December 1989, Romania – a culture steeped in secrecy-fuelled paranoia is reflected in the family of six-year-old Adam Stan, whose father is missing and no one concedes to even talk about it. In the first of two sections of 2, a novel, through the eyes of Adam the child, the narrative explores the fall of Ceaușescu's regime and the incandescent bouts of hope brought on by the first Romanian democratic summer, but overshadowed by the presence of an absent father. Adam keenly experiences the joys and injustices of private and public life in both urban and rural Romanian landscapes, before he is forced to emigrate with his mother to the United States. The latter half of the novel sees the adult Adam return to his native Romania after an absence of over two decades, having been reunited with his father and fully assimilated into American life. Adam’s first impressions are of a country still in social and political turmoil, but his Romanian senses are dulled, his outlook cynical, his father’s prohibitive voice never far from his mind. However, the seemingly new scenery and the people he meets end up exposing forbidden memories which prompt Adam’s curiosity for coming to terms with his family’s past. Dualities construct the framework of Adam’s journey: innocence and experience, child- and adulthood, nationhood and otherness, (post)communism and capitalism, personal and national trauma, culture and identity. 2, a novel is a story about family, displacement, language, but most of all about finding a sense of self despite the ambivalent responsibility that comes with inheriting one’s history.

Europe is taking on a new meaning to many people these days and is now referred to as the European Union. For those countries, which are not yet members, to join the European Union is a very important and defining decision. Romania is one of the “next to be” members. With Romania being the next inline to join the Union, large corporations and enterprises are turning to Romania for new opportunities. It might be interesting for Swedish or foreign companies to open a business or start investing in Romania. That step is a very important one because there is no specific literature, which can provide relevant information about the Romanian business market and management style. These potential investors or business executives have no idea about the project management procedures or the implementation of technical projects inside the Romanian economy. To provide the answer to these questions more extensive and deeper studies will have to be done in the future. The purpose of this thesis is to become a reference in the future for those companies which are considering doing business in Romania. The goal of this research is to provide valuable and reliable answers concerning the attitude of Swedish and Romanian leaders in meetings with their employees. These attitudes build on the differences in culture and nationality. The leadership of companies in Romania and Sweden has very different meanings in those countries. In the beginning I will provide definitions to the terms that will use: attitude, culture, leadership and meeting. The respondents were chosen based on their previous leadership positions in the institution they used to work. This research will demonstrate the aspects that Swedish leaders have or do not have in common with their Romanian colleagues.

