Romanian Cultural Identity After Admission to the European Union

Abstract

This article aims to report on the cultural identity of Romanians after Romania‟s admission to the European Union as described by Romanians themselves, especially in light of the
trending unofficial appropriation of the term “European” to be synonymous with European Union status. A semi-structured survey was conducted that included twenty-two adult
Romanians, Romanian being defined by holding Romanian citizenship. The data was then coded according to social science methodology to categorize emerging themes and aid in
analysis. The analysis revealed four prominent themes that give insight into specifically the political landscape of Romania through Romanian cultural identity after Romania‟s
admission to the European Union. Issues of concern for participants were the metaphorical marginalization of Romania politically and economically within the European Union and
problems of corruption, but contrasted with a strong overall commitment still to staying within the European Union and simultaneously maintaining good relations with their nonEuropean Union neighbors.