The New Social Mobility: How Communist Policies Changed the Landscape of Romanian Society in the 50s and 60s

2021 ◽  
pp. 97-117
Author(s):  
Vlad Onaciu ◽  

The economic policies of the communist regime in Romania had a powerful impact on society, transforming it in many regards: behaviorally, professionally, demographically, etc. In this study we propose an analysis of how the ‘new worker’ was constructed, migration to cities and the relationship with the old workforce. For the purposes of our research, we focused on the case‑study of Cluj, taking advantage of its ethnic diversity which offers an extra layer for the analysis, but also because the city had an industrial sector before the communist period. Firstly, we aimed at explaining the demographic process through which a large number of people from the countryside moved to cities in search for an industrial job. This phenomenon can be linked to the effects of collectivization, which changed the social mobility model, as it dissolved the right to own land. Secondly, we aim to understand the ample process of integrating new workers in production and their tense relationship with the old proletariat. This must be understood within the context of urbanization, of migrants and the ‘ruralization of cities.’ The last element brought into discussion will be regarding the role played by old specialists in communist industrialization. Here we will focus on the interesting case of Dezideriu Jenei, chief‑engineer at Tehnofrig, one of the few examples we can retrace from the archives.

Author(s):  
Gordon Boyce

This book is an in-depth case study of the Furness Withy and Co Shipping Group, which operated both tramp and liner services and was one of the five major British shipping groups of the early twentieth century. It demonstrates how British shipowners of this period generated success by exploring Christopher Furness’ career in relation to the social, political, and cultural currents during a time of tremendous shipping growth in Britain and the establishment of some of the largest shipping firms in the world. It approaches the study from three angles. The first analyses how the Furness Group expanded its shipping activities and became involved with the industrial sector. The second illustrates the organisational and financial structure of the enterprise. Finally, the Group’s leadership and entrepreneurship is scrutinised and placed within the wider context of twentieth century British business. The case study begins in 1870, with an introduction explaining how Christopher Furness came to join the family company, Thomas Furness and Co. in order develop services, expand, and instigate the changes and mergers that brought the Furness Group into existence. There are thirteen chronologically presented chapters, a bibliography, and seven appendices of data including an ownership timeline, tonnage statistics, acquisitions, a list of maritime associates, and a timeline of Christopher Furness’ life. The book concludes in 1919 with the de-merging of the Furness Group’s shipping and industrial holdings, the resignation of the Furness family from the company’s board, the sale of their shares, and the move into managing the firm’s industrial interests.


Author(s):  
Fatih Abdulbari

The most important and fundamental value in democracy is freedom of expression. This freedom is considered a part of human rights and is the most important feature of democracy. In the times, on the one hand, the media to speak out is increasingly numerous and varied, but on the other hand there is a dilemma where this freedom is actually used to sow and spread false information or conspiracy theories without evidence. In addition, the concept of freedom of opinion has not developed much following the latest developments, so this concept is increasingly abstract because there are no clear boundaries for freedom of expression. In Indonesia, the emergence of the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions (UU ITE) is actually used as a threat to criminalize individuals whose opinions are considered to be disturbing and attack others.  The Jerinx case is a very interesting case study of how freedom of opinion has actually created a counterfactual narrative. He was convicted in 2020 for making hate speech on his social media accounts. The ITE Law which allows arrests for expressing opinions is problematic because it clearly contradicts the main principle of democracy, namely freedom of expression. This research will critically examine the Jerinx case from the perspective of democratic values to see and analyze how the right to speak and have an opinion in Indonesia. The extent to which freedom of opinion is actually facilitated is considered not to violate the rights of others, and the extent to which the democratic climate has a place in Indonesia.


