Remus Creţan | West University of Timisoara (original) (raw)

Papers by Remus Creţan

Tourism Review, 2024

Purpose: This paper examines souvenir sellers as unconventional micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on ... more Purpose: This paper examines souvenir sellers as unconventional micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on non-economic motives for selling. Design: A qualitative methodology was employed. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 souvenir sellers in the Romanian city of Timişoara. These were analysed using thematic analysis which identified 4 non-economic motives for selling souvenirs. Findings: Souvenir selling was a matter of choice rather than economic necessity. While these sellers were entrepreneurs who were seeking to generate income, non-economic motives were also important. These included passion, hobbyism, and interpersonal interactions with customers. Some sellers considered themselves as cultural intermediaries, representing place and tradition to their customers. Originality: Souvenir sellers are little researched, and this is one of few studies that has investigated this group outside Developing World contexts. It emphasises the importance of unconventional entrepreneurship and non-economic motives for selling souvenirs in a European context. Research Implications: In a European context, selling souvenirs can be a matter of lifestyle choice rather than economic necessity. Micro-entrepreneurs are frequently motivated by passion, hobbyism and interpersonal rewards as much as financial profit. This represents a particular form of unconventional or lifestyle entrepreneurship. Practical Implications: The encouragement of on-street souvenir sellers by urban managers can add vibrancy to a city, enhancing the experiences of local communities and visitors. This can also encourage the development of an artisan class to enhance a city's reputation as a creative place.

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Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning, 2023

Construction of the Iron Gates I hydroelectric project on the Danube River between 1966-1972 was ... more Construction of the Iron Gates I hydroelectric project on the Danube River between 1966-1972 was the result of collaboration between Romania and Yugoslavia. The scale of the project resulted in the permanent displacement and relocation of several communities along the river. The aim of this article is to consider how vulnerability among the displaced communities manifested and the lasting effects this has had on efforts to adapt to life in new locations. The article draws on archival research to examine the contemporaneous processes and decision-making around the construction. It then presents the results of a survey of displaced residents conducted more than 40 years after relocation to identify how displacement was experienced, as well as its lasting effects. The results suggest that the different forms of vulnerability within the community that hampered adaptation continued to shape the community long after the displacement event. They also point to the aggregating nature of vulnerability, as efforts at adaptation continued to be shaped by the interaction of social, economic, and geographical factors.

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Area, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the persistent problem of gender, class and racial inequality that ... more The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the persistent problem of gender, class and racial inequality that has been neglected or poorly addressed globally. The effect of the lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions on the home cannot be undermined. Additionally, investigations on the relationship between Roma migrant women, household practices and the COVID-19 pandemic still warrant more exploration in the social scientific literature. This research investigates these topics through the lens of Romanian Roma migrant women in Spain during the pandemic. Using geographies of home and gender perspectives based on focus group interviews with Roma women in eastern Spain, we claim that these women encountered multiple problems during the pandemic, built through replication of practices, objects and rhetoric of home. The findings suggest that home has not lost its utility, as the experiences of Roma migrant women during the COVID-19 crisis give fresh aspects for reconsidering the living conditions for women and their families under restricted pandemic circumstances. We conclude that Roma women reproduce and co-produce the home as a living space in times of pandemic crisis.

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Land, 2023

Scholars have shown a special interest in discovering and studying the role of ethnic diversity a... more Scholars have shown a special interest in discovering and studying the role of ethnic diversity and spatiality at the country and region levels. This study contributes to the theoretical debate on the spatial dynamics of ethnicities, with the aim of (1) determining the evolution of ethnic
dynamics in post-communist Romania and (2) applying ethnic fractionalisation and polarisation indices. The study uses a mixed methods approach based on a descriptive statistics analysis and
applies the fractionalisation and polarisation indices to Romania’s NUTS-3 (i.e., county) level. The findings suggest that the ethnic spatial dynamics in post-communist Romania have shown a decrease in all ethnicities due to migration and low birth rates, with the exception of the Roma ethnicity,
for whom the trend is increasing. Additionally, polarisation and fractionalisation indices have different evolutionary manifestations depending on the dynamics of the ethnic groups present in certain geographical areas. Although neither of the two analysed indices has witnessed profound change at the spatial level, these small changes in spatial and short-term ethnic diversity can help us advance knowledge about co-existence in ethnically diverse societies. Higher values of the two
indices are obvious in several counties where ethnic Hungarians cohabitate with Romanians and other ethnicities. This discovery can inform policy-makers to implement more policies for the further
peaceful co-existence of Hungarians, Romanians, and other ethnic groups in Transylvania and other western counties in Romania. Furthermore, as the population growth trend for the Roma ethnicity is upward, Romania has to implement proper policies and build better government infrastructure to counter social inequality against the Roma people. This will help curb potential conflicts between the Roma and other ethnic groups at the local level. Finally, as most ethnicities decreased in number in post-communist times, further attention needs to be paid to the erosion of ethnic diversity in Romania because this could have a negative impact on economic development, social trust, and democracy.

