DE CE VOTĂM? PERSPECTIVA ELEVILOR DE LICEU ASUPRA ALEGERILOR EUROPARLAMENTARE

Oana Ludmila POPESCU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, National School of Political Studies and Public Administration

ABSTRACT: Promoting active citizenship among young people is one of the priorities of the EU policy for youth. However, studies reveal the proclivity of the young generation towards informal, non-institutional forms of participation, such as joining protest movements, signing petitions online or expressing points of view on public matters on social networks. Against this background where traditional, mainly electoral forms of political participation are substituted by new ones, the contest entitled European Highschool of the Year seeks not only to spread information on the functioning of the European Union and the European Parliament, but also to underline the importance of youth participation in the 2014 European elections. In the final session of this contest, the speakers of the two remaining teams had to deliver a speech on the European elections starting from the question: why do we vote? The present paper seeks to highlight the main differences and similarities between the two speeches and the discursive strategies used by students to emphasize the importance of casting a vote, in general, as well as in the particular context of the elections to the European Parliament. The analysis includes criteria specific to both critical discourse analysis and pragmatics.

KEYWORDS: active citizenship, electoral participation, European elections, European Highschool of the Year.

POLITICA BISERICII ORTODOXE ROMÂNE FAŢĂ DE CĂDEREA REGIMULUI COMUNIST LA REVOLUŢIA DIN ’89

Silviu – Constantin NEDELCU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT: The revolution of December 1989 was a turning point in Romanian history. Each of the state’s institutions were directly affected by this historical event and had to choose whether to colaborate with the newly-instaled Governement or to remain in the past. One of the institutions which decided to support the new „democrat” Government was the Romanian Orthodox Church. The Church’s politics was ilustrated in its national support of the programs elaborated by the National Salvation Front. In fact, the Church’s attitude towards the collapse of the communist atheist regime, after the 1989 revolution, implied several actions. The Holly Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church issued several press releases regarding its official stance on the new „non-communist” Government. The Church practically supported, on a national level, through its monasteries, clergy and believers, the programs of the country’s reconstruction drawn by the National Salvation Front. Moreover, committees were constituted within parishes, formed of clergymen and parishioners, with the aim of helping the families affected by the Revolution. In order to do so, the Church encouraged its clergy and the believers to financially contribute to the „Liberty Fond – 1989” account.

KEYWORDS: Romanian Orthodox Church, communism, 1989 revolution.

SECURITATEA CIBERNETICĂ A ROMÂNIEI – ELEMENT DE SECURITATE NAȚIONALĂ

Tasia GUDU, PhD. Candidate

Doctoral School of Political Science, National School of Political Studies and Public Administration

ABSTRACT: The article addresses the issue of national security in the context of the most recent challenge to Romania's national security, the cyber security. The study starts from the simple question: What really makes something a security problem? The release of the Cyber Security Strategy in Romania (2013) represents a national security decision. In order to understand this decision, the study proposes an overview of the main lines of approach to the national security and the analysis of the above mentioned document.

KEYWORDS: security, cyber-security, security strategy.

RELAȚIILE ROMÂNO-GUINEEZE ÎNTRE 1966-1970

Bogdan Iulian RANTEȘ, PhD. Candidate

Doctoral School of Economic and Humanities Sciences, "Valahia” University

ABSTRACT: This paper aims to analyze the relations between Romania and Guinea from 1966 to 1970. Sources used in carrying out the work are represented by several files in the background CC of PCR, Foreign Relations Department, under the custody of the National Archives, Central Institute, and numerous articles and information from central newspapers since: Scânteia and România Liberă. By 1966 relations between the two countries were held in an early stage, several visits taking place at the party and ministries. However, the most important event in the history of relations between the two countries was the establishment of an embassy of Romania in Conakry, the capital of Guinea, which, incidentally, was first opened in sub-Saharan African countries. This article will chronologically examine Guinea-Romanian relations during the five years proposed. Emphasis will be placed on visits that occurred during that period, especially on the topics discussed during talks between representatives of both sides. At the end of this period the relations between the two countries considerably cooled because Sekou Toure faced a new coup d' etat and Roumania began to establish relationships with others african countries.

KEYWORDS: Nicolae Ceaușescu, Sekou Toure, Roumanian Communist Party, Guinean Democratic Party.