Author(s):  
Yuriy Kireyev ◽  
Konstantin Berezhko

This article highlights the history of Jehovah's Witnesses as a Christian religion in Ukraine from its occurrence on the territory of Ukraine in the early 20th century to the present day. The response of the Witnesses to the massive attempts of the Nazi and Soviet regimes to marginalize and suppress their religious manifestations is described separately. In particular, the biblical nature and confessional content of one of the fundamental teachings of the Witnesses – neutrality – is analyzed and explained. It includes the information about what it means and what it does not mean for believers. This makes it possible to better understand the current display of the neutrality of the denomination members when it comes to compliance with certain requirements of the local government. The growth statistics of the denomination members throughout history are given, which indicate the failed attempts of the totalitarian governments repressive system to eradicate the faith in the controlled territories. For the first time, information is published from the memoirs of Witnesses who tried to obtain state registration in 1949 when under the communist regime and the reaction of the government officials to believers’ attempts to be recognized by the state and society. There is a link between the recognition of the state through state registration and the increase of confessional activity, by which the Witnesses actually disprove the myths and labels produced and imposed on society by totalitarian regimes for decades. Emphasis is placed on the Witnesses’ current activities, which gives an idea of their attitude towards Ukrainian society and their role in strengthening and affirming Christian values among fellow citizens. Their publishing activity, evangelization work, religious and family values, public worship, educational programs, charitable and social work, attitude to representatives of other religions are analyzed. The view of health care is particularly examined. It describes the principles of a reasonable balance that Witnesses follow between the right to make informed treatment choices (including the refusal to use blood) and the attitude toward life and health as one of the highest human values. The significant contribution of Jehovah's Witnesses to the development of alternative nonblood treatments in world medicine is acknowledged. Therein are recorded the conclusions from numerous religious studies of Ukrainian and European institutions regarding the social and pedagogical value of materials published and distributed by Jehovah's Witnesses through their periodicals and official online resources. The involvement of Jehovah's Witnesses in providing charitable assistance to civilians during the conflict in Donbas is highlighted. The activities of Jehovah's Witnesses in the context of their attitude to the culture, history, and traditions of the local people are considered. In particular, the part of the tourist program for fellow believers, who come from abroad to join in the ministry or assemblies, is to get familiar with Ukrainian monuments and the historical heritage. Witnesses publish and distribute Bible publications in 14 languages spoken by small indigenous communities in Ukraine. The social significance of biblical teaching, which is meant to meet the spiritual needs of Ukrainians with hearing and visual impairments as well as those who currently remain in places of correctional centers is outlined. For the first time, significant decisions of higher courts in Ukraine and other countries regarding Jehovah's Witnesses are considered. In recent years, the issues of military service and the right for alternative (non-military) service have been considered in higher domestic and foreign courts; denomination’s compliance with the requirements for the provision of state subsidies guaranteed to recognized religions; the right to build and use their places of worship, and proper assessment of religious hate crimes against Jehovah's Witnesses by law enforcement agencies. The decisions of the courts in the above-mentioned cases show that states consider Jehovah's Witnesses to be a recognized religion with the right to exercise freedom of conscience and religion.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (0) ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Hyung Min Kim

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a core element for global capital flows and a key driver for urban transformation. However, the ways in which FDI flows have been associated with the production of new urban spaces have attracted little academic attention. This research investigates how FDI activities have led to the migration of expatriate workers and their family members who have established ethnic enclaves in search of liveable environments. The paper focuses on the case of Korean activities in the Hanoi Capital Region (HCR) where the growing volume of FDI has facilitated two bipartite activities in geographically separate locations: one in production space for industrial activities in regional areas and the other in the social space for residential and commercial activities in new urban cores. The case study of Korean FDI, the largest investors in Vietnam, and in particular the HCR, depicts wider perspectives beyond a single industrial sector. This research sheds light on new aspects of recent changes in Hanoi, borne of cross-border capital and human mobilities. The ethnic residential enclaves are largely self-contained for intense social interactions, used as a tool to enhance liveability and bounded within commuting distance from the industrial sites.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002252662110434
Author(s):  
Melanie Bassett

From their creation in the mid-nineteenth century in Britain railway excursions provided working people with the means to expand their horizons and create new opportunities for identity- and money-making. This article explores the role of the social entrepreneur and their affect on social mobility. It also re-evaluates working-class leisure in the south of England and challenges the notion that the working-classes were not proactive in establishing their own unique commercial leisure cultures. Using a case study of two dockyard excursion enterprises, which were operated as sideline ventures by skilled artisans of the Royal Dockyard in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK, the article will demonstrate how local working-class access to travel and cultural experiences were broadened and transformed through their initiatives and analyse the role and influence of these men on their co-workers and in wider society.


