Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Braşov. Series VII: Social Sciences • Law

Navigating Stigma: Voices of Individuals with Schizophrenia

2025-07-03T08:33:44+00:00

Using interviews of six people diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, the study identifies how stigmatization is perceived at different levels by the respondents. Five themes are presented, focusing on public stigmatization, stigma within the healthcare system, in professional life, in close relationships, and self-stigmatization. Examples of participants’ views are offered in order to understand their perspectives better and to plead for more education for the public and greater tolerance.

The Teachers’ Perspectives on the Role of Education in Emotional Development

2025-07-03T08:40:43+00:00

Recent research underscores the importance of emotional behavior learning, noting an increasing prevalence of loneliness among both children and adults. In Romania's education system, academic success is prioritized, often overshadowing the emotional aspects linked to success or failure. Therefore, it is crucial to train educators to recognize, regulate, and express their emotions, enabling them to effectively guide students in managing their own emotional experiences.

Emotional Well-Being and Coping: A Self-Determination Theory and Positive Psychology Perspective

2025-07-03T08:52:11+00:00

The present study investigates the interplay between emotional well-being, coping strategies, and self-determination theory (SDT) within the sociocultural context of Romania. Grounded in SDT and positive psychology, this research examines how intrinsic and extrinsic aspirations, coping mechanisms, and socioeconomic factors influence emotional well-being among Romanian college students. Results indicate that emotion-focused coping predicts emotional well-being, but this relationship is moderated by income, with lower-income students deriving less benefit from this coping style. Problem-focused coping is significantly predicted by positive emotions, while avoidant coping is associated with emotional ill-being. Although social support ranks lower among coping strategies, it remains a relevant resource for emotional well-being. These findings contribute to the cross-cultural understanding of SDT and coping, highlighting the role of contextual factors in shaping well-being.

Navigating the First Years: Adaptation Needs of Beginning Teachers in Pre-University Education

2025-07-03T09:02:29+00:00

This theoretical study explores the integration of novice teachers in pre-university education, highlighting the main adaptation challenges and the critical role of mentoring. Key factors include professional guidance, emotional support, and a collaborative school culture. The study emphasizes the need for coherent policies and continuous training to enhance teacher retention and performance.

The Relationship between Well-Being and Hypersensitivity among Young Adults

2025-07-03T09:18:59+00:00

The study investigates the relationship between personality traits, childhood environment, and well-being in young adults with increased sensitivity to sensory processing (118 participants, 20-35 years). The results show that there is no significant association between well-being and hypersensitivity, but these individuals present maladaptive traits, such as anxiety and depression. Emotional regulation and hypersensitivity are predictors of well-being, and individuals from adverse environments are at increased risk for behavioral disorders and psychopathology. Women have higher levels of hypersensitivity and emotional suppression, without significant differences in well-being or childhood experiences.

Gender Differences in Self-Efficacy of People with Addictive Behavior

2025-07-03T09:42:38+00:00

The study of self-efficacy in the field of addictions represents a valuable component due to its role in the management of relapses and in giving up addictive behavior. The aim of this paper was to identify gender differences in self-efficacy of individuals with behavioral and substance addiction. The study was conducted on a sample of 134 participants, women and men between 18 and 40 years old. Self-efficacy was measured with Schwarzer's self-efficacy questionnaire. The included addictions were alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, gambling, pornography, and other previously diagnosed addictions. The results are in line with current literature findings showing differences in self-efficacy between genders.

Gender Differences in Quality of Life of People with Addictive Behavior

2025-07-03T09:59:46+00:00

Addiction affects multiple areas of life and its overall quality. Previous research has shown that the Quality of life of individuals with substance and behavioral addictions is significantly lower compared to the average of the general population. The aim of the paper was to identify the gender differences in the quality of life of individuals with substance and behavioral addictions. The sample consisted of 118 participants, aged 18-42 years. Quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life Inventory by B. Frisch. Results show gender differences within the studied group that present various forms of addiction. The results are consistent with the scientific literature.

