BUCUREŞTI: PREZENŢA TRECUTULUI RECENT

Traiectorii reprezentaţionale şi configuraţii valorice în cultura urbană

This article considers the visual quality of urban environment in the context of the city through the study of the mental images and symbolic representations held by the urban residents of the Romania’s capital city. The article explores the ways in which the symbolic imaginary instrumentalizes the urban spatial frame, providing an interpretive schema for understanding the representations, significations and meanings of the city (from viewpoints with reference to what is considered to be representative for the city of Bucharest in terms of expressive architectural and cultural cityscape), taking into consideration approaches specific both to urban sociology and political symbolic. By using an interpretive analysis pattern in order to decipher the significant public images within a readable perceptual map of the urban setting, the article provides a symbolic view of how the capital city articulates its identity not just through the elements and aspects of its physical morphology, but, more important, as a reflection and function of the images that urban elements create in people’s minds seen as crucibles of memories and meanings.  

GRĂDINAR DE BUCUREŞTI

Grădinile urbane din cartierul Pajura

 The paper is the result of an applied ethnographic research based on field work carried out in the collective gardens of Pajura, a neighborhood in North Bucharest. I examine the relationship between private and public use of space by reviewing current practices in the gardens in Pajura and how these are perceived not only by the performers themselves but also by other social actors from the area. Analyzing gardens as representational spaces for a community that has formed on one of the collective garden plots, the aim of the present paper is to identify gardening practices' role in defining their individual and collective identity and propose that similar practice communities could be replicated if encouraged and supported by the local institutions. 

Ionuţ Roşca

LA ROCKOTECĂ

Subcultură, comunitate şi spaţii identitare

Using qualitative research methods, this paper challenges the classic approach to subculture studies as presented in the early works of Hebdige and of the other CCCS representatives. We focused our research on fans attending a dedicated rock music night which takes place weekly in one of the Bucharest local clubs and we have tried to analyze the role and use of territory and style as homology, two key elements of the dominance - resistance model, while trying to answer a simple question: Are all subcultures what they seem to be?

HIPSTERI ÎN BUCUREŞTI

Între caleidoscop identitar şi politicile numirii

 The increasing occurrence of hipster term in Romanian mass-media over the last year, the contradictory applications of the label and its ambiguity impose to local social researchers the recognition of a new field or object of inquiry, as well as the need for some clarifications, especially terminological. Thus, this article tries to posit the hipster phenomenon onto Romanian social map by proposing certain inquiry lines. I’ve presented a history of the term from its inception within American jazz circles up to contemporary Western context, followed by a critical analysis of Romanian media discourse about the hipster. The major differences between the term understandings reveal ongoing battles on classificatory schemes, but also the inadequacy of the term to name a subculture or a well defined social category. I am suggesting as instruments for further research the use of “urban tribe” concept in favor of the subculture one and the term hipsterism as a strategic practice for obtaining certain forms of symbolic capital and as a language that structures these symbolic negotiations. In conclusion, I try to sketch the image of a continuum of hipsterity, understood as a sensibility and aesthetic of permanent (re)invention and endless search of self.

TRĂIEŞTE, CREDE, FII FERICIT

Trasee către convertire la mormonii din Bucureşti

This article draws on nearly three months of etnographic fieldwork in two Mormon congregations in Bucharest, Romania and on in-depth interviews with several members of the religious community.  During my time on the field it has become vivivdly apparent that Mormons put a particular emphasis on the importance of conversion without which one cannot reach the Celestial Kingdom. This article deals in a descriptive manner with the stages of conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints: acquiring conviction, going through baptism and living in accordance to religious prescriptions. I analyze the various ways through which one becomes and reaffirms the status of believer: rhetorical strategies, visual materials and printed texts, public  witnessing, conversion narratives and rituals. My argument is that conversion to mormonism is not necessarily the conclusion of a Road to Damascus nor a result of life hardship, nor the making of ritual drama, but rather the result of succesive interactions with missionaries and scriptures the purpose of which is to preach and instill the perception of truthfullness pertaining to the Word of God and the feeling of a personal relationship with deity.

Roxana Cuciumeanu este absolventă a Facultăţii de Ştiinţe Politice din cadrul Şcolii Naţionale de Studii Politice şi Administrative şi a unui Masterat în Construcţie Politică şi Management Electoral în cadrul aceleiaşi facultăţi. În prezent este doctorandă în domeniul Sociologie şi asistent universitar în cadrul Catedrei de Sociologie a Facultăţii de Ştiinţe Politice (SNSPA). Interesele sale de cercetare vizează domeniile sociologiei  urbane şi sociologiei cinematografiei.

Mihaela Ţânţaş este absolventă a Facultăţii de Relaţii Economice Internaţionale din cadrul Academiei de Studii Economice, a unui Masterat de Marketing la Norwegian School of management şi a Masteratului de Antropologie din cadrul Facultății de Ştiinţe Politice, SNSPA. Este Strategic Planner în domeniul publicitar şi este interesată de antropologie urbană, material culture, migrație, antropologia familiei. 

Andrei Decu este absolvent al Facultății de Inginerie în Limbi Străine (FILS) din cadrul Universității “Politehnica” București și al unui Masterat în Antropologie la SNSPA. Este  membru fondatoral Link Education And Practice. Interdisciplinar interesat de ştiinţă şi societate, interacţiunea om-tehnologie, educaţie şi 'values'.

Ciprian State urmează cursurile Masteratului de Antropologie din cadrul SNSPA Bucureşti şi este licenţiat în economie. Lucrează în domeniul telecomunicaţiilor ca specialist de marketing. Interesele principale sunt legate de studiile urbane, producţia culturală şi  elaţia dintre apariţia a noi forme identitare şi noile tehnologii.

 Adrian Deoancă este absolvent al Facultăţii de Jurnalism din cadrul Universităţii Babeş- Bolyai din Cluj şi al Programului Masteral Nationalism Studies din cadrul Central European University, Budapesta. În prezent urmează cursurile Masteratului de Antropologie din cadrul SNSPA. Principalele domenii de interes sunt antropologia economică, relaţiile de clasă şi sistemul de creditare.