Romania

 

People and Culture

 

Foreigners are often tempted to generalize about Romanian national characteristics, but this tendency becomes more difficult the longer and better they get to know Romanians. The complexities of Romanian history, including major invasions of Romanian lands by a variety of peoples and empires, have exposed the Romanian people to many different influences. Both the Austro-Hungarian and the Ottoman empires were multinational, bringing a patchwork of ethnic groups to the Balkans, particularly in Romania. The different ethnic groups have assimilated more characteristics from other groups than they are sometimes willing to admit.

 

Romanians are survivors in the most basic sense of the word. During the centuries of invasions, open opposition to power and authority occurred periodically but did not last long against heavy odds. With their history of foreign rule and 45 years of communism, Romanians today are generally non-confrontational and are always on the lookout for artful compromises to save themselves from defeat. Courtesy goes a long way in Romania. Genuine hospitality and assistance to foreigners by ordinary Romanians can astonish a visitor.

 

Foremost on the scale of Romanian values, the family has acquired a significance it seldom has in Western societies. Traditionally, the Romanian family, which had always been strong, was defined to include uncles, aunts, and cousins. The Romanian family relies upon the active participation of members to help gather and supply basic commodities and foodstuffs that are time-consuming to find. It seems that the Romanian family is capable of any number of sacrifices in order to ensure its children’s future.

The roles of men and women are fairly traditionally defined. In marriage, equal partnership is not viewed as incompatible with the concept that women should bear the main responsibility for household work. Most Romanian women now work outside the home, some in positions of responsibility, but few have reached positions of high visibility.

 

Education is widely viewed as a determining factor of upward mobility, and parents will use all means in their possession to get their children into the best schools. Outside tutoring is common and a must among children who plan to further their education. Yet one of the paramount consequences of the Romanian transition is a significant decrease in education enrollment, particularly in secondary education.

 

Traditionally, Romania has been an important center of the Eastern Orthodox faith. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, the Moldova and Wallachia regions remained a stronghod of the Romanian Orthodox faith, and their successive voivodes (princes) proved to be exceptionally generous benefactors. It was not unusual for those princes to seek guidance from religious authorities or to commission the construction of churches and monasteries. In Moldova, Stefan the Great personally supervised the construction of 44 churches and monasteries, some still used today. Romanaian Orthodox is still the religion of the vast majority of Romanian people (about 85 percent of the population).

 

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