Digital Parenting in the Early Years: A Needs Assessment for Parental Interventions

2025-07-03T10:19:32+00:00

This study aims to assess the needs of parents of preschool-aged children in managing digital technology use. This analysis serves as a preliminary step in developing a parental intervention program designed to foster healthy digital habits in children from a young age. A convenience sample was used, and both quantitative and qualitative research methods were utilized. The developed questionnaire measures dimensions of digital parenting, socio-demographic factors, and parents' perceptions of the importance of digital parenting. The results of this study provide a relevant starting point, in accordance with parental needs, for optimizing future parental interventions.

“Covered in Paperwork”- Social Workers’ Perspectives on Bureaucracy

2025-07-03T17:25:01+00:00

This paper presents a qualitative study that highlights the effects of bureaucracy on social workers and beneficiaries as well as the support factors that help social workers cope with bureaucratic demands. The focus on administrative tasks and the large volume of paperwork hinders the work of social workers, reduce the time dedicated to beneficiaries, delay their access to resources and services and decrease trust in the system. Digitalization, simplification of procedures, and coordination between institutions can help reduce bureaucracy in social work.

Recent Amendments to Citizenship Law No. 21/1991 under Law No.14/2025

2025-07-03T18:21:44+00:00

Law No. 14/2025 introduces significant amendments concerning the procedure for the acquisition, reacquisition, and loss of citizenship. The new provisions establish strict deadlines, additional requirements for applicants, and extended mechanisms for verifying the authenticity of submitted documents. Furthermore, the law introduces a citizenship card based on the collection of biometric data, with the declared objective of strengthening security measures. The present analysis examines the impact of the new legal framework considering constitutional requirements relating to legality, decision-making transparency, and normative predictability in the field of citizenship.

The Role of Personal Autonomy and of the Media in Ethical and Medical Malpractice Issues

2025-07-03T18:31:51+00:00

A thorough approach of all ethical aspects of medical practice is virtually impossible. This is why, the present article begins with a short introduction on a reference system which is the basis of determining the universally valid ethical principle in medical practice; it continues by pointing out issues pertaining to the role of personal autonomy and of the media in the relation between a doctor and a patient. We observe that personal autonomy from the medic’s perspective entails his obligation to fully and correctly inform the patient, whereas personal autonomy from the perspective of the patient, who plays a significantly more active role lately, can negatively influence the relation between the medic and the patient and, consequently, the ethics of this relation. Researching the role of media in informing citizens emphasizes the violation of ethical principles by misinformation and incorrect interpretation of malpractice cases, which can lead to a less desired phenomenon, that of street justice.

Medical Malpractice - Between Civil and Criminal Liability

2025-07-03T18:37:29+00:00

Our study focuses on national and international regulations regarding medical malpractice. The analysis of the concept of malpractice reveals a necessity of unifying Romania’s healthcare legislation, as it contains multiple terminological contradictions. The current legal framework insufficiently regulates the rights and obligations that define the legal relationship between the medic and the patient. Medical malpractice can result in different types of liability. For civil liability to be engaged, an illicit act, a material or moral damage, a causal link between the two, and the guilt of the medical service provider must be identified. Criminal liability arises when the illicit act causing the damage is a crime, and it can coexist alongside civil liability.

State Cooperation and Jurisdictional Immunities: The Everlasting Challenges to the Effectiveness of International Criminal Justice

2025-07-04T09:09:19+00:00

Starting from the analysis of “Situation in Ukraine” before the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the arrest warrant regarding Vladimir Putin and the “this article focuses on the main challenges to the Court effectiveness, such as the State cooperation in its investigations and proceedings, in order to suggest some critical solutions, including the limited in absentia proceedings which could also be applied in the future to enhance the role of the ICC and the international criminal justice more in general.