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E3S Web Conf. Volume 435, 2023 VII International Scientific Conference “Cities of New Age: GLASS” (REC-2023), 2023

Recent studies have indicated that residents' perceptions on urban neighbourhoods are a multidime... more Recent studies have indicated that residents' perceptions on urban neighbourhoods are a multidimensional indicator that refers to an individual's perception of their own position in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns in various social contexts. Our article makes theoretical and empirical contributions to discussions on the perceptions of residents of a historic neighbourhood and how they experience changes in the the context of postsocialist period. Using a questionnaire launched to Timişoara residents (N=480), in the historic district of Fabric, the findings of our study indicate that the degradation of historical buildings, the living space and living conditions are the main causes of dissatisfaction on the part of residents. Although the advantages of the Fabric neighbourhood are its historical heritage and the central location in Timisoara, the state of decay of the historical buildings and the lack of safety are among the major problems of the neighbourhood identified in the narratives of the respondents.

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Journal of Urban and Regional Analysis, 2023

The issue of intercultural negotiation among ethnic minorities in border areas has been widely de... more The issue of intercultural negotiation among ethnic minorities in border areas has been widely debated in the social sciences, but the roles played by spatial vicinity and cultural proximity in influencing ethnic membership in borderland areas is still under-researched. This article addresses the role of geographic vicinity among ethnic minorities residing in a border area and the way cultural proximity is involved in this process. The research uses a questionnaire and interviews with a sample of members of ethnic groups (Hungarians, Bulgarians, Serbs and Ukrainians) who live in western Romania (Timiș county). The findings highlight that geographic proximity constitutes a key factor in the manifestation of cultural proximity in the relationship between ethnic minorities and their counterparts in the cross-border region. This process is also shaped by the bilateral relations between the host country and the country of origin of the ethnic group. Concluding the analysis, a crossover ethnic model is proposed.

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Geographica Pannonica, 2023

Recent research indicates that there are critical physical, psychological, verbal and economic is... more Recent research indicates that there are critical physical, psychological, verbal and economic issues that shape the types of violence to which women are subject. This study analyses how Roma migrant women fall victim to domestic abuse, both in their home country (Romania) and abroad (Spain). Drawing on literature regarding violence against women, a survey (N=132) was conducted with Romanian Roma migrant women in Spain to understand the ways in which they reconstructed their gender identities in the face of violence. Further semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five Roma migrant women to determine the ways in which these women perceived the forms of violence to which they fell victim, what caused their partners to become perpetrators, and what roles their own families played in this scenario. The findings of our study reveal the inherent insecurities that violence has inflicted on our participants, unmask the destructive effects on the family unit, and explain how some of the interviewees were able to transcend their experience and initiate a process of resetting their gender identities. If the predominance of the traditional patriarchal structure of Roma society can be observed during the life experiences of the Roma women in Romania, the gender characteristics are changing among those Roma women who have migrated to Spain: there is a greater emphasis on a fairer distribution of domestic tasks, decision-making in the family, and their ability to adapt to new possibilities for professional development. The study concludes that although violence against Roma women is still a real issue in Spain, women are redefining their gender identities to resist traditional patriarchal structures.

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Area, 2023

This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the nat... more This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the national and local spatial politics of urban smart projects work out in practice. While in previous decades the concept of smart city referred mainly to the digital and technological realm as an indicator of the performance of cities, today it is taking on a broader range of meanings, so as to also cover such areas as governance, environment, housing and people. However, the critical literature on smart cities highlights two potential disadvantages: firstly, that urban planners who decide to pursue a smart city vision run the risk of creating a kind of power and control over residents; and secondly that there appears to be an incompatibility between smart cities and the informal. Moreover, the spatial and the critical dimensions of the governance of urban smart projects are still insufficiently researched. By using a comparative and developmental quantitative methodology for the urban smart projects of Romania and taking the city of Timisoara as a case study, this study highlights the fact that large cities are not always the best represented; our findings show that peripheral small cities and towns may enjoy a more balanced distribution of smart projects. Furthermore, our evaluation of the spatial distribution (centre–periphery) of smart city projects in Timişoara—a European Capital of Culture in 2023—reveals a higher level of investment in smart projects in its urban periphery. By presenting new critical understandings of the spatial interrelationships of smart city development, the study contributes to the geography of smart cities.

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Societies, 2021

Memorial museums are frequently established within transitional justice projects intended to reck... more Memorial museums are frequently established within transitional justice projects intended to reckon with recent political violence. They play an important role in enabling young people to understand and remember a period of human rights abuses of which they have no direct experience. This paper examines the impact of a memorial museum in Romania which interprets the human rights abuses of the communist period (1947–1989). It uses focus groups with 61 young adults and compares the responses of visitors and non-visitors to assess the impact of the museum on views about the communist past, as well as the role of the museum within post-communist transitional justice. The museum had a limited impact on changing overall perceptions of the communist era but visiting did stimulate reflection on the differences between past and present, and the importance of long-term remembrance; however, these young people were largely skeptical about the museum’s role within broader processes of transitio...

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Identities, 2022

Eastern Europe has seen considerable social, economic and political upheaval since 1989. Migratio... more Eastern Europe has seen considerable social, economic and political upheaval since 1989. Migration has been an important element of this change, with the removal of restrictions enabling individuals to move in search of opportunities. Resulting patterns of internal migration rest on a longer history of movement, linked to the communist-era pursuit of economic development and modernization. Proximity to Western Europe has seen some regions receive greater migrant flows, leading to resentment and distancing among the resident population. Focusing on rural settlements in the Banat region, southwestern Romania, this article examines how receiving communities perceive the effects of internal migration. The findings suggest entrenched stereotypes established during the communist-era remain prominent in patterns of stigmatization and maintenance of social distance. They also point to underlying tensions between the desire to protect local culture and tradition, while ensuring the continued viability of small settlements in the face of threats of depopulation.

