The Annals of ”Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati. Fascicle XX, Sociology

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Cuprins

Testing Theories as a Concern of the Sociology of Science

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In the context of recent transformations in science, marked by Big Data, computational simulations, and artificial intelligence, the concept of theory testing requires reevaluation. From the universalist ideal of Popperian falsifiability, we are shifting toward forms of testability that are local, situational, and institutionally mediated. The central issue lies in clarifying what it means to test a theory in contemporary sciences, a problem that generates tension between universal and local forms of testability. The aim of this article is to provide arguments in favour of a philosophy of “situated testability,” grounded in an interdisciplinary methodological approach. Following a critical analysis of how testing is currently understood and practiced in science, I argue for a mode of testability that is adequate to the complexity and diversity of contemporary epistemologies, and I seek to answer the question “To what extent does
scientific testing become an institutional and social practice?” Contrary to the universalist and deductivist ideal advanced by traditional philosophy of science, I contend that testability today emerges as a situated, infrastructural, and contextual practice. I thus advocate a pluralist and critical orientation, grounded in contextual experimentalism and in the localization of scientific laws.

Motivations of Speedway Event Participants:

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Contemporary sport extends beyond physical competition, serving as a complex social, cultural, and economic phenomenon that influences individual and community life. Sporting events foster emotions, local identity, and social integration. Understanding participant motivations – both athletes and fans – is crucial for grasping the social and psychological dynamics of these events. Speedway racing, deeply rooted in local
communities and marked by passionate fan engagement, offers a valuable context for such analysis. This study focuses on the motivations of fans of the Polish speedway team TŻ Ostrovia. A quantitative study was conducted via an online survey distributed among TŻ Ostrovia fans between March and April 2025. A total of 241 respondents completed the questionnaire, which included sociodemographic data and motives for
participation based on Freyer and Gross’s typology: social, emotional, substantive, and result-oriented motivations. Responses were rated on a five-point Likert scale. Data analysis aimed to identify predominant motivations and their relation to demographic variables. The dominant motives identified were: 1. desire for unity and integration with others and support for riders; 2. desire to experience excitement and a special
atmosphere; 3. desire to feel the unique event atmosphere; and 4. desire to follow the sports competition. TŻ Ostrovia fans perceive attending speedway events as an emotionally intense experience that provides social connection and temporary escape from everyday life. Participation is not solely entertainment but a significant social and emotional phenomenon. The results offer valuable insights for event organizers seeking to align offerings with fan motivations and enhance engagement.

Human Pressures, Community Perceptions and Biodiversity Conservation in the Danube Delta:

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The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve represents one of the most complex socio-ecological systems in Europe, where environmental pressures, traditional economic practices, and conservation policies interact in direct and often conflicting ways. This study examines residents’ perceptions of the impact of human activities—fishing, agriculture, and tourism—on biodiversity, based on a survey conducted with a sample
of 323 individuals from local communities. The results indicate a high level of awareness regarding ecological pressures: 76% of respondents attribute the decline of certain fish species to intensive fishing, 90% identify poaching as a major driver of degradation, 80% consider stubble burning the principal agricultural risk, and 81% support limiting boat traffic as a measure to protect habitats. At the same time, community perceptions reveal a structural ambivalence shaped by economic dependence on natural resources and by the restrictions associated with protected-area regulations. The analysis, framed
within the pressures–perceptions–policies conceptual model, highlights the need for co-management policies that reconcile biodiversity protection with local development objectives. The findings underscore that long-term sustainability in the Danube Delta cannot be achieved without the active involvement of local communities in shaping conservation strategies and in the sustainable use of natural resources.

Ageing Population Related Phenomena:

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Demographic ageing is followed by a multitude of phenomena and processes that determine changes in the population structure, in the economic sector and in the workforce, justifying the public policies and strategies need. The present study explores issues regarding the workforce ageing, active ageing and active ageing at work from a statistical perspective and also by the strategies adopted. By studying the Romania case, the demographic evolution, the exploration of the dynamics of the workforce ageing phenomenon and the public reactions (national strategy) are highlighted. The study is useful for those who ask themselves questions regarding the workforce active ageing, those who want to delve deeper into this issue, employers who are faced with the workforce ageing and people involved in the development
of policies and strategies regarding the professional life of older employees.

