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Research & projects

The team working in the Identity and Image Lab focuses on:

  • the epistemological fundamentals of identity, alterity, and image
  • the phenomenology of identity, alterity, and image
  • cultural heritage & cultural consumption as ways of constructing identities
  • representations during crisis communication
  • crisis communication and its impact on organizational identity
  • measuring PR effectiveness and its impact on organizational identity  

Projects/funding

(1)   2012-2014: Research project Identity and image elements of the Romanians in the national and European media (awarded by SNSPA for young researchers). Results: 5 journal articles, 2 conference participations, 1 book.  See Publications & conferences page.    

(2) 2014-2016: Research project Europe from East side: national vs. European in the 2014 electoral campaigns (awarded by SNSPA for young researchers). Short description: The main objective of the project was to explore the divide between national and European, in the context of 2014 European Parliament elections. In doing so we explored a variety of media sources, both online journals as well as TV news journals. Results: 2 journal articles, 3 conference participations, 3 chapter books, 1 book.  See Publications & conferences page.   

(3) 2016-2018: Traveling Methods: Nations, Disciplines, and the Globalization of Qualitative Research Methodology. Short description: The project aims to achieve a more nuanced historical depiction of the assimilation and development of qualitative research methods among the researchers in communication in Romania. In doing this, the project interviews four generations of Romanian scholars in social sciences concerning their evolving relationship with qualitative research methods. The study seeks to achieve more nuanced, historical depiction of the actual assimilation of qualitative research methods among the members of this particular national-disciplinary community. Based on an international collaboration between researchers at University of Colorado Boulder, USA and researchers at SNSPA, the project’s results will explore how the developing identities of social-science disciplines, national cultures, and higher-educational institutions interact to influence the globalization of research methodology. The project is funded by University of Colorado Boulder, through CARTSS. Results: 3 journal articles, 3 conference participations, 1 chapter book, 2 books.  See Publications & conferences page. 

(4) 2018-2020/2021 Research project  -  The image of a profession:  how study programs & alumni contributed to the professionalization of PR & communication (awarded by SNSPA for young researchers). Short description: The project aims to investigate the professionalization of the domain of public relations and communication in Romania by exploring the contribution of university education & training and their impact on knowledge transfer and acquiring expertise. We also explore institutional memory (alumni included) and the construction of career paths within the wider frame of an emerging labour market in communication and public relations. Results: 4 journal articles, 4 papers in conference papers, 2 chapter books. See Publications & conferences page.