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Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2022

Geographers have studied memory for decades, but there is currently a renewed interest in places ... more Geographers have studied memory for decades, but there is currently a renewed interest in places of postmemory: sites to which memories of a past are connected, that engage those who have no living memory of the past in question. By combining a process-tracing approach to several post-communist surveys with in-depth interviews with members of the younger generation about their postmemories of the communist past, this paper explores places associated with postmemories of communism amongst young people in contemporary Romania, focusing on two types of place: (1) mega-constructions, prisons and deportation sites; and (2) sites connected to everyday life (home, shops, hospitals). The findings suggest that “postmemories in places” are reproduced and co-produced by younger people in a nuanced and complex way. Spatial postmemories of communism are not simply formed by parental or grandparental experiences of communism itself, but are also shaped by experiences of the initial post-communist period. Younger people’s complex range of “postmemories in places” towards the communist past are politically multivalent: postmemory of specific sites related to the cultural welfare of the communist past did not necessarily indicate a political commitment to its restoration amongst interviewees; and postmemories of political violence associated with particular sites did not preclude unilateral pride in national achievements prior to 1989. Furthermore, “postmemory in place” is not a passive process, but one that is shaped by both a critical attitude to the responses of older generations towards particular places, and the challenges of the capitalist present.

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Geographica Pannonica, 2021

Many Central and Eastern European countries elected nationalist parties after the collapse of com... more Many Central and Eastern European countries elected nationalist parties after the collapse of communism: a phenomenon often attributed to a combination of socioeconomic crisis and political instability. In 2010s, after the decay of other nationalist parties, Romania was seen as an exception to this rule, but the Covid-19 pandemic times have witnessed the rapid rise of a new nationalist party: the AUR (the Alliance for the Union of Romanians). Parliamentary elections in December 2020 saw this new political force gain 9.1% of the vote. Whereas previous nationalist parties in post-Communist Romania tended to appeal to more senior/elderly voters, there is evidence that the AUR vote is strong amongst men under the age of 35 who are educated to an elementary or high school level. This paper uses national electoral data, media analysis, and in-depth interviews with young, educated people to explore the spatial distribution of AUR support, the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has assisted the party's rise to prominence, and attitudes amongst university students to both the style and content of their politics. The paper concludes that the AUR offer a potent mix of old nationalism, religious faith, traditional family values and new ideological elements, such as environmentalism, anti-globalization, and anti-government critique to create a self-consciously 'alternative' political rhetoric. This is presented via new channels (especially social media) in a deliberately opportunistic, controversial, and spectacular manner. However, our investigation suggests that neither the content nor the style of this politics has widespread appeal among the more educated younger participants to the interview.

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Cities, 2021

Policymakers are eager to create socially mixed neighbourhoods, even though evidence for the posi... more Policymakers are eager to create socially mixed neighbourhoods, even though evidence for the positive impact of social mixing is patchy. In this paper, we examine the relationship between social mixing, social capital, and the lived experience of residents affected by the desegregation of an urban Roma area. Using qualitative data from a participatory action research (PAR) process in Hungary, we explore the two-way relationship between desegregation and bonding, bridging, and linking forms of social capital. Our results suggest that desegregation has complex and contradictory impacts on lived experience, and that these relate to changes in social forms of capital. Our findings speak to the heterogeneity of the Roma segregated community, and to the multifaceted nature of social capital as a resource. We conclude that the presence of strong negative neighbourhood effects, acknowledged by marginalized residents themselves, indicates that social mixing can contribute to the enhancement of wellbeing and social mobility for many segregated Roma families. However, desegregation alone is insufficient, and further policies are required to increase socio-spatial integration and deal with the social, economic, and cultural causes of extreme poverty.

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Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power , 2021

The issue of otherness in the social construction of ethnicities and ruralm... more The issue of otherness in the social construction of ethnicities and ruralmulticulturalism has long attracted the attention of scholars. By following a postcolonialbackground, this paper investigates the social construction of Roma as ‘other’ in a multiculturallandscape (the Romania-Serbia border) using interviews with participants of different ethnicgroups. This paper addresses the following questions: (i) Is the Roma population in this areacompletely spatially segregated (or are settlement patterns more complex than this, with a greaterdegree of social mixing)? (ii) How do different kinds of prejudice against Roma operate withinthis multicultural context? (iii) How does discrimination against the Roma interface with powerrelations, in particular political power in the area? The findings indicate that, alongside ethno-nationalist racism, Roma face prejudice from apparently more ‘progressive’ groups, who acceptmulticulturalism, yet blame the Roma for their own disadvantaged social and economic positionon the grounds of a failure to integrate that is pictured as ‘backward’. We therefore conclude bycalling for an enhanced and radical pluralism to combat the vilification of rural Roma

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International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2022

Roma discrimination and stigmatization in Europe are well-documented with urban scholars emphasiz... more Roma discrimination and stigmatization in Europe are well-documented with urban scholars emphasizing pervasive prejudices and stereotypes alongside negative policy outcomes. However, the focus on Roma marginality has tended to centre on punitive state and urban governance to the neglect of everyday urban relations. This article focuses on the micro manifestations of stigmatization – racialized urban encounters – and their neglected longer-term affects for Roma in Czechia and Romania. Ethnographic research and in-depth qualitative interviews with Roma expose a complex, dynamic and multi-layered response to stigmatization that challenges the simplistic binary of resistance versus the internalization of stigma. The concept of fragmented habitus is deployed in capturing this dynamic process and nuancing the urban inhabitation of a long-term stigmatized and racialized position, beyond generic “Otherness”. We argue for more attention to the specificities and complexities of everyday relations and their affects in capturing the interdependence between urban encounters, the longer-term construction of Roma inferiority, and the heterogeneous, dynamic and ambivalent ways in which Roma inhabit their racialized urban position.

