Faculty of Communication and Public Relations

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Browsing Faculty of Communication and Public Relations by Author "Bîră, Monica"

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    Advertising Challenges in the Ageing Society: The Preferences of the Regular Gym-goers towards Age Portrayals in Advertising
    (College of Communication and Public Relations, NUPSPA, 2018) Duduciuc, Alina; Bîră, Monica; Zyrtec, Liora
    Research studies from various disciplines including sociology, psychology, social psychology, marketing, advertising and media research have analyzed the representation of old-aged people in advertising, as well as the consumers’ habits of a targeted population aged 50 and over. Despite the availability of data on inappropriate depiction of seniors in media (including advertising), little research has been done so far to understand which are the seniors’ preferences regarding their portrayal in certain advertising campaigns. The aim of the current study was to explore the preferences of middle-aged adults toward the representation of old age in advertising. Specifically, we tested whether there is a relationship between the preferences of Romanians gym-goers (45-60 years) on age-related advertising and their body image. The results showed that the middle-aged adults prefer models that do not necessary match their age, that is the young older model. Our data also revealed that the choices for age representations in advertising were not associated with respondents’ body image emotions in certain contexts or situations. No significant relationship between body image and preference towards age-related representations in advertising was obtained. Additionally, the analysis of the data also revealed that compared to men, women are more likely to express displeasure with their body weights, and they believe the body image strongly impacts their self-esteem during life.
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    Culture and Aging. Exploring older generations through the lenses of shifting patterns
    (Department of International Relations and European Integration of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, 2023-07-10) Duduciuc, Alina; Bîră, Monica; Ivan, Loredana
    Worldwide, the phenomenon of population aging has been acknowledged by statistics, and the irreversible rate of aging presents exceptional challenges. In 1950, only 22% of the European population belonged to the age group of 50+. In 2019, the same age group accounted for 38% of the European population. In the next 30 years, the percentage of older adults (+50 and above) is projected to reach 46% of the population (Rogelj & Bogataj, 2019). However, despite the significant demographic shift, only recently academic researchers and policymakers have begun to recognize the importance of the rapidly growing silver segment within the population structure and its implications for the social and economic development of society for the coming decades. In response to the rapidly growing older market, the business world has reacted differently (Kohlbacher & Herstatt, 2011) to the demand of population aging: some appear to be unaware of the existence of this phenomenon; others are considering it loss-making; while few are actively seeking for solutions to be age-friendly pioneering by developing and promoting innovative products aiming to silver consumers.
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    Involving Older People in Participatory Action Research: An Example of Participatory Action Design
    (College of Communication and Public Relations, NUPSPA, 2018) Schiau, Ioana; Ivan, Loredana; Bîră, Monica
    Participatory Action Research (PAR) has as a main goal the collaborative construction and production of meanings between the researchers and the participants. PAR has been largely used in the area of technology creation and appropriation involving end-users in different stages of technology designing process. However, research studies concerning older people and their use of technology employ PAR to a lesser extent. In the current paper we provide arguments for the value of different participative action approaches when studying technology appropriation by older people, and present an example of a participatory action design that we have implemented in three Romanian cities, with people 60+, to reveal the way older adults depict their experience in using Facebook. We used a five-step collaborative research design – (1) initial evaluation; (2) training session; (3) immediate evaluation; (4) group co-creation; (5) final evaluation – to reflect on the participants’ experience through groups techniques and participant observation notes. Results reveal the fact that one trainer per each participant, adapting the interaction to the participant’s individual needs, intergenerational trainer-trainee communication and patience, as well as proper timing of the organized sessions are key factors to foster participant engagement with social media. In addition, the proposed participatory action design proved to have some potential to empower older people in long time engagement with social media.
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    Risk and Crisis Communication Research in Romania
    (John Wiley & Sons, 2025) Buzoianu, Corina; Bîră, Monica; Bârgăoanu, Alina
    The chapter looks into the theories, methods, and means of crisis communication in Romania by examining the evolution of research and practices since the fall of communism. As a result of the transition period that followed the events of 1989, the field of communication, and, consequently, crisis communication-related topics, have been shaped by the adoption of theories, practices, and guidelines from US and Western European literature. When discussing the development of risk and crisis communication in Romania, we must consider the various context-dependent challenges and constraints that have impacted both scholars and practitioners. For this, the chapter delves into the institutional, media, and audience perspectives of crisis communication in Romania.
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    Social Support Mediated by Technology. A Netnographic Study of an Online Community for Mothers
    (2020) Bîră, Monica; Daba-Buzoianu, Corina; Tudorie, George
    New mothers experience social isolation, and they sometimes lack experience in interacting withtheir babies. Social support accessed via information and communication technologies (ICTs) can helpmitigate such difficulties. Social media groups, in particular, offer opportunities for interacting with oth-er mothers, thus locating an alternative and potentially powerful source of support. In this study, wedescribe such an online community of mothers in Romania, aiming at capturing the mechanisms of so-cial support in the group, and also, schematically, the changing norms of motherhood they are relatedto. The paper expands on a four-dimensional analysis of social support – informational, emotional, af-firmational, and instrumental components (Langfort et al., 1997; Leger & LeTourneau, 2015). It thenintroduces the results of the netnography we conducted in the context of a three-week data gatheringperiod in the observed community. We suggest that the physiognomy of support we observed is relat-ed to changing normative models of motherhood in this Eastern-European nation. In helping each oth-er, the mothers we observed also expressed their difference from older generations, and their personaland professional aspirations.
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    Through the public’s lens: are museums active members of society? an investigation during the COVID-19 pandemic
    (Springer, 2021-04-01) Zbuchea, Alexandra; Romanelli, Mauro; Bîră, Monica
    Traditionally, museums have cultural and educational roles. Increasingly, however, museums are also assuming a social role in engaging with visitors and communities and strengthening social involvement coherently given the changing expectations of the public. Museums have become participatory organisations that contribute to the well-being of society. Considering the global health challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, this chapter investigates the way museums have responded to support their communities, as well as the public’s perception of museums’ civic profile. An online survey was applied in Italy, Romania, and the Republic of Moldova to identify the dimensions of the activity of museums regarding how the support offered by museums is visible and appreciated. The study shows that museums reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, developing online and digital sources to adapt and deliver their offers, to have a voice within society. Generally speaking, it seems that the public does not pay much attention to museums concerned in contemporary societal debates. Understanding the public image of museums helps museums redesign their organisation and activities to meet the expectations of contemporary audiences coherently, given the recent societal developments. This investigation is among the first to highlight the way museums have assumed an activist role, providing support to the wider public, by reacting to the COVID-19 pandemic.