Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

National Identity Through Prototypes And Metaphors: The Case Of "Romanianness", Razvan Sibii

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The last country God created was Romania. Realizing that he still had a lot of riches left over from the other countries, He let Romania have more natural treasures than anybody else. Seeing this, Saint Peter asked in surprise: "My Lord, why are you giving this country more riches than you've given to any other?" "Don't you worry," said the Lord, "Just wait 'till you see the people I will put in charge of those riches!..."

Whether Saint Peter was eventually satisfied with Romania's condition, we do not know. What this paper does investigate, however, is what God meant by …

Imagine This: An Object Starting A Revolution: The Radio, Exiled Voice, And The Mute Poet In Communist Romania, Irina Popescu

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper analyzes the role played by Radio Free Europe in redistributing sound inside Romania, a country which experienced one of the most repressive communist regimes in Eastern Europe. By following the work of Monica Lovinescu, a cultural critic and writer, and Ana Blandiana, a poet, and leaning heavily on the theoretical framework provided by Giorgio Agamben, this paper uncovers the potential of disembodied voices. Voice, therefore, drives the revolution, providing the Romanian population with a means of escape, a means with which to reclaim their words and thus begin making demands for change. Two types of sounds/voices will be …

Societal Sources Of Negative Attitudes Against The Roma: The Case Of Romania, Eliza Markley, Darina Lepadatu

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Romania is the home of one of the largest Roma minorities in the world. This paper examined sources of negative attitudes toward the Roma in Romania by testing two explanations, that of societal integration and contact on a nationally representative sample. Our findings suggest that the negative attitudes against the Roma are largely driven by the type of relationships and contact that Romanians develop with the Roma. Having Roma in the family or as friends or colleagues at work decreases Romanians ' negative attitudes against the Roma. On the contrary, as the contact theory states, being in limited contact with …

Overcoming Communism's Dysfunctional Legacy: The Romanian Case, Paul E. Michelson

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The paper develops the idea that post-communist societies are dysfunctional societies and applies this analysis to a study of contemporary Romania, 1989-2011. It looks at how the historical experiences of Romania both before and during communist rule created such a society, the development of Romania as a dysfunctional society between 1989 and 2002, and assesses the progress Romania has made in dealing with its legacy between 2002 and 2011 on the basis of several international indices.

Romania's Recovery After The Economic Crisis, Claudiu Doltu, Marcel Duhaneanu

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Compared with other countries in the region, Romania reacted slowly to the recent economic and financial crisis. After eight years of strong growth (200 1-2008), Romania's economic contraction was among the most severe in the region. Significant macroeconomic corrections occurred in 2010 but at the cost of compressing the household consumption and the investment. Downward adjusting the domestic demand by rapidly decreasing nominal wages and increasing taxes also discouraged businesses by increasing uncertainty. Partially, the macroeconomic policy worked well in 2010. However a steady growth in the next years will depend on the following three conditions: 1) reducing the transaction …

State Weakness In Post-Communist Romania And The Legacy Of Communism, Marian Negoita

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper examines the, effect of communist regimes on postcommunist state weakness through a detailed case study of the Romanian political system. The central claim is that the totalitarian, NeoStalinist communist Romanian regime was responsible for the postcommunist state weakness. Through such measures as cadre rotation, the "blending" of state and Party structures, and planning, the Romanian state apparatus was transformed into a servile conveyor belt for Nicolae Ceausescu's orders and ensured the hollowing-out of the state. This proved a major factor during the post-communist transformation, paving the way to post-communist patronage networks linking politicians, enterprise managers, and the state.

Manipulation And Counter-Framing: A Content Analysis Of Media's Response To The Anti-Communist Movements In 1990 Romania, Adrian Popan

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The purpose of the present article is to demonstrate the importance of counter-framing for the outcome of social movements. To do so, I focus on a particular case, namely Romanian society during the first half of 1990. The research identifies some strategies of the ruling group to create and impose their own framework and to align it with the interests of the people. It is based on content analysis of a Romanian daily newspaper faithful to the government, employing grounded theory as the method of research. The analysis highlights several relevant categories, grouped under two main subsections: creating an unfavorable …

Religion And Politics In Romania: From Public Affairs To Church-State Relations, Lavinia Stan, Lucian Turescu

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

In November 2010, Romanian legislator Liviu Campanu, representing the governing coalition, proposed Daniel Ciobotea as Prime Minister of a cabinet of "national union." The suggestion was surprising because Ciobotea is leader of the Orthodox Church, accounting for 86.8% of the country's population (International Religious Freedom Report, 2009). It would not be the first time when the Orthodox Patriarch assumed such a political role - Miron Cristea headed the government from 1938 to 1939. While Ciobotea quietly ignored it, the proposal reflected not only deep dissatisfaction with the government, but also the respect the Orthodox Church enjoys among Romanians. The Church …