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Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2022

Plans to open a globally significant gold mine at Roşia Montană, in the Transylvanian region of R... more Plans to open a globally significant gold mine at Roşia Montană, in the Transylvanian region of Romania, have led to decades of controversy and struggle. This paper explores different understandings of extraction amongst advocates for and opponents of the mine over the last two decades. We discuss the shifting roles of capital, the state, civil society organisations, and the local community over time, arguing for the need to distinguish between their different positions on mining. In particular, we contend that the understanding of extraction promoted by the owners of the mine, and by the local community, is fundamentally different in terms of cultural, social, and economic priorities. The local community argue for a traditional type of mining, embedded in local ownership and established labor identities, whereas the neoliberal vision of capital for the Roşia Montană site is that of a globally competitive, technologically advanced form of extraction. In uncovering and developing these hermeneutic differences, the paper reveals that pro-traditional development attitudes among economically marginalized groups are not necessarily attuned to the material global interconnections shaping neoliberal capitalism.

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Geographica Pannonica, 2020

Stigmatisation of Roma people has long received attention in the academic literature but the inte... more Stigmatisation of Roma people has long received attention in the academic literature but the internalisation of stigma among segregated urban Roma has been little researched. By adopting a theoretical perspective on collective identity and (urban Roma) racial stigmatisation, this paper aims to 1) understand the broader nature of urban Roma stigmatisation maintained by the non-Roma people and among the Roma, and 2) better position the internalisation of stigma and the burden of Roma stigmatisation. The paper uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a research methodology, taking a disadvantaged neighbourhood of the city of Szeged, Hungary as a case study. The findings suggest that stigmatisation against urban Roma is a process which has deeply rooted historical backgrounds, and current efforts which strive for desegregation and integration of urban Roma will be difficult to implement, as stigmatisation remains in the collective mentality. The importance of this study rests on bringing all major dimensions of stigma together, highlighting what policymakers should consider when addressing them in the longer term. We argue that the existing urban policies towards the Roma people need to be readdressed, with clear power given to the voices of the Roma, particularly from institutions which aim to protect them.

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Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2020

COVID-19 has played out in Romania in a similar way to that in many other European countries. The... more COVID-19 has played out in Romania in a similar way to that in many other European countries. The government implemented decisive early measures which were able to keep the infection and mortality rates relatively low. This paper considers three distinctive aspects of the situation in Romania. First, the situation was complicated by the influence of transnational migrant workers, large numbers of whom returned to Romania when the pandemic started, accounting for distinct geographical variations in the rates of infection. At the same time, large numbers were able to leave the country at the height of the pandemic because they were “needed” for low-paid agricultural/social care work in western European countries. Second, the pandemic placed tension on Romania’s relationship with the EU, whilst highlighting a number of existing issues between Romania and its neighbors. Third, Romania’s strict lockdown measures exacerbated long-standing internal tensions, particularly with regard to the large and marginalized Roma community. The paper concludes by considering some of the possible longer-term implications for Romania of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Urban Geography , 2020

The fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania in October 2015 led to sustained, nation... more The fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania in October 2015 led to sustained, nationwide protests that forced the resignation of the government. These protests drew on deep-seated feelings of injustice due to rampant corruption among the political elite. The capital city location provided an opening for spontaneous actions to present claims to power holders. We aim to identify how the urban space was used to initiate and scale up a meaningful challenge to the governing system by examining the evolution of these protests. Through analysis of interviews with protest participants and nonparticipants resident in Bucharest, we identify factors that mobilized participants and how these built and reinforced the developing movement. The findings emphasize the importance of (capital) cities in incubating social movements, by providing spaces to organize challenges to institutional actors from the local to the national level.

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Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 22(4): 465-477, 2020

This special edition examines various aspects of urban tourism in the post-communist cities of Ce... more This special edition examines various aspects of urban tourism in the post-communist cities of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It begins by examining the nature of tourism restructuring in the region since the end of communism and the way that this unfolds in cities. It then examines major global changes in the nature of tourism and their impacts on urban tourism in CEE. These include the growing demand among tourists for new experiences and destinations; the impact of budget airlines on tourism in smaller cities; the impacts of the sharing economy (particularly Airbnb); and the growing emphasis on events and festivals as a means of attracting visitors to cities. The article ends by introducing the six articles that make up this special edition.