MĂSURI PRIVIND CREȘTEREA PRODUCȚIEI DE ȚIȚEI ȘI ORGANIZAREA APĂRĂRII ZONEI PETROLIFERE A PRAHOVEI ȘI A RAFINĂRIILOR PLOIEȘTENE ÎN PERIOADA CELUI DE-AL DOILEA RĂZBOI MONDIAL

Vasile-Virgil COMAN, PhD. Candidate 

Doctoral School of Economic and Humanities Sciences, "Valahia” University

ABSTRACT: In the context of a world war against Germany which implicitly closed supply routes outside Europe, the Romanian oil became vital. Therefore, two tactics were taken into account: the first involving protection of the oilfields area against attacks, and the second being the military occupation of Romania. Romanian authorities’ decision to protect the citadel Ploieşti and also to prevent any possible attacks, was greeted with satisfaction in Berlin, where they claimed to be willing to provide support. Anti-aircraft artillery command of Ploieşti will remain under German command precisely because of its oil interest in the overall conduct of the war. The events at the beginning of 1943 led the German Reich to give great importance to the Romanian oilfields area. The defeat of the German and Italian troops from the Africa area of Ploieşti was evident during air strikes. German intelligence services warned that Anglo-Americans are preparing a major attack on Ploieşti. It was launched on the 1st of August 1943 and its aftermath led to a reorientation of anti-aircraft defense policy. Finally, the Romanian-German collaboration for the normal functioning of the citadel Ploieşti was a pawn of the German plans in Romania.

KEYWORDS: war, oil, oilfields area.

CONSECINȚELE EVOLUȚIEI STATUTULUI LEGAL AL KETAMINEI ASUPRA CONSUMULUI ACESTEI SUBSTANȚE ÎN ROMÂNIA

Ștefan IANCU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Political Science, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT: Between the year 2000 and 2010, Romania has seen the emergence of a subculture of recreational ketamine use. This study describes the evolution of this phenomenon in Romania, based on participative and non-participative observation in contexts of drug use, distribution and treatment and on a series of semi-structured and informal interviews with professionals such as psychotherapists, anti-drug officials, harm-reduction workers, anti-prohibition activists, dealers and drug users. I hypothesized that the legal status of the substance was one of the main factors, among others, which led to the spread of its use and that successive changes in this status, towards increased control and prohibition, led to a significant decrease in the prevalence of its use and consequent social costs. Nevertheles, I argue that this does not entirely legitimize the prohibition paradigm of drug policy, since only banning the sale of the substance, and not its possession in small quantities for personal use, might have the same or more beneficial effects.

KEYWORDS: drug policy, ketamine use, decriminalization, prohibition.

IMPACTUL EMOŢIONAL AL ŞTIRILOR ASUPRA AUDIENŢELOR. STUDIU DE CAZ: ACCIDENTUL DIN MUNTENEGRU

Anamaria NEAGU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT:  This research looks into the emotional framing of the news by analyzing the main emotional themes found in the journalistic materials and the readers’/viewers’ opinions. Using content analysis, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods, the research proved that the emotions found in the articles are identical to those emotions people showed by public comments. The study used online sources of two different media (quality on-line newspaper gandul.info and website of commercial television ProTV) that had articles on the subject proposed: the accident in Montenegro, in June 2013, when 18 Romanians lost their lives and 29 were severely injured in a bus crash. The findings of this study prove that there is a certain connection between the emotions people experienced after reading the media and the framing that journalists inserted in their pieces.

KEYWORDS: emotions, media, content analysis, audience studies.

O NOUĂ INTERSECŢIE ÎNTRE JOCURI ŞI POLITICĂ. STIMULAREA IMPLICĂRII ŞI A INTERESULUI TINERILOR FAŢĂ DE POLITICĂ PRIN INTERMEDIUL JOCURILOR VIDEO

Tulia  Maria CĂŞVEAN, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT: In the last decade a radical new approach is observed in the video-games research field as compared to literature or movies researches. The new analyses are shifting from the real-world escapism approach and focus on the meaning of the games, more and more connected with the social and material aspects of the daily realities. The huge amounts of players and the technological advances have allowed video-games to become a medium for the transmission of knowledge, ideologies or even political messages. Video-games allow players, through ”authenticity” and ”realism”, to experience new emotions and situations, to learn and accumulate knowledge, to socialize or to work in teams for common purposes. The structure and functionality features assembled in impactful narratives lead to engagement towards the subjects proposed by the producers. Similar ”recipes” could be applied to direct the interest of the players towards a democratic practice and video-games could be used as ”labs” in which democracy and politics are thought and exercised. The present research intends to explore from a theoretical perspective the ways in which video-games could be used by the political communication specialists to reactivate the younger generations in the political life of the contemporary society.

KEYWORDS: video-games, engagement, popular culture, political communication.

