploring the interactions and dependencies between Romanian emigrants and returnees and various institutional and social actors. Consequently, the underlying question of the research is: ‘What are the ways in which migration experience is associated with social trust?’. This research discusses how experiences with public agencies in Romania or in the host country determine trust or conversely, induce the feeling of distrust. Common specific elements were taken into account, such as determinants and effects of trust, life experience as immigrants, level of integration, and level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with public entities, which linked empirically the two concepts. Drawing on a set of interviews with Romanian emigrants and Romanian returnees1, this research tackles the peculiarities of emigrants’ and returnees’ experiences as key factors in identifying the levels of social trust.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Back to the Future: How the Convergence of Globalization and Technology is Changing Labour and Mobility]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0003</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Throughout this research we reflect on how the convergence of technology and migration is changing highly skilled labour mobility and the relationship between place and value production. We reflect on the impact of these transformations on the tech sector and IT labour market in Cluj-Napoca. We aim to understand how the pandemic coupled with the current trends in labour mobility and value production have affected labour markets and highly skilled labour migration. The paper stems as reflection from a fieldwork which are currently conducting in Romania with a focus on transnational entrepreneurship, social networks of innovation and labour migration in the tech industry. The article brings forward findings from the field, drawing on the developments that accelerated and changed the way we work in the post-pandemic period and analysing what implications these trends could have on the nature of migration and the connection between value production and place.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[To return or to stay? The situation of Romanian badanti in Italy during the Coronavirus pandemic]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2022-0005</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The study explores the situation of Romanian work migrants employed in elderly home care (badanti) in Italy, in the context of temporary restrictions on the freedom of movement within the European Union during the coronavirus pandemic. The general objective of the research consists in contributing to the understanding of how a particular situation of crisis and the subsequent restrictions enforced may impact the socio-professional category in question. In this context, an exploratory investigation was conducted, by the use of semi-structured interviews with people who have or used to have this occupation in Italy. The aim of the interviews was to identify particular, subjective aspects of their experiences, and, at the same time, to investigate their perception of the transformations occurred due to this crisis. The results of the study offer insight on the individual decision-making process in the matter of remaining in Italy, returning to the country of origin or re-migrating, and the ways in which short-time legislative changes affected these decisions, as well as the effects of the pandemic on this specific socio-economic category.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[WUT Social Work Department Students Perceptions of the Online Learning Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2023-0002</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The spread of COVID-19 has led to the physical closure of universities, accelerating the expansion of online learning methods. West University of Timișoara has adapted to the pandemic context using different online teaching methods, useful also for students that needed to enhance interpersonal relationship skills, such as future social workers. Thus, authors explored social work students’ perceptions regarding the effectiveness of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemics. The main goal of the study was to determine the perceptions of WUT students, Department of Social Work, about their online learning experience, assessing the effectiveness of online learning with four indicators: Interaction with professors and faculty colleagues, Student comfort in online learning, Motivation to learn online, and Advantages and disadvantages of online learning. The data was obtained through an online questionnaire applied to 107 students. The results indicate that students were generally satisfied by the online learning experience, 60.7% feeling satisfied with the way the university made the transition to online education and 45.7% appreciating that teachers were prepared for the online environment. Their perception is influenced by their ability to technically access online courses and the educational outcomes. Over 50% of the students expressed satisfaction regarding communication with teachers and colleagues. An important conclusion of the research is that university education can benefit from this glimpse of online education, which has challenged, but in the end, has adapted to a hybrid, alternative, way of education. However, to have a sustainable education, e-learning tools should be constantly adapted to students’ needs.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[Human centricity and technology advances research in social sciences: A literature insight on artificial intelligence]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/scr-2023-0004</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Evolving technology and human-machine interaction are two major stances that question human centricity as a core dimension for the future placement of human variables and social perspectives inside intelligent systems. The present paper explores present challenges and an up to date research synthesis concerning social sciences dimensions, theories, concepts and implementation with regard to the study of human centred artificial intelligence. The main scope consists of drawing several red lines for future research and theoretical social insights on artificial intelligence at work. Following a scholarly literature insight and several reference works, the study explores major topics of interest analysed so far and proposes new directions for the evaluation of human variables and machine learning at work in an organizational setting. Results showed there is a vital need for expanding research from human centricity point of view on the present matter, where studies are still scarce and heterogenous. Moreover, concept clarification and theoretical explanations are yet to be sufficient in explaining people interactions and management of artificial intelligence at the workplace. In conclusion human empowerment at work through ethical and person oriented intelligent systems in a given organizational context can ensure a fair and efficient development of people’s skills, professional objectives or level of performance while promoting human values, ethical principles and preserving the well-being. The paper presents also several practical implications of social sciences domain on artificial intelligence exploration and a few future directions for research.]]></description>
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