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Tourism Review, 2024

Purpose: This paper examines souvenir sellers as unconventional micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on ... more Purpose: This paper examines souvenir sellers as unconventional micro-entrepreneurs, focusing on non-economic motives for selling. Design: A qualitative methodology was employed. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 20 souvenir sellers in the Romanian city of Timişoara. These were analysed using thematic analysis which identified 4 non-economic motives for selling souvenirs. Findings: Souvenir selling was a matter of choice rather than economic necessity. While these sellers were entrepreneurs who were seeking to generate income, non-economic motives were also important. These included passion, hobbyism, and interpersonal interactions with customers. Some sellers considered themselves as cultural intermediaries, representing place and tradition to their customers. Originality: Souvenir sellers are little researched, and this is one of few studies that has investigated this group outside Developing World contexts. It emphasises the importance of unconventional entrepreneurship and non-economic motives for selling souvenirs in a European context. Research Implications: In a European context, selling souvenirs can be a matter of lifestyle choice rather than economic necessity. Micro-entrepreneurs are frequently motivated by passion, hobbyism and interpersonal rewards as much as financial profit. This represents a particular form of unconventional or lifestyle entrepreneurship. Practical Implications: The encouragement of on-street souvenir sellers by urban managers can add vibrancy to a city, enhancing the experiences of local communities and visitors. This can also encourage the development of an artisan class to enhance a city's reputation as a creative place.

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Journal of Settlements and Spatial Planning, 2023

Construction of the Iron Gates I hydroelectric project on the Danube River between 1966-1972 was ... more Construction of the Iron Gates I hydroelectric project on the Danube River between 1966-1972 was the result of collaboration between Romania and Yugoslavia. The scale of the project resulted in the permanent displacement and relocation of several communities along the river. The aim of this article is to consider how vulnerability among the displaced communities manifested and the lasting effects this has had on efforts to adapt to life in new locations. The article draws on archival research to examine the contemporaneous processes and decision-making around the construction. It then presents the results of a survey of displaced residents conducted more than 40 years after relocation to identify how displacement was experienced, as well as its lasting effects. The results suggest that the different forms of vulnerability within the community that hampered adaptation continued to shape the community long after the displacement event. They also point to the aggregating nature of vulnerability, as efforts at adaptation continued to be shaped by the interaction of social, economic, and geographical factors.

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Area, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the persistent problem of gender, class and racial inequality that ... more The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the persistent problem of gender, class and racial inequality that has been neglected or poorly addressed globally. The effect of the lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions on the home cannot be undermined. Additionally, investigations on the relationship between Roma migrant women, household practices and the COVID-19 pandemic still warrant more exploration in the social scientific literature. This research investigates these topics through the lens of Romanian Roma migrant women in Spain during the pandemic. Using geographies of home and gender perspectives based on focus group interviews with Roma women in eastern Spain, we claim that these women encountered multiple problems during the pandemic, built through replication of practices, objects and rhetoric of home. The findings suggest that home has not lost its utility, as the experiences of Roma migrant women during the COVID-19 crisis give fresh aspects for reconsidering the living conditions for women and their families under restricted pandemic circumstances. We conclude that Roma women reproduce and co-produce the home as a living space in times of pandemic crisis.

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Land, 2023

Scholars have shown a special interest in discovering and studying the role of ethnic diversity a... more Scholars have shown a special interest in discovering and studying the role of ethnic diversity and spatiality at the country and region levels. This study contributes to the theoretical debate on the spatial dynamics of ethnicities, with the aim of (1) determining the evolution of ethnic
dynamics in post-communist Romania and (2) applying ethnic fractionalisation and polarisation indices. The study uses a mixed methods approach based on a descriptive statistics analysis and
applies the fractionalisation and polarisation indices to Romania’s NUTS-3 (i.e., county) level. The findings suggest that the ethnic spatial dynamics in post-communist Romania have shown a decrease in all ethnicities due to migration and low birth rates, with the exception of the Roma ethnicity,
for whom the trend is increasing. Additionally, polarisation and fractionalisation indices have different evolutionary manifestations depending on the dynamics of the ethnic groups present in certain geographical areas. Although neither of the two analysed indices has witnessed profound change at the spatial level, these small changes in spatial and short-term ethnic diversity can help us advance knowledge about co-existence in ethnically diverse societies. Higher values of the two
indices are obvious in several counties where ethnic Hungarians cohabitate with Romanians and other ethnicities. This discovery can inform policy-makers to implement more policies for the further
peaceful co-existence of Hungarians, Romanians, and other ethnic groups in Transylvania and other western counties in Romania. Furthermore, as the population growth trend for the Roma ethnicity is upward, Romania has to implement proper policies and build better government infrastructure to counter social inequality against the Roma people. This will help curb potential conflicts between the Roma and other ethnic groups at the local level. Finally, as most ethnicities decreased in number in post-communist times, further attention needs to be paid to the erosion of ethnic diversity in Romania because this could have a negative impact on economic development, social trust, and democracy.

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E3S Web Conf. Volume 435, 2023 VII International Scientific Conference “Cities of New Age: GLASS” (REC-2023), 2023

Recent studies have indicated that residents' perceptions on urban neighbourhoods are a multidime... more Recent studies have indicated that residents' perceptions on urban neighbourhoods are a multidimensional indicator that refers to an individual's perception of their own position in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns in various social contexts. Our article makes theoretical and empirical contributions to discussions on the perceptions of residents of a historic neighbourhood and how they experience changes in the the context of postsocialist period. Using a questionnaire launched to Timişoara residents (N=480), in the historic district of Fabric, the findings of our study indicate that the degradation of historical buildings, the living space and living conditions are the main causes of dissatisfaction on the part of residents. Although the advantages of the Fabric neighbourhood are its historical heritage and the central location in Timisoara, the state of decay of the historical buildings and the lack of safety are among the major problems of the neighbourhood identified in the narratives of the respondents.