The Teaching Profession Today

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In Romania, teaching is a serious, respected profession, governed by specific regulations set by the Ministry of Education. Choosing a career in education can be a rewarding decision for several reasons: either through vocation or passion, or through a desire for personal development through training. The rewards in both cases consist of the positive emotions that this generates. Furthermore, it is a field that aims to promote fulfilment – a concept where one regularly updates oneself in order to achieve well-being. Nowadays,
young people operate in a way that is connected to performance, a process of individualisation where they want to differentiate themselves from others. But the questions that arise are: "How can one become a teacher in this era, where young students are looking for good reasons and motivations to choose their career in the form of constant self-actualisation, in a dynamic that seems limitless?" or "What would be the
profile of a teacher as a trainer of behaviour in the current era?" In our study, we aim to find adequate answers to these questions through a questionnaire that we administered to a sample of second-year students (specialising in Romanian, French and English) who are enrolled in the psycho-pedagogical module and are preparing for a career in teaching. Their responses will be analysed in order to obtain the most appropriate interpretations.

The Question of Identity in the Context of Child Adoption

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In defining the adoption process, most scholars emphasize its legal dimension. Nevertheless, the psycho-social dimension arising from the effects of adoption must not be overlooked. The psycho-social implications of adoption permeate all procedural stages—from the assessment of prospective adoptive parents and the matching process to the role played by social workers throughout the adoption, and especially to the formation of the adopted child’s identity. Self development in the adopted child is a complex and challenging process, as it requires integrating dual aspects: on the one hand, the connection to biological parents and origins, and on the other, the bond with the adoptive family and its culture. For this reason, the adoptive family’s ability to foster bicultural competencies in the adopted child is essential. Identity-related dimensions in the adoption process concern not only the child’s development of self but also the experiences of adoptive parents and birth parents. All of them go through a difficult process of adapting to the realities of adoption—a process marked by fears, infertility-related psychological burdens, and profound moral and emotional reflection.

Social media and the Reshaping of Family Interaction Patterns:

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This study explores the influence of social relationships formed via social media platforms on the nature of familial bonds. To address this objective, a field study was conducted involving a sample of 125 families from Laghouat City. A questionnaire was employed as the primary data collection instrument, offering a reliable and objective means of capturing participants' perspectives and attitudes. Given the complexity of the topic, the descriptive-analytical approach was adopted as the most appropriate framework for examining the phenomenon within its real-life context and for analyzing its various dimensions. The study seeks to develop
a comprehensive scientific understanding of the potential transformations in family relationships driven by the growing use of social media. The central research question guiding the investigation is: How do social media platforms influence the nature of relationships among family members? The findings reveal several significant insights, most notably: Social relationships developed through social media have a discernible impact on the privacy dynamics within family structures. Virtual interactions contribute to the emergence of new patterns in family communication.

Some Aspects of Mindful Communication in Neurological Practice

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Mindfulness has its origins in Buddhist traditions and encourages individuals to accept the present moment exactly as it is, without judging people, actions, or events. Mindfulness techniques are taken up by medical researchers and applied in therapeutic programs for mental health. Also, mindfulness contributes to improve the quality of medical communication, to developing the skills of transmitting and receiving
information, facilitating an effective, empathetic, and conscious dialogue between mental health professionals and patients. Mindfulness practices are welcome not only for patients but also for healthcare professionals, as they can help reduce emotional exhaustion, and develop skills to prevent burnout syndrome.

The Medicalization of Burnout Between Professional Authenticity and Bioethical Challenges

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Contemporary society attests to an increasing rate of burnout which creates tensions between individuals and professional environments. Initially considered specific to human services personnel, burnout has extended beyond healthcare to organizational leaders and entrepreneurs. This study examines the medicalization of burnout through bioethical principles, exploring tensions between medical intervention and professional authenticity. A demedicalization model emphasizing holistic health is proposed, addressing individual, organizational, and social levels while maintaining professional integrity without reducing the phenomenon to medical diagnosis and treatment alone.

Why do People Stay in Their Jobs? Perceived Organizational Support, Meaningful Work, and the Intention to Stay in the Organization

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This study investigates the relationships between Perceived Organizational Support (POS), Meaningful Work (MW), and the Intention to Stay in the organization (ITS), through a selective narrative review of the literature. It examines bidirectional mediation effects, considering MW as a mediator between POS and ITS, and POS as a mediator between MW and ITS. The study also introduces a conceptual matrix depicting four scenarios based on high and low levels of POS and MW, and their influence on employees’ intention to stay.
Evidence from the literature highlights that POS and MW play complementary and interdependent roles in shaping ITS. The analysis provides an integrated perspective with implications for theory and practice, particularly for organizational retention strategies.