El propósito de esta investigación es estudiar las intenciones de crecimiento de las empresas de nuevos empresarios en una economía en transformación. Para ello se examina el caso concreto de Rumania. El estudio encuentra evidencia a favor de la existencia de 1) dos dimensiones conceptuales asociadas con las fuerzas socio-culturales que dan forma a la transición económica y política del país y 2) los conceptos teóricos asociados con el crecimiento y desarrollo socio-económico basado en la creación de empresas. Para ser específicos, la tesis investiga las relaciones entre la creación de empresas, la dinámica familiar y el desarrollo de las empresas privadas durante la transición socio-económica que ha tenido lugar en Rumania.La pregunta de investigación es la siguiente: "¿Cuáles son los niveles y los planes específicos de expansión entre los nuevos empresarios en Rumania, una nación del antiguo bloque soviético?; ¿Cuáles son las variables que predicen estos planes de expansión y cómo el sistema de valores del entorno social y la familia, especialmente, afectan a estos planes de crecimiento?El objetivo de esta investigación es examinar con detalle las dimensiones individuales, grupales y del entorno que tienen un impacto en el desarrollo de las nuevas empresas a través de los planes de crecimiento y desarrollo de los empresarios. Los objetivos específicos, entonces, son los siguientes: 1) identificar los planes de crecimiento de las nuevas empresas que los empresarios quieren poner en marcha, 2) determinar los niveles de intensidad con los cuales los empresarios desean aplicar sus planes de crecimiento y 3) investigar el impacto que la dinámica familiar tiene en las intenciones de crecimiento planificadas.En primer lugar se desarrolla un modelo teórico multidimensional acerca de los predoctores de los planes de expansión. Concretamente, se identifica un conjunto de variables y su relación con los planes de expansión de los empresarios. Tres dimensiones teóricas forman el modelo predictivo: 1) variables a nivel micro relacionadas con la personalidad del empresario, 2) variables a nivel intermedio relacionadas con la dinámica social, especialmente la familiar y 3) variables a nivel macro relacionadas con el entorno en el cual el empresario desarrolla su labor.Los resultados de una encuesta realizada a 410 empresario rumanos es utilizada para poner a prueba el modelo teórico multidimensional. Los datos fueron recogidos a partir de la encuesta del 'perfil del empresario' que ha sido utilizada en Europa, Asia y América. La muestra incluye una gran variedad de grupos industriales y es muy rica en detalles acerca del comportamiento del empresario. Para su análisis se ha utilizado una combinación de técnicas multivariantes de investigación que han permitido obtener las dimensiones teóricas no observables a partir de los indicadores suministrados por la muestra y después analizar las relaciones establecidas. / The focus of this study is to investigate the entrepreneurial growth intentions and expansion plans of new entrepreneurs in a transforming economy. As a focused method of investigation one country, Romania is examined. The study probes both the conceptual dimensions associated with the socio-cultural forces shaping transition, and the theoretical concepts associated with entrepreneurial centered socio-economic growth and development. Specifically the dissertation investigates the relationships between entrepreneurship, family dynamics and private enterprise development during socio-economic transition in Romania.The general research question posed is "What are the levels, and specific types of expansion plans found among new entrepreneurs in the former Soviet Bloc nation of Romania; what are the predictors of these expansion plans; and how do the environmental value systems and family dynamics impact planned growth?"The objective of this study is to examine thoroughly the different individual, group and environmental dimensions which impact entrepreneurial venture development via planned growth intentions and expansion plans. The study's central objectives are to 1) to identify what types of planned growth initiatives entrepreneurs intend to pursue, 2) to ascertain the levels of intensity entrepreneurs have towards planned growth, and 3) to investigate the impact family dynamics have on planned growth intentions.A theoretical multidimensional model of the predictors of expansion plans is developed. Specifically, a set of exogenous variables comprising a sequence of relationships are hypothesized to be related to entrepreneurial expansion plans. Three dimensions comprise the predictive model; 1) Micro level variables associated with the entrepreneur's personality, 2) Intermediate level variables related to societal dynamics, including family involvement and 3) Macro level variables affiliated with the comprehensive environment entrepreneurs operate in.The results of a survey of 410 Romanian entrepreneurs is used to test the multidimensional model. Data has been collected via the Entrepreneurial Profile Questionnaire which has been validated in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. The sample includes a rich cross section across a variety of industrial groups. Data is analyzed using a combination of descriptive and relational research techniques. A series of multivariate statistical procedures is employed to analyze the data and test the multidimensional model.

<p>Europe is taking on a new meaning to many people these days and is now referred to as the European Union. For those countries, which are not yet members, to join the European Union is a very important and defining decision. Romania is one of the “next to be” members. With Romania being the next inline to join the Union, large corporations and enterprises are turning to Romania for new opportunities. It might be interesting for Swedish or foreign companies to open a business or start investing in Romania. That step is a very important one because there is no specific literature, which can provide relevant information about the Romanian business market and management style. These potential investors or business executives have no idea about the project management procedures or the implementation of technical projects inside the Romanian economy.</p><p>To provide the answer to these questions more extensive and deeper studies will have to be done in the future. The purpose of this thesis is to become a reference in the future for those companies which are considering doing business in Romania. The goal of this research is to provide valuable and reliable answers concerning the attitude of Swedish and Romanian leaders in meetings with their employees. These attitudes build on the differences in culture and nationality. The leadership of companies in Romania and Sweden has very different meanings in those countries. In the beginning I will provide definitions to the terms that will use: attitude, culture, leadership and meeting. The respondents were chosen based on their previous leadership positions in the institution they used to work. This research will demonstrate the aspects that Swedish leaders have or do not have in common with their Romanian colleagues.</p>