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Journal of Urban and Regional Analysis, 2023

The issue of intercultural negotiation among ethnic minorities in border areas has been widely de... more The issue of intercultural negotiation among ethnic minorities in border areas has been widely debated in the social sciences, but the roles played by spatial vicinity and cultural proximity in influencing ethnic membership in borderland areas is still under-researched. This article addresses the role of geographic vicinity among ethnic minorities residing in a border area and the way cultural proximity is involved in this process. The research uses a questionnaire and interviews with a sample of members of ethnic groups (Hungarians, Bulgarians, Serbs and Ukrainians) who live in western Romania (Timiș county). The findings highlight that geographic proximity constitutes a key factor in the manifestation of cultural proximity in the relationship between ethnic minorities and their counterparts in the cross-border region. This process is also shaped by the bilateral relations between the host country and the country of origin of the ethnic group. Concluding the analysis, a crossover ethnic model is proposed.

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Geographica Pannonica, 2023

Recent research indicates that there are critical physical, psychological, verbal and economic is... more Recent research indicates that there are critical physical, psychological, verbal and economic issues that shape the types of violence to which women are subject. This study analyses how Roma migrant women fall victim to domestic abuse, both in their home country (Romania) and abroad (Spain). Drawing on literature regarding violence against women, a survey (N=132) was conducted with Romanian Roma migrant women in Spain to understand the ways in which they reconstructed their gender identities in the face of violence. Further semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five Roma migrant women to determine the ways in which these women perceived the forms of violence to which they fell victim, what caused their partners to become perpetrators, and what roles their own families played in this scenario. The findings of our study reveal the inherent insecurities that violence has inflicted on our participants, unmask the destructive effects on the family unit, and explain how some of the interviewees were able to transcend their experience and initiate a process of resetting their gender identities. If the predominance of the traditional patriarchal structure of Roma society can be observed during the life experiences of the Roma women in Romania, the gender characteristics are changing among those Roma women who have migrated to Spain: there is a greater emphasis on a fairer distribution of domestic tasks, decision-making in the family, and their ability to adapt to new possibilities for professional development. The study concludes that although violence against Roma women is still a real issue in Spain, women are redefining their gender identities to resist traditional patriarchal structures.

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Area, 2023

This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the nat... more This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the national and local spatial politics of urban smart projects work out in practice. While in previous decades the concept of smart city referred mainly to the digital and technological realm as an indicator of the performance of cities, today it is taking on a broader range of meanings, so as to also cover such areas as governance, environment, housing and people. However, the critical literature on smart cities highlights two potential disadvantages: firstly, that urban planners who decide to pursue a smart city vision run the risk of creating a kind of power and control over residents; and secondly that there appears to be an incompatibility between smart cities and the informal. Moreover, the spatial and the critical dimensions of the governance of urban smart projects are still insufficiently researched. By using a comparative and developmental quantitative methodology for the urban smart projects of Romania and taking the city of Timisoara as a case study, this study highlights the fact that large cities are not always the best represented; our findings show that peripheral small cities and towns may enjoy a more balanced distribution of smart projects. Furthermore, our evaluation of the spatial distribution (centre–periphery) of smart city projects in Timişoara—a European Capital of Culture in 2023—reveals a higher level of investment in smart projects in its urban periphery. By presenting new critical understandings of the spatial interrelationships of smart city development, the study contributes to the geography of smart cities.

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Societies, 2021

Memorial museums are frequently established within transitional justice projects intended to reck... more Memorial museums are frequently established within transitional justice projects intended to reckon with recent political violence. They play an important role in enabling young people to understand and remember a period of human rights abuses of which they have no direct experience. This paper examines the impact of a memorial museum in Romania which interprets the human rights abuses of the communist period (1947–1989). It uses focus groups with 61 young adults and compares the responses of visitors and non-visitors to assess the impact of the museum on views about the communist past, as well as the role of the museum within post-communist transitional justice. The museum had a limited impact on changing overall perceptions of the communist era but visiting did stimulate reflection on the differences between past and present, and the importance of long-term remembrance; however, these young people were largely skeptical about the museum’s role within broader processes of transitio...

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Identities, 2022

Eastern Europe has seen considerable social, economic and political upheaval since 1989. Migratio... more Eastern Europe has seen considerable social, economic and political upheaval since 1989. Migration has been an important element of this change, with the removal of restrictions enabling individuals to move in search of opportunities. Resulting patterns of internal migration rest on a longer history of movement, linked to the communist-era pursuit of economic development and modernization. Proximity to Western Europe has seen some regions receive greater migrant flows, leading to resentment and distancing among the resident population. Focusing on rural settlements in the Banat region, southwestern Romania, this article examines how receiving communities perceive the effects of internal migration. The findings suggest entrenched stereotypes established during the communist-era remain prominent in patterns of stigmatization and maintenance of social distance. They also point to underlying tensions between the desire to protect local culture and tradition, while ensuring the continued viability of small settlements in the face of threats of depopulation.