Author(s):  
Loredana Di Pietro ◽  
Eleonora Pantano

In recent years, the increase in social network users showed new platforms for collecting data on market trends and products acceptance, as well as for supporting the relationships with clients and adapting firms’ communication strategies. As a consequence, marketers are forced to consider these systems as tool for attracting, maintaining, and managing clients in order to increase the firms’ profitability. This chapter aims at advancing our knowledge on the use of social networks, such as Facebook, as tools for improving Consumer Relationship Management, by focusing on a case study. In particular, the chapter investigates the case study of the Calabrian scenario, characterized by small-sized and family-run firms, which use traditional forms of marketing tools. Due to the ease and fast access to Web-technology-based platforms, these firms are capable of operating in a global perspective, by understanding market trends and quickly adapting their strategies. Hence, the case study of Calabrian industries can represent an interesting case study for analyzing to what extent these technologies can become a new marketing mix element for improving firms’ profitability, for both SMEs and larger firms. In particular, the adoption of Facebook by managers allows advancing our knowledge on the impact of the social networks on their marketing strategies, and on the relationships with clients. The results outline useful issues for researches and practitioners. Furthermore, the research has an interdisciplinary value, involving Psychology, Marketing, and Organizational points of view.


2020 ◽  
pp. 167-189
Author(s):  
Edouard Machery ◽  
Luc Faucher

This chapter examines whether and how concepts vary across and within individuals (inter- and intra-individual variation) by examining what constrains variation of concepts. To address this issue, the chapter focuses on an independently interesting case study: inter- and intra-individual variation in the concept of race. The case study contrasts two competing hypotheses about the concept of race: the biological and the social hypotheses. According to the first hypothesis, the concept of race is a biological concept that is constrained by folk biology; according to the second, it is the concept of a social category. The chapter shows that people’s folk biology constrains the concept of race and thus limits how much concepts of race can vary within and across individuals.


2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena Anton

Taking the memory of pronatalism in contemporary Romania as a case study, this article is an attempt to view the national politics of memory of contemporary Europe with regard to its communist past from an anthropological perspective. From 1966 to 1989, the communist regime imposed extreme policies of controlled demography in Romania, as it was imputed, for 'the good of the socialist nation'. Profamily measures were developed in parallel to the banning of abortion on request and the making of contraception almost inaccessible. The social remembering of such a difficult past is still a taboo in contemporary Romanian society. This general lack of public remembering, which is still playing a role in the current situation of Romania's reproductive health, is influenced by the interrelations between the different forms of pronatalist memory. The analysis is based on oral history fieldwork conducted between 2003 and 2008, and is theoretically informed by the interdisciplinary field of Memory Studies.


1979 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Freeden

The issues raised by eugenics are of more than passing interest for the student of political thought. In itself a minor offshoot of turn-of-the-century socio-biological thought which never achieved ideological ‘take-off’ in terms of influence or circulation, there was certainly more in eugenics than nowadays meets the eye. The following pages propose to depart from the over-simplistic identification of eugenics, as political theory, with racism or ultra-conservatism and to offer instead two alternative modes of interpretation. On the one hand, eugenics will be portrayed as an exploratory avenue of the social-reformist tendencies of early-twentieth-century British political thought. On the other, it will serve as a case-study illustrating the complexity and overlapping which characterize most modern ideologies. While recognizing, of course, the appeal of eugenics for the ‘right’, a central question pervading the forthcoming analysis will be the attraction it had for progressives of liberal and socialist persuasions, with the ultimate aim of discovering the fundamental affinities the ‘left’ had, and may still have, with this type of thinking.


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