HERMENEUTICĂ ŞI CANON ÎN TEXTUL SACRU. PRIVIRE ASUPRA EXEGEZEI BIBLICE DIN PERSPECTIVA „RECITIRII” LITERARE

Gabriela BADESCU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

POSDRU Scholar, Romanian Academy

ABSTRACT: If the object of interpretation is something that a text is attached to in order to identify it as an object that may or seems to make sense (Moore), in case of a religious text, the text that identifies it as such involves a special precondition given by the CANON. The goal of the interpretation of the sacred texts is to obtain a result that confirms the theological canon. The tradition acting as a censor builds on itself, on a historical scale, by the contribution of many hermeneutical layers, repeated again and again, as endless variations on the same theme. The author of this study proposes an analysis of the role that the theological canon plays in the theological exegesis, and which is able to keep options open for interpretation, while remaining precise and exclusive. The literary "rereading" of biblical texts can provide a fresh perspective on contemporary exegesis, converted into a general cultural criticism: the theological canon plays the role of the aesthetic canon.

KEYWORDS: Canon, Hermeneutics, Bible, Tora, Coran.

INFLUENŢELE FILOSOFIEI ARABE ÎN GÂNDIREA LUI MEISTER ECKHART

Cristina MĂRCULEŢ PETRESCU, PhD. Candidate                                                   

Faculty of Philosophy, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT: It would be hard to imagine the Rhineland Philosophy, without considering the arab moment. Ever since the arab philosophy and, implicit the ancient greec philosophy, were introduced in the Christian territories, the medieval way of thinking suffers a big change which will culminate with the conflict between philosophy and theology. The most influencial arab thinkers, Avicenna and Averroes were both physicians and they turned to reason in order to explain reality and also the contents of theology. Meister Eckhart was a theologist, but he refused to use the instruments of the simple faith, in order to explain the existence of God. Therefore, he turned to the instuments of reason, clearly influenced by the ideas and thinking of the two arab physicians.

KEYWORDS: arab moment, theology, Rhineland Philosophy, reason.

STATUTUL JURIDIC AL EVREILOR DIN ȚĂRILE ROMÂNE DIN EVUL MEDIU PÂNĂ LA REGULAMENTELE ORGANICE

Bogdan Daniel CIUREZU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Letters, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT: In the Romanian Lands (Wallachia and Moldavia) the legal status of the Jew can be defined with difficulty from the Middle Ages until the first well-organized legal penal and civil code, represented by the Organic Regulations imposed during the Russian occupation. In most cases, even the legal status of the population that was the majority is not well-known; therefore it would be almost impossible for a clear and concise legal status of the Jew to be defined. However, surely a different legal status can be deduced by the existence of laws, that would positively or negatively discriminate the Jewish inhabitants of these lands. Therefore, through the research and analysis of the codes of laws, but also of the documents in which the enforcement of the law can be seen, documents like judgments, orders, charters, deeds, letters, accounts etc., we may reveal the measure in which there was a different legal status comparatively with the one of the inhabitants that were the majority. The codes of laws by themselves will not be useful as even if there are dispositions related to the Jewish minority, these dispositions may not apply practically. Finally, this paper aims to examine whether the infamous oath more judaico was used in these lands. 

KEYWORDS: status; Jews; Middle Ages; Romanian.

MEDIA EVENT – FUNERALIILE FOSTULUI PRIM MINISTRU BRITANIC, MARGARET THATCHER

Alexandra-Oana IRIMESCU, PhD. Candidate

Faculty of Journalism and Communication Science, University of Bucharest

ABSTRACT: With a political career as disputed as it was appreciated, Margaret Thatcher was the first and for the time being the only woman to have held the office of Prime Minister of Great Britain. As in the case of sumptuous and solemn ceremonies dedicated to other political leaders such as W. Churchill, L.V. Lenin, F. Mitterrand or J.F. Kennedy, the funerals of the former British Prime Minister are part of a category of rituals of passing which have been enacted in the macro-social space and of one of political rituals which aim at insuring social order by imposing mechanisms of domination and control. These ceremonies offer the public an adequate space for the recreation of collective representation and mass-media plays a central role in their negotiation. This particular occasion will be analyzed with an aim in determining whether it is part of the category which D. Dayan and E. Katz have defined as a media event. For this purpose, one shall take into consideration a series of articles which have been published by the British media pertaining to this event as well as certain theoretical characteristics definitive of media events presented in academic literature. In this analysis, special emphasis shall be placed on the role that British journalists have assumed in the coverage of the event as well as in the process of constructing the public which participates at the ceremony.

KEYWORDS: media event, Margaret Thatcher, funerals.