Aspects regarding the Regulation of the Artificial Intelligence at the European Level

2025-07-03T18:44:23+00:00

Starting from the definition of artificial intelligence, the article analyzes and presents the most important provisions in the field of artificial intelligence, such as the Regulation on artificial intelligence and the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe on artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence can be considered as the most emerging field that can also be applied to the advancement of criminal sciences and justice system. Artificial intelligence uses effective algorithms in detecting risks in committing crimes and preventing illegal acts. Algorithms based on artificial intelligence can detect an appreciable amount of data to discover risks and they are used to detect, prevent and even anticipate the commission of future crimes or some types of criminal behavior. How an AI system generates its results is often unknown to end users. This lack of understanding and transparency makes it difficult for users to anticipate the risks, damage or violations of their fundamental rights and freedoms that they may face.

Evaluating AI-Generated Satire against Human-Written Content: A Comparative Analysis

2025-07-03T17:33:04+00:00

This study examines the comparative quality of AI-generated satirical content against human-written satirical articles. Using a database of 160 satirical articles from Times New Roman as a baseline, we developed 20 AI-generated stimuli using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ww evaluated the stimuli in comparison with real satire news using four large language models (LLM) (Deepseek, Claude, Gemini, and ChatGPT). Through empirical evaluation, we assessed whether AI-generated satirical content is perceived as more humorous than authentic human-written content. This research contributes to understanding the evolving capabilities of AI in creative content generation and its implications for humor perception, media production, and computational linguistics.

Stakeholders and Digital Communication: Co-Creating a Villages’ Image

2025-07-03T17:41:07+00:00

Despite their need to attract tourist and investors to ensure long term sustainability, small towns and villages are often overlooked in place branding research. With increasing migration to metropolitan areas, these communities face significant challenges. This paper emphasizes the role of stakeholder involvement in shaping a place`s digital image through effective communication, fostering authentic narratives that enhance visibility and support local development. The study focuses on Sirnea, Romania, using a case study and content analysis approach. It analyzed digital content from 2023 to identify stakeholders, platforms, and key themes. The findings fill a research gap on digital place branding for small rural communities.

Politics of Names in Transnational Television Adaptations

2025-07-03T17:54:55+00:00

In the transnational flow of television series, adaptations represent a challenge for screenwriters. In addition to adapting the story to a new cultural context, it is important to see how the characters are constructed from the perspective of names. Thus, this article aims to make a critical analysis upon character names in transnational television adaptation, highlighting their meaning and their correlation within the Romanian cultural identity.

The Shift from Traditional to Online Advertising. Influencers’ Role in Advertising

2025-07-03T18:01:22+00:00

The rapid evolution of digital technology and social media has transformed traditional advertising into a dynamic, interactive, and influencer-driven industry. Through a qualitative content analysis of three popular beauty YouTubers—Zoella, Tanya Burr, and SprinkleofGlitter—this research examines how influencers use persuasive communication strategies to build personal brands and engage audiences. This research highlights how useful this type of marketing is while also raising awareness regarding the manipulation that is taking place.

The Temporal Dimension of Smart Urbanity and Teenagers’ Perception of Similarities with Past Historical Eras

2025-07-03T10:25:57+00:00

The paper investigates teenagers' perceptions regarding the similarities between the smart urbanity of today and the past historical eras that they experienced. Smart urbanism refers to the transformation of cities in a way that combines technology, innovation, and sustainability to improve the quality of life for the citizens. The proposed methodology allows participants to freely assign meaning to the concepts explored through the research questions. The findings indicate that teenagers perceive themselves as living in a continuous present, recognize parallels with past historical periods, and express a positive attitude toward digital technologies.

Students' Pro-Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors

2025-07-03T10:33:53+00:00

The relationship between individuals and the environment is an increasingly studied topic, from different perspectives and methodologies, in different geographical and cultural settings. The present study investigates students' lifestyles, their attitudes and behaviors that have an impact on the environment, their level of awareness and motivations for these behaviors, and their willingness to change them, to voluntarily reduce their personal carbon footprint. To answer these questions, we conducted a survey. Although students are concerned about environmental issues, they are not aware of the impact of their lifestyle on the environment, but they are willing to adopt pro-environmental behaviors.

