Oana Dan

Graduate Student in Sociology

Biographical Note

Oana was born in Bucharest, Romania, where she lived until she finished high school. With a strong background in science (especially Mathematics), Oana chose to enroll at Middlebury College, a liberal arts school in Vermont, because she desired the freedom to explore more academic options, especially in the social sciences. At Middlebury, Oana took her first sociology classes and double majored in Sociology and French, with a minor in Mathematics. Her honors thesis in Sociology analyzed the symbolic adaptation of the hippie counterculture to the contemporary political and economic context, as evidenced by the members of one of the social clubs on campus. Oana’s fluency in French allowed her to study abroad in Paris, France, at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (“Sciences Po”). There, she discovered her interest in political science and especially in European Union politics. She also became aware of the indelible bond between sociology and political science, which provided fertile ground for her future research. Oana began her doctoral training in Sociology at Harvard right after graduating from Middlebury in 2005 (Summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa). She is currently working on her dissertation, which analyzes the influence of elite discourse on public opinion in the European Union over time and across countries. Her research relies on both quantitative data and qualitative fieldwork conducted in Paris, France and Brussels, Belgium. In general, her work pursues her interest in understanding and modeling the determinants of political attitudes.

01/06/2011

Research Interests

Political sociology, public opinion, transnational institutions, citizenship; civil society; policy and political marketing; the European Union.

Previous Degrees

BA in Sociology and French (Middlebury College, 2005)

Miscellaneous Additional Information

Optional Sections on General Exams

Political sociology, Culture

Contact

(617) 495-4488 (Phone)
617-496-5794 (FAX)

CGIS K-265
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
1737 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

Office Hours

By appointment