Socioeconomic transformation in rural Romania through the eyes of experts: Demographic and social issues |
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| Authors: | Wilfried Heller |
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| Institution: | (1) Institut fur Geographie, Universitat Potsdam, Postfach 60 15 53, D-14415 Potsdam, Germany |
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| Abstract: | There is no standard model of transformation for post- socialist countries and each country encounters specific problems rooted
in the geographical characteristics of the areas concerned. The human resources are of the greatest importance because it
really matters how people (especially the decision-makers) perceive system change and continually reformulate their expectations
and strategies; so investigations into the views of people caught up in the transformation can provide a deeper understanding
of the background to structural change. Working the national, regional level and local levels in Romania, experts were asked
to consider the advantages and disadvantages arising out of the transformation, the most important problems and constraints
for future rural development and the policies needed. The paper examines the responses on demographic and social issues. It
emerges the most detailed responses were supplied by local-level representatives while respondents at the regional level steered
a middle course between the need to address local problems and the prime importance of stimulating the Romanian economy so
as to generate resources for welfare programmes (with the latter issue the overriding concern of interviewees at national
level). There was general agreement on the importance of foreign investment and European integration for economic development,
with local actors taking only small steps in line with the existing opportunities.
This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
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| Keywords: | demography experts rural Romania rural development social issues transformation |
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