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Jonathan Grant, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of History. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 16, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Academic researches suggests that Rroma face challenges of overcoming poverty, improving access to education, increasing employability and improving health. This thesis describes a qualitative investigation into the role of education to ensuring upward mobility for Rroma. Using a purposive sample, the research analysed the ethnic make-up of Rroma individuals and found that contrary to uninformed perceptions, Rroma community is immensely diverse and can be described through two generic types: a Traditional Gypsies type and a Modern Rroma type. The Traditional Gypsies type would generally describe the Gypsies who at individual or collective level still preserve in their day to day life a collection of Gypsy ethnic practices. By contrast, the Modern Rroma type would refer to those Rroma who having began recently or generations back a process of ethnic transition and/or assimilation into the wider Romanian community now share only a few traditional ethnic practices. Next, the research classified occupations encountered, analysed whether intra-generational and inter-generational social mobility occurs and found that Rroma community experiences a dynamic pattern of multi-directional and multi-speed social mobility as well as a distinct process of ethnic transition. Ethnic transition describes the process through which respondents shed ethnic practices and move away from distinct Gypsy ethnic identities towards "symbolic" identities. Thirdly, the research analysed the impact of education on social trajectories and found that contrary to uninformed prejudice, a majority of Rroma tend to hold education in high esteem and that they do benefit socially from it. Far from questioning its relevance or fearing it, formal education is accepted and aspired to by Traditional Gypsies who understand its potential impact upon their living standard. Modem Rroma too, value education though their ideal attainment levels tend to be higher than those of Traditional Gypsies. The gap between abstract preferences and real school participation is maintained less by discrimination alone but by a rational choice evaluation through a cost (including discrimination) benefit analysis. Formal education is essential for Rroma's social mobility though Traditional Gypsies necessitate lesser levels than Modern Rroma who, to compete in the Gadje world, require the same amount of education for comparative occupation levels as other members of the wider community.

Under 2013 och 2014 har det skett en ökning av antalet EU-medborgare som tigger i Sverige. Det har varit ett hett ämne för offentlig debatt och åsikterna har varit många och delade. Det finns flera obesvarade frågor och situationen är komplex. Behovet av kunskap i ämnet ses därför som stort. Syftet med denna uppsats var att studera medias framställning av tiggeri och romer, samt att genom intervjuer ge en bild av den verklighet som romerna i Umeå upplever. Dessa framställningar jämfördes sedan mot varandra. För att göra detta har en mediestudie gjorts där 49 tidningsartiklar från dagstidningarna Dagens Nyheter och Västerbottens Kuriren granskats. Det har gjorts tre intervjuer med romer. En kvalitativ innehållsanalys har använts för att analysera samtligt material. Mediestudien visade att tidningarnas framställning av romer och tiggeri främst handlar om romernas utsatta situation, samt diskussioner rörande ansvarsfrågan. Intervjuerna visade att det som främst präglar romernas verklighet är utsattheten, samt att familjen har stor betydelse.

The Transylvanian Saxons provide a case study of how small minorities respond to their lack of statehood and the imposition of an "alien" nation-state upon them. In this thesis, I will argue that, as with many other minorities unwilling or unable to form a nation-state in their own right, the Saxons sought collective rights on the basis of self-determination. This included access to resources, self-administration, an independent education system, the ability to exclude outgroups and powers by which to ensure social norms within the community. Their aims did not include territorial autonomy or independence, and for this reason it is necessary to consider their strivings as distinct from nationalism. I term this attempt to secure collective self-determination by non-territorial means "ethnocorporatism". The goals of Saxon ethno-corporatism were influenced by the broader discussion of minority rights in interwar Europe before and after the First World War. In this sense, the Saxons were typical of many small communities in interwar Europe. The Saxons approached the challenges of ethno-corporatism by numerous means. These included the pursuit of collective legal rights by negotiation with the Romanian state, positing a broader multi-ethnic Transylvanian polity that would guarantee collective ethnic rights, pursuing ethno-corporatism under the banner of religious freedoms and seeking to strengthen ties with other German communities. While a number of these strategies met with partial success, none fully compensated for the lack of a state, and all fell short of Saxon expectations. I argue that disappointment with other attempts to achieve ethnocorporate status led to growing radicaIisation of Saxon ethnic identity, and to the eventual adoption of fascism. In this sense, while influenced by currents from Germany, Saxon "National Socialism" can paradoxically be seen as stemming from the pursuit of minority right.

Zugl.: Heidelberg, Universiẗat, Diss., 2005/2006.

Zugl.: Leipzig, Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.