Philo-Germanism without Germans in Romania after 1989

Cercel, Cristian

doi:10.1177/0888325414550360

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…43 Cristian Cercel has convincingly argued that hierarchizing minorities and especially the phenomenon of "philo-germanism without germans" is also connected to the production of symbolic geographies whose aim is to insert Romania into the "civilized" Western world. 44…”

Section: Socio-historical Background: Changing Perceptions Of Developmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Escaping the “Balkanizing” Gaze? Perceptions of Global and Internal Developmental Hierarchies in Romania

Kiss

2017

East European Politics and Societies

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The article presents the perceptions of global and internal developmental hierarchies in Romania. According to our empirical results, the Western-centred developmental paradigm has deeply penetrated the worldviews of ordinary people in Romania. As a consequence, national self-perceptions, respectively, constructions of internal regional and ethnic differences in Romania, are powerfully shaped by the idea of East–West developmental hierarchies. Melegh introduced the concept of an “East–West slope” to denote a discursive construction used since the eighteenth century. This construction suggests that there is a gradual decline of development (or “civilization”) as one moves from the West (North West) toward the East (South East). The author argues that this framework not only defines how Romanians position themselves in the global developmental hierarchy but also how they define their internal (regional and ethnic) hierarchies. The article also discusses Todorova’s concept of Balkanism. This interpretive framework not only defines the perceptions of external observers but (following a process of cultural penetration) may also shape the self-perceptions of those involved. This article argues that Romanians have succeeded in avoiding—at least partially—the most severe consequence of the “Balkanizing gaze,” which is a constant sense of inferiority. It is also important, however, that this Balkanizing gaze can be reproduced at a national/local level and (in interrelation with other types of developmental discourses) can organize internal hierarchies.

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Section: Socio-historical Background: Changing Perceptions Of Developmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, symbolically the german community/ heritage remains very visible in Romania today. 47 The proportion of Hungarians has also dropped. Presently, 20 percent of Transylvania and 6.5 percent of Romania is part of the Hungarian community (numbering 1.3 million people).…”

Section: Figurementioning

confidence: 99%