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Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2022

Geographers have studied memory for decades, but there is currently a renewed interest in places ... more Geographers have studied memory for decades, but there is currently a renewed interest in places of postmemory: sites to which memories of a past are connected, that engage those who have no living memory of the past in question. By combining a process-tracing approach to several post-communist surveys with in-depth interviews with members of the younger generation about their postmemories of the communist past, this paper explores places associated with postmemories of communism amongst young people in contemporary Romania, focusing on two types of place: (1) mega-constructions, prisons and deportation sites; and (2) sites connected to everyday life (home, shops, hospitals). The findings suggest that “postmemories in places” are reproduced and co-produced by younger people in a nuanced and complex way. Spatial postmemories of communism are not simply formed by parental or grandparental experiences of communism itself, but are also shaped by experiences of the initial post-communist period. Younger people’s complex range of “postmemories in places” towards the communist past are politically multivalent: postmemory of specific sites related to the cultural welfare of the communist past did not necessarily indicate a political commitment to its restoration amongst interviewees; and postmemories of political violence associated with particular sites did not preclude unilateral pride in national achievements prior to 1989. Furthermore, “postmemory in place” is not a passive process, but one that is shaped by both a critical attitude to the responses of older generations towards particular places, and the challenges of the capitalist present.

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Geographica Pannonica, 2021

Many Central and Eastern European countries elected nationalist parties after the collapse of com... more Many Central and Eastern European countries elected nationalist parties after the collapse of communism: a phenomenon often attributed to a combination of socioeconomic crisis and political instability. In 2010s, after the decay of other nationalist parties, Romania was seen as an exception to this rule, but the Covid-19 pandemic times have witnessed the rapid rise of a new nationalist party: the AUR (the Alliance for the Union of Romanians). Parliamentary elections in December 2020 saw this new political force gain 9.1% of the vote. Whereas previous nationalist parties in post-Communist Romania tended to appeal to more senior/elderly voters, there is evidence that the AUR vote is strong amongst men under the age of 35 who are educated to an elementary or high school level. This paper uses national electoral data, media analysis, and in-depth interviews with young, educated people to explore the spatial distribution of AUR support, the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has assisted the party's rise to prominence, and attitudes amongst university students to both the style and content of their politics. The paper concludes that the AUR offer a potent mix of old nationalism, religious faith, traditional family values and new ideological elements, such as environmentalism, anti-globalization, and anti-government critique to create a self-consciously 'alternative' political rhetoric. This is presented via new channels (especially social media) in a deliberately opportunistic, controversial, and spectacular manner. However, our investigation suggests that neither the content nor the style of this politics has widespread appeal among the more educated younger participants to the interview.

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Cities, 2021

Policymakers are eager to create socially mixed neighbourhoods, even though evidence for the posi... more Policymakers are eager to create socially mixed neighbourhoods, even though evidence for the positive impact of social mixing is patchy. In this paper, we examine the relationship between social mixing, social capital, and the lived experience of residents affected by the desegregation of an urban Roma area. Using qualitative data from a participatory action research (PAR) process in Hungary, we explore the two-way relationship between desegregation and bonding, bridging, and linking forms of social capital. Our results suggest that desegregation has complex and contradictory impacts on lived experience, and that these relate to changes in social forms of capital. Our findings speak to the heterogeneity of the Roma segregated community, and to the multifaceted nature of social capital as a resource. We conclude that the presence of strong negative neighbourhood effects, acknowledged by marginalized residents themselves, indicates that social mixing can contribute to the enhancement of wellbeing and social mobility for many segregated Roma families. However, desegregation alone is insufficient, and further policies are required to increase socio-spatial integration and deal with the social, economic, and cultural causes of extreme poverty.

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Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power , 2021

The issue of otherness in the social construction of ethnicities and ruralm... more The issue of otherness in the social construction of ethnicities and ruralmulticulturalism has long attracted the attention of scholars. By following a postcolonialbackground, this paper investigates the social construction of Roma as ‘other’ in a multiculturallandscape (the Romania-Serbia border) using interviews with participants of different ethnicgroups. This paper addresses the following questions: (i) Is the Roma population in this areacompletely spatially segregated (or are settlement patterns more complex than this, with a greaterdegree of social mixing)? (ii) How do different kinds of prejudice against Roma operate withinthis multicultural context? (iii) How does discrimination against the Roma interface with powerrelations, in particular political power in the area? The findings indicate that, alongside ethno-nationalist racism, Roma face prejudice from apparently more ‘progressive’ groups, who acceptmulticulturalism, yet blame the Roma for their own disadvantaged social and economic positionon the grounds of a failure to integrate that is pictured as ‘backward’. We therefore conclude bycalling for an enhanced and radical pluralism to combat the vilification of rural Roma

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International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 2022

Roma discrimination and stigmatization in Europe are well-documented with urban scholars emphasiz... more Roma discrimination and stigmatization in Europe are well-documented with urban scholars emphasizing pervasive prejudices and stereotypes alongside negative policy outcomes. However, the focus on Roma marginality has tended to centre on punitive state and urban governance to the neglect of everyday urban relations. This article focuses on the micro manifestations of stigmatization – racialized urban encounters – and their neglected longer-term affects for Roma in Czechia and Romania. Ethnographic research and in-depth qualitative interviews with Roma expose a complex, dynamic and multi-layered response to stigmatization that challenges the simplistic binary of resistance versus the internalization of stigma. The concept of fragmented habitus is deployed in capturing this dynamic process and nuancing the urban inhabitation of a long-term stigmatized and racialized position, beyond generic “Otherness”. We argue for more attention to the specificities and complexities of everyday relations and their affects in capturing the interdependence between urban encounters, the longer-term construction of Roma inferiority, and the heterogeneous, dynamic and ambivalent ways in which Roma inhabit their racialized urban position.