Workplace Well-Being. A Perspective of Human Resources Employees

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In the organizational context, well-being at work has become a hot topic, being important not only for employees, but also for the success of companies. Employee motivation and commitment to the organization are closely linked to well-being and can influence organizational performance. An organization that promotes well-being has a positive work environment, relying on closely related relationships with
colleagues and superiors. The various professional development opportunities and benefits offered by the organization can result in an increased well-being for employees. Maintaining a work-life balance has the effect of reducing stress levels thanks to the implementation of a flexible work schedule. This research aims, through a cross-sectional, quantitative approach, to analyze the well-being at work from the perspective of human resources employees. It focuses on the relationship between commitment, satisfaction and stress levels, identifying the factors that influence well-being. The findings revealed that well-being at work is influenced by stress level, interpersonal relationships and work-life balance, thus underlining the importance of understanding the needs of each employee in order to achieve a high level of well-being.

Symbolist Space and Habitat

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This research aims to analyze the structure of space and habitat as it appears in the perceptions of 19th-century French artists and poets, using the tools of structural anthropology, inspired by Claude Lévi-Strauss, and of semiotics. For this purpose, we followed a scheme in concentric circles including: room→ house → windows → garden → city. To better understand this structure, we have analyzed each element separately. We saw that the further we advance on the scale of degrees of space’s openness, the more concrete reality is denied to us. This reality is replaced by a mental decor and various moods. For the symbolists, the tendency to harmonize in an agreeable manner with nature is almost non-existent. The perception of gardens is
embedded in the sphere of the dysphoric because it is associated with the isotopy of the twilight (which contains: evening, night, rain, autumn, winter and especially death). Moreover, the time which corresponds to the symbolist space is the twilight time which marks, fixes and above all provokes the march towards alienation. Therefore we can affirm, without fear of being wrong, that the perception of space in
Symbolism, completely removing the romantic nature, is nothing more than a state of mind, a mental reality, which will become neurotic in the symbolists, in general, melancholic in Verlaine and delirious in Rimbaud’s art.

Imprecation in Romanian Society – between Social Utility and Political Power Expression (I)

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The imprecation is generally understood as a manifestation form of the vicious relationship between individuals. Formulated in the public space, the imprecation communicates to others the need to be respected the own personal will, but also the need for compensation, reparations for disregarding of this will. This study proposes to analyse the acts and documents which were written in the extra-Carpathian Romanian premodernity. Starting from these texts, we focus our approach on the manifestation of
imprecation visible form, that are named the “public” or ”secular” imprecation. The perspective of study is an interdisciplinary one. But our approach is more extend, as dimension and complexity. From this reason, we propose to separate it: in the first part we analyse the social importance of imprecation and in the second one the role of imprecation to express the political authority. The conclusions of this study reflect two
understanding directions: the imprecation remains a “producer of fear” and a “barometer of human and community sensitivity” as well as a social instrument for warning, isolation, and social correction simultaneously. Generally, actioning as an instrument for imposing a judicial decision, the content of imprecation can support also the affirmation of the central political authority, confirming and consolidating its authority.

Language, Identity, and Cognitive Equity:

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The growing linguistic diversity in European classrooms, shaped by migration, presents both opportunities and challenges for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) education. This study examines how migration-based multilingualism can serve as a pedagogical resource rather than a deficit. Based on a six-month qualitative study in a linguistically diverse European region, it explores three themes: cognitive benefits of multilingualism in EFL learning, the relationship between language attitudes and student identity, and
policy approaches to inclusive education. Data from multilingual students and monolingual EFL teachers—collected through interviews, classroom observations, and policy analysis—reveal a tension: while students employ cross-linguistic strategies, classroom practices often discourage home language use, reinforcing stigma and limiting benefits. Teachers acknowledge the value of multilingualism but lack training to integrate it. Drawing on successful models, the study recommends translanguaging pedagogy, multilingual assessment frameworks, and community initiatives, concluding that systemic reform is essential to achieve linguistic equity and inclusion.

Reconstructing the Cohesion of Religious Communities in the Context of Atheist Policies in Communist

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In Communist Romania, although atheism was the official state policy, religious life was not completely suppressed. The Romanian Orthodox Church continued to operate with an organizational status recognized by the communist state, maintaining an administrative-territorial structure arranged according to its own canons. Theological institutes of university level and seminaries did not lose their theological, pastoral, and
socio-vocational significance. Theological journals, liturgical books, and religious works continued to be published regularly, although all of this occurred within a socio-political framework discreetly monitored by the authorities. At the same time, religious communities felt the ideological pressure of the atheist state, manifested through anti-religious education in schools and attempts to desacralize everyday life. In the early
years of the communist regime, some clergy and believers were investigated, arrested, and sentenced for their religious and confessional activities, which the authorities perceived as subversive. In this tense context, the cohesion of religious communities was rebuilt through a balance between institutional survival and the preservation of an authentic spiritual life, often expressed in discreet forms but charged with depth and inner resistance.