Rev. 3-4-2024-4

ABSTRACT

THE “IMAGINARY WEST” AND SOCIALIST ROMANIA DURING

THE 1980S: AN ANALYSIS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ORAL HISTORY

This study analyzes the phenomenon of the “Imaginary West” (Yurchak, 2006) in the context of Romania’s last decade of communism, using oral history interviews with 28 respondents from different generations. The results indicate a uniform perception of this socio-cultural construct and similar cultural experiences among respondents within the same age group. The main objective of the study was to identify the local representations inspired by the “Imaginary West.” The interviews revealed memories of an idealized and desired representation of the Western world, built in opposition to the negative discourse about the West promoted by the communist regime. Respondents highlighted the state’s involvement in the informal economy, as well as a series of social and economic changes during late socialism linked to social stratification. The interviews also showed how certain cultural products, both Western and local, were sought after, as well as the development of individual strategies to achieve this goal. The “Imaginary West” acted as an ideological filter, polarizing cultural products and structuring consumers’ resistance to propaganda. Last, but no least, there is a nostalgia for pre-internet socialization, reflected in accounts and memories about the communist period.

Keywords: generations, memory, cultural industries, information shortage, alternative cultural practices.

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