A social constructionist approach to institutional change: the case of the Romanian Competition Council
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2023, Statistics, Politics and Policy, pp. 1-19
One of the most challenging problems of our society has always been the resistance of institutions to change. When they are responsible for managing change, crises, and achieving a maximum level of efficiency, in a world full of communication, we search for ways to help and constrain the institutions to adapt and change. For this, we analyze the Romanian Competition Council case in search of methods and tools that contribute to institutional adaptation and increase efficiency.
Internet research tools and methods – a continuous challenge in the activity of the ethics and deontology commissions
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2022, Revista Etică și Deontologie, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 73-84
Our approach to the internet in the last 20 years raised new challenges for research ethics, such as: demonstrating the veracity of information without compromising the participants’ identities, defining a community in the online space, etc.
In the light of these events, my study focuses on the value of ethical behavior in research, examines the contemporary ethical challenges in research, and proposes solutions to address them.
Europe and China: cultural clashes or cultural blending
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2022, Revista Universitară de Sociologie. Year XVIII, no. 1, pp. 109-122
The whole world went through a continuous process of change after the IIWW. It was believed that this change would create a new level of conflict for the big civilizations – the cultural level (Huntington, 1993).
Institutionalism – a different perception of human behavior and social organization
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2021, Academia Letters. Article no. 1632
In everyday life we witness different phenomena. They are of a social, political, organizational, economic, and other nature. Over time, researchers came up with different theories to explain these phenomena, the reason why institutionalism appeared as a theory meant to help us understand reality.
The 21st century technology as techne, episteme and praxis
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2021, Revista Universitară de Sociologie. Year XVII, Issue 1, pp. 112-124
To bring a new definition to technology, we start from the idea that man has built technology according to his resemblance so that it can do human work. For technology to cross the tool threshold, it needed to mimic human intelligence – which it did, and because of this we define technology by looking at its capacity of being episteme, techne and praxis.
Positivism – from weaknesses to new openings
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2020, Revista Universitară de Sociologie. Year XVI, Issue 1, pp. 151-166
The constructivists took its place of fame. It has fallen so much that some authors considered it dead. Intrigued by this change, we started our journey in finding why the positivism failed and if there is a resurrection way for it. We analyze the positivist basic ideas to find the reasons for its decline. After understanding its weaknesses, we follow the recent scientific discoveries, seeking to reinforce the basic principles of positivism and we highlight a new positivist law through which we can study and understand the world.
Competition policy and its impact on society
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2019, Revista Universitară de Sociologie. Year XV, Issue 1, pp. 202-214
The 2nd World War brought the European states to the brink of an unprecedented economic crisis. It transformed the European economy into a production line focused on military goods and a war based economy. To overcome this, a common European market and a new set of policies for managing the lives of Europeans were needed. Competition policy is a key policy for managing the European market. Yet, we are interested in how important is it in ensuring social welfare.
The spillover effect of the EU economy on the culture
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2019, International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, vol. 87, pp. 23-31
Even at first, the idea of empowering economy was a very good one, after politics, culture, agriculture, science, and other domains were directly linked to the economic development and economy was seen as the nucleus of development of all. Yet, we are asking ourselves: is the economy role only a positive one in the development of other domains?
Europeanization of Turkey and the long way to EU membership
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2019, International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences, vol. 86, pp.1-9
Everything begins in 1959 when Turkey applied to associate membership to the European Economic Community. But unfortunately, the accession was not to accomplish. In time, the European Economic Community became the European Union, the organization passed through the enlargement process multiple times, yet Turkey has not obtained its membership. After all this time, a question is raised: what drags Turkey from achieving the membership status in all this time?
Coalition of states for influence in the European Council. Brexit – a step towards decisional balance in the European Council?
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2018, Open Political Science, vol. 1, no.1, pp. 124-130
Years after Brexit, the European Union continues to remain a prominent actor in international relations; we are still interested in whether the EU institutions will act on the same principles or we will see changes in the decision-making process. It is all about new coalitions, new rules, and a different face of Europe, one where the Franco- German couple will guide the European bloc.
Crisis, emotion, and control: Rethinking governance and institutional responses to uncertainty
by Doina Gavrilov
Published in 2025, Revista Universitară de Sociologie. Year XXI, Issue 3, pp. 188-206
This study explores how fear and uncertainty, particularly during crises, shape states’ behavior and governance models. By adopting a naturalistic perspective rooted in natural human responses to fear and uncertainty, this paper uses the European Union as a case study to examine how modes of governance shift during crises compared to periods of relative stability.