Regional and Ethnic Identity in the Rural Area of Timiş County, Romania
Regional and Ethnic Identity in the Rural Area of Timiş County, Romania

Summary/Abstract: This study presents results of a field survey of the rural population of Timiş County in Romania focussing on the strategies of identity construction and affirmation on the levels of personal, national, and regional identity. As part of a quantitative survey, three case studies have been carried out in three villages attempting a qualitative description and analysis of elements of rural identity construction. Social identification processes, by which each member of society can easily determine the social identity of any other member, emphasize the functionality of the socio-cultural system. Our study revealed, among other things, that in Banat for all ethnic groups and strangers to become “one of us” depends largely on living and acting in conformity with the values and behaviours which are considered typically “Banat-ian” by the local population. On the village level this includes also the Roma whose stereotypical image is generally negative.

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