Biography
Her doctoral research took place at the Interuniversity Center for Social Science Theory and Methodology (ICS) and at European Research Center on Migration and Ethnic Relations.In 2007, she was a visiting scholar at the University of California at Berkeley, at the Survey Research Center, and in 2008 she went to the University of Sussex, Department of Psychology for an internship.
At the Graduate School of the Faculty of Social Sciences in Utrecht, she coordinated several workshops, international events and student exchanges, within the Trans-Atlantic Student Mobility Project in "Race, Ethnicity and Migration Studies" (EU-FIPSE).
She joined the In the Department of Psychology, at UL on the 1st of January 2010.
Most recently, Dr. Minescu engaged with Bright Club Ireland to disseminate her research through comedy:
First in 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN_UwiP2mPo
And in 2019: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKV06P8C8Lo
She set up and runs the Migration and Integration Research Lab Group, meeting every Tuesday from 4-5 pm (please email Sanctuary.Psychology@ul.ie if you would like to join).
Dr. Anca Minescu is the local academic coordinator for Erasmus Mundus Master in Psychology of Global Mobility, Inclusion and Diversity in Society Global-MINDS.
In June 2019,forward to participate in the Wisdom Together Conference Engage, connect and create from the Inner Core!, Munich, Germany.
Since UL's designation as a University of Sanctuary, Dr. Minescu led the development of the Sanctuary with Psychology Project. In March 2018, a trained group of volunteers started a range of activities providing social-psychological support for migrant groups, relevant training in intercultural competence and other related topics to those working with migrant communities, and linking our research activity with relevant stakeholders and policy makers. The current focus is also on creating an online source of documentation and awareness around issues of diversity, migration and inclusion.
Follow the Sanctuary with Psychology Project on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SanctuarywithPsychology/
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sanctuary-with-psychology-project
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanctuary_ul/
Email: Sanctuary.Psychology@ul.ie
Research Interests
Dr. Anca Minescu works in the broad field of ethnic relations, looking at people's attitudes and interactions with members from different ethnic or political groups. She researches social and political change, migration, diversity and inclusion from a social-psychological and cross-cultural perspective, using different research methodologies to capture the interaction between social context and individuals. She wants to contribute to a better world by increasing intercultural competence and acceptance of diversity and reducing prejudice and marginalization.
Dr. Minescu's main lines of research are:
- Cultural diversity and group-based prejudice. This covers a range of attitudes: from group stereotypes, to support for minority rights, and intercultural sensitivity and competence. Using a multiple group and multilevel approach, she investigates the effects of group power and relative status on individuals' intergroup attitudes and political goals.
- Group identities: What is it, how people construct their group identities and how the groups they belong to shape their worldviews. In particular, she researches the content of ethnic, national and other political identities (e.g., European, Asylum Seeker), the processes of identification and identity building with these groups. Group identities reflect complex interactions between social structure, national/political ideologies and the individuals involved.
- Political action and the sense of group position: Social and political changes in our societies are based on group mobilization and collective action. She is interested in the social-psychological processes that underlie engagement in political action, on behalf of groups and communities. The types and meanings of group identities and their effects on people's engagement with their ingroups and exclusion of outgroups are key processes in how we position ourselves in our societies and how we may participate in changing it.
Publications
Book
Book Chapter
Supporting Minority Rights: Inter-Group Determinants and Consequences
Minescu, A.
The Tension between Group Rights and Human Rights. A Multidisciplinary Approach
Are Minority Rights Beneficial for Inter-Ethnic Relations? The Impact of Political Ideologies and Group Position in Russia
Minescu, A.
Culture and Conflict. Liber Amicorum for Louk Hagendoorn
Conference Contribution
Final COST action IS1205 conference
O'Donnell, A. T., Muldoon, O. T., & Minescu, A.
Final COST action IS1205 conference
Muldoon, O. T., O'Donnell, A. T., & Minescu, A.
European Association of Social Psychology (EASP) 17th General Meeting
Minescu, A., O'Donnell, A., & Muldoon, O.
British Psychological Society (BPS) Social Section Annual Conference
Muldoon, O. T., O'Donnell, A. T., & Minescu, A.
15th Jena Workshop on 'The puzzle of "me" and "I": Individual and Collective Perspectives on Self and Identity'
Minescu, A., O'Donnell, A., & Muldoon, O.
Other Publication
‘I have not witnessed it personally myself, but…’: Epistemics in managing talk on racism against immigrants in Ireland
Sambaraju R.;Minescu A.
European Journal Of Social Psychology
DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2539
Peer Reviewed Journal
The last acceptable prejudice in Europe? Anti-Gypsyism as the obstacle to Roma inclusion
Kende A.;Hadarics M.;Bigazzi S.;Boza M.;Kunst J.R.;Lantos N.A.;Lášticová B.;Minescu A.;Pivetti M.;Urbiola A.
Group Processes & Intergroup Relations
DOI: 10.1177/1368430220907701
'We fight for a better future for our country': Understanding the Ukrainian Euromaidan movement as the emergence of a social competition strategy
Chayinska, M;Minescu, A;McGarty, C
British Journal Of Social Psychology
DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12283
"They've conspired against us": Understanding the role of social identification and conspiracy beliefs in justification of ingroup collective behavior
Chayinska, M;Minescu, A
European Journal Of Social Psychology
DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2511
Parents' and children's understanding of their own and others' national identity: The importance of including the family in the national group
Muldoon, OT,O'Donnell, AT,Minescu, A
Journal Of Community & Applied Social Psychology
DOI: 10.1002/casp.2308
Political solidarity through action (and inaction): How international relations changed intracultural perceptions in Ukraine
Chayinska, M,Minescu, A,McGarty, C
Group Processes & Intergroup Relations
DOI: 10.1177/1368430216682354
'The More We Stand For - The More We Fight For': Compatibility and Legitimacy in the Effects of Multiple Social Identities
Chayinska, M,Minescu, A,McGarty, C
Frontiers in psychology
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00642
A commentary on 'The effects of identification with a support group on the mental health of people with multiple sclerosis'
Gallagher, S,O'Donnell, AT,Minescu, A,Muldoon, OT
Journal Of Psychosomatic Research
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2013.07.004
Intergroup Conflict in Russia: Testing the Group Position Model
Minescu, A; Poppe, E
Social Psychology Quarterly
DOI: 10.1177/0190272511408057
Support for Separatism in Ethnic Republics of the Russian Federation
Hagendoorn, L., Poppe, E. & Minescu, A.
Europe-Asia Studies
Types of Identification and Intergroup Differentiation in the Russian Federation
Minescu, A., Hagendoorn, L., Poppe, E.
Journal Of Social Issues
Generality and Specificity in Stereotypes of Out-group Power and Benevolence: Views of Chechens and Jews in the Russian Federation.
Leach, C.W., Minescu, A., Poppe, E. & Hagendoorn, L.
European Journal Of Social Psychology