Same-Sex Parenting in Contemporary Society: Rights, Challenges, and Representation

2025-07-03T10:38:47+00:00

This paper analyzes the challenges faced by same-sex parents in contemporary society, emphasizing the impact of cultural norms, legal barriers, and financial burdens on their parenting journeys. The increasing visibility of same-sex families, often referred to as the ‘gay baby boom,’ reflects a broader societal shift towards inclusion and acceptance. The paper calls for comprehensive policy reforms to dismantle systemic barriers and ensure equal parental rights for all families. Key recommendations include expanding adoption rights, facilitating access to assisted reproductive technologies, and promoting positive representations of diverse family structures in media and public discourse.

Establishing Students’ Cooperation in a Multicultural Environment. The HEIComp Experience

2025-07-03T10:49:50+00:00

This paper investigates the endevour to bring students together to cooperate in a multicultural environment, in a higher education context. The cooperation is developed by means of working life connected (WLC) courses included in an international project funded by the European Union. The aim of the paper is to analyze the challenges and benefits for students stemming from this approach. A survey was pursued among the students involved in the project using an online questionnaire. The results of the research indicate common characteristics as well as important differences between Paraguayan and Brazilian students cooperating in an multicultural framework. Challenges pertain to behavior, stereotypes, language, values, work style, and time. Findings reveal that roughly 50% of participating students had a hard time cooperating with their peers from a different culture, in terms of working, communicating, and taking decisions together. The main benefits of cooperating in a multicultural environment involve better mutual understanding, more inclusivity, and a higher empathy. Additionally, it fosters intercultural competence, cultural intelligence, and communication skills, encourages innovation through diverse perspectives, strengthens collaboration in both academic and professional settings, and enhances engagement and problem-solving in multidisciplinary teams.

The Experience of Migration and Cultural Integration: Theoretical Review

2025-07-03T11:03:26+00:00

This paper aims to provide a theoretical review of migratory dynamics and cultural integration. This review delineates three primary stages of the migrant experience: the motivations for change and the decision to migrate, the transitional phase encompassing acculturation and adaptation, concluding with the process of cultural integration into host societies. The study performs an examination of selected literature following methodological academic standards, with the objective of highlighting theoretical diversity, clarifying similarities and differences across models, and identifying gaps that could provide a basis for future research.

European Theory − Local Practice - Under what Conditions Do Two Central-Eastern European Regional Universities Operate their Social Relations?

2025-07-03T11:23:13+00:00

Two Central-Eastern European regional universities were examined in the form of a qualitative multimethod, comparative case study of 2020-2022 to identify the factors that either facilitate or hinder the establishment and successful operation of their local-regional social relations. The results shed light on the extent to which these converge with the findings in the wider European context and to which they are to be considered unique. Confirming several and revealing some new conditions for university-external stakeholder collaborations, the study is a call for further research into the societal relations and regional engagement of Central European universities.

“Tefelisti” Versus “Trogloditi”. 175 Years of Social Struggle between Progressive and Retrograde Social Movements

2025-07-03T11:32:18+00:00

Progress-oriented or retrograde tendencies have manifested themselves inside Romanian society since the Revolution of 1848. One hundred year later the communist regime imposed by the Soviet occupation falsely assumed a path towards emancipation and prosperity for Romanian people. The second decade of 21-st century was marked by social conflicts steadily growing in intensity. Fueled by the public messages of political leaders, mass protests covered multiple social issues: forestry and mining workers versus environmental defenders, straight tradition sticklers versus pride enthusiasts, religious devotees versus secular radicals, etc. These clashes also continued during the beginning of 2020’s, having an apex in pro versus against vaccination movements.