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Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2022

Plans to open a globally significant gold mine at Roşia Montană, in the Transylvanian region of R... more Plans to open a globally significant gold mine at Roşia Montană, in the Transylvanian region of Romania, have led to decades of controversy and struggle. This paper explores different understandings of extraction amongst advocates for and opponents of the mine over the last two decades. We discuss the shifting roles of capital, the state, civil society organisations, and the local community over time, arguing for the need to distinguish between their different positions on mining. In particular, we contend that the understanding of extraction promoted by the owners of the mine, and by the local community, is fundamentally different in terms of cultural, social, and economic priorities. The local community argue for a traditional type of mining, embedded in local ownership and established labor identities, whereas the neoliberal vision of capital for the Roşia Montană site is that of a globally competitive, technologically advanced form of extraction. In uncovering and developing these hermeneutic differences, the paper reveals that pro-traditional development attitudes among economically marginalized groups are not necessarily attuned to the material global interconnections shaping neoliberal capitalism.

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Geographica Pannonica, 2020

Stigmatisation of Roma people has long received attention in the academic literature but the inte... more Stigmatisation of Roma people has long received attention in the academic literature but the internalisation of stigma among segregated urban Roma has been little researched. By adopting a theoretical perspective on collective identity and (urban Roma) racial stigmatisation, this paper aims to 1) understand the broader nature of urban Roma stigmatisation maintained by the non-Roma people and among the Roma, and 2) better position the internalisation of stigma and the burden of Roma stigmatisation. The paper uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a research methodology, taking a disadvantaged neighbourhood of the city of Szeged, Hungary as a case study. The findings suggest that stigmatisation against urban Roma is a process which has deeply rooted historical backgrounds, and current efforts which strive for desegregation and integration of urban Roma will be difficult to implement, as stigmatisation remains in the collective mentality. The importance of this study rests on bringing all major dimensions of stigma together, highlighting what policymakers should consider when addressing them in the longer term. We argue that the existing urban policies towards the Roma people need to be readdressed, with clear power given to the voices of the Roma, particularly from institutions which aim to protect them.

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Eurasian Geography and Economics, 2020

COVID-19 has played out in Romania in a similar way to that in many other European countries. The... more COVID-19 has played out in Romania in a similar way to that in many other European countries. The government implemented decisive early measures which were able to keep the infection and mortality rates relatively low. This paper considers three distinctive aspects of the situation in Romania. First, the situation was complicated by the influence of transnational migrant workers, large numbers of whom returned to Romania when the pandemic started, accounting for distinct geographical variations in the rates of infection. At the same time, large numbers were able to leave the country at the height of the pandemic because they were “needed” for low-paid agricultural/social care work in western European countries. Second, the pandemic placed tension on Romania’s relationship with the EU, whilst highlighting a number of existing issues between Romania and its neighbors. Third, Romania’s strict lockdown measures exacerbated long-standing internal tensions, particularly with regard to the large and marginalized Roma community. The paper concludes by considering some of the possible longer-term implications for Romania of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Urban Geography , 2020

The fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania in October 2015 led to sustained, nation... more The fire in the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest, Romania in October 2015 led to sustained, nationwide protests that forced the resignation of the government. These protests drew on deep-seated feelings of injustice due to rampant corruption among the political elite. The capital city location provided an opening for spontaneous actions to present claims to power holders. We aim to identify how the urban space was used to initiate and scale up a meaningful challenge to the governing system by examining the evolution of these protests. Through analysis of interviews with protest participants and nonparticipants resident in Bucharest, we identify factors that mobilized participants and how these built and reinforced the developing movement. The findings emphasize the importance of (capital) cities in incubating social movements, by providing spaces to organize challenges to institutional actors from the local to the national level.

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Journal of Balkan and Near Eastern Studies 22(4): 465-477, 2020

This special edition examines various aspects of urban tourism in the post-communist cities of Ce... more This special edition examines various aspects of urban tourism in the post-communist cities of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It begins by examining the nature of tourism restructuring in the region since the end of communism and the way that this unfolds in cities. It then examines major global changes in the nature of tourism and their impacts on urban tourism in CEE. These include the growing demand among tourists for new experiences and destinations; the impact of budget airlines on tourism in smaller cities; the impacts of the sharing economy (particularly Airbnb); and the growing emphasis on events and festivals as a means of attracting visitors to cities. The article ends by introducing the six articles that make up this special edition.

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Comparative Southeast European Studies, 2021

'Corona and Work around the Globe' is an interesting collection of chapters which provide a world... more 'Corona and Work around the Globe' is an interesting collection of chapters which provide a worldwide perspective on how the coronavirus pandemic has brought significant transformations to labour. The impact of COVID-19 is reflected through a selection of country-related case studies. The book looks at how the pandemic has changed work practices and labour relations in different parts of the world, with debates sometimes connecting to historical perspectives and narratives.

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Housing Studies, 2020

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