Danubius International Conferences, 2nd International Conference The Danube - Axis of European Identity
The Otherness in the Mentalities of the Romanian People
Last modified: 2012-05-02
Abstract
The hypothesis from which we start our approach is the distinction between us (Romanians) and the other which is strongly felt, for better or for worse. What we propose in this paper is to perform an analysis of the different values identifiable in the national mythology, such as hospitality, tolerance, and also an analysis of the rejection behavior of the foreigner, either in the context of traditional societies and isolated by the historical conditions or in a community open to the world, motivated by the desire to integrate. We also intend to study some of the other hypostases outside and inside the “fortress”, as friend, as enemy, under an obsession of foreignness and a competition of rights. Throughout the paper we argue about the significant role of misinformation and manipulation in building the mythology of the other in the social and historical imaginary of the Romanian people. The bottom line is that it is necessary to achieve a balance and a nuance in the evaluation of the Romanians in relation to others, and also a permanent opening towards a permanent reconfiguration of the relationships between us and the others.
