Constructing Europeanization as a Public Problem through Media, in the Context of European Integration of Romanian Society.

Project's acronym: COMESTOS

Exploratory research project PN II - idei: 2009-2011, funded by NURC - ROMANIA.

 

PROJECT'S ABSTRACT:

The goal of this research project is to broaden the knowledge of the process of Europeanization through media in a society which has had a different modernization trend than many of EU member states. We call this trend "tendentious modernization".
European integration is related to the requests of citizens regarding the construction of the European space in every country and at EU level. Television is an important agent in expressing citizens' problems related to the Europeanization process. Consequently, the specific research goals of this project are:
1. Identifying Romanians' requests regarding Europeanization and the channels to transmit and acknowledge these requests;
2. Establishing the degree in which mass media, especially television reflects the projects, governmental or other social actors' projects regarding the Romanian society's Europeanization;
3. The study of television as an agent of Europeanization in the process of transition from the tendentious modernization of Romanian society to structural modernization of the European community.

Methodologically, the study of the role of television in the process of Europeanization requires convergence of more methods and techniques of research:

• for the first objective: questionnaire-based sociological survey to identify Romanians' requests and semi-structured interviews with journalists, for the channels;
• for the second objective: we will use the analysis of social documents and case studies regarding the effects of tv broadcasts on social policies Europeanization;
• for the third objective: we will use the content analysis of TV programs;

PROJECT'S PRESENTATION

The goal of this research project is to broaden the knowledge of the process of Europeanization through media in a society which has had a different modernization trend than many of EU member states. We call this trend "tendentious modernization". In the Romanian space, the mass media have evolved together with society and consequently they make the transition from a society where modernity has been rather a tendency than a fully-articulated process to a European society.
This investigation requires an analysis of European integration and expectations on Europeanization through the media, especially through television. The role of mass media in Europeanization is determined by changes taking place in transnational, supra-national and trans-cultural communication.
A question is worth asking: Are the Romanian media, television, especially, able to reflect the new tendencies of acknowledging European identity and differences in the new European public space resulting from EU-enlargement? In this context, we try to establish whether the Europeanization process can be explained through empty forms theory.
European integration is related to the requests of citizens regarding the construction of the European space in every country and at EU level. Television is an important agent in expressing citizens' problems related to the Europeanization process.
Consequently, the specific research goals of this project are:
1. Identifying Romanians' requests regarding Europeanization and the channels to transmit and acknowledge these requests;
2. Establishing the degree in which television reflects governmental projects or other social actors' projects regarding the Romanian society's Europeanization;
3. The study of television as an agent of Europeanization in the process of transition from the tendentious modernization of Romanian society to structural modernization of the European community.

Europeanization is a reality that is just being constructed, a process identified until present with mere formal mechanisms. Although European Union has its own institutional structures, values and symbols, they are not adopted unconditionally by European citizens, through pro-European attitudes and behaviour. Today, the evolution of European Union reiterates at different standards and with different means, previous experiences of the peoples who shaped their national state in the 19th century, grounded on the principle of nationalities. In order to be a viable construction, Europe needs citizens who can make sense of a European identity.
The project analyses the public television's programs dedicated to parliamentary elections (2008) and presidential elections (2009). The project examines to what degree the candidates' agendas are reflected in the news broadcast by public television.
The first hypothesis: If decisions and values of European Union are sustained and promoted by public television through a permanent and coherent program, then the process of Europeanization of the Romanian society will be consolidated and materialized in a European identity.
The second hypothesis: If public television is addressing its audience as citizens rather than as mere consumers, then the European agenda will have an important place in news bulletins.
Structurally, the research has two parts: one dedicated to theoretical aspects, which will aim at accomplishing the first objective of this project, and one dedicated to the sociological approach of the relation between Europeanization and mass-media, with an emphasis on public television.
The project's originality is proven by:
a) The approach of Europeanization starting from a Romanian model explaining the modern evolution of the Romanian society, mainly a tendentious modernity - the "forms without substance" theory;
b) The project brings forth the study regarding the involvement of the media in Europeanization, a theme which is not relevantly approached in Romanian literature;
c) Going beyond the problem of Romania's accession to European Union and subsidiary research, and thus the our study treys to argument that Europeanization is a phenomenon with which contemporary Romanian society is unavoidably confronted.
d) Conducting case-studies on phenomena of Europeanization in the Romanian public sphere, reflected by television.

Methodology of the research

1. for the first objective: Identifying Romanians' requests regarding Europeanization and the channels to transmit and acknowledge these requests: questionnaire-based sociological survey to identify Romanians' requests and semi-structured interviews with journalists, for the channels;
2. for the second objective: Establishing the degree in which television reflects governmental projects or other social actors' projects regarding the Romanian society's Europeanization: we will use the analysis of social documents and case studies regarding the effects of TV broadcasts on social policies Europeanization;
3. for the third objective: The study of television as an agent of Europeanization in the process of transition from the tendentious modernization of Romanian society to structural modernization of the European community: we will use the content analysis of TV programs.