RECONSTRUCTION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY  WITH THE ONSET OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE

Eugen Bruno ȘTEFAN

Eugen Bruno ȘTEFAN University of Bucharest

Keywords: national identity, refugees, Ukraine, Russia

Abstract

The conflict in Ukraine has triggered a process of rebuilding the self-image of most Romanians. Massive support for refugees has shown others, but also for themselves, that Romanians help their neighbours when they run into difficulties, that they sacrifice their goods and time, and even their security to support those with whom they had disagreements in the past. The Bureau of Social Research survey highlights the reasons for this identity narrative that puts at its core social virtues such as tolerance, love, heroism, sacrifice. Compared to the old identity narrative that highlights resentment, self-contempt, submission to any stranger, betrayal of any principles, values, or allies, the BCS survey shows a profound change that can have consequences on many aspects of social life.

Author Biography

Eugen Bruno ȘTEFAN, University of Bucharest

Bruno Stefan: Bruno Ștefan graduated from the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Bucharest in 1993. Between 1991-1998 he worked at the Group for Social Dialogue within the Independent Center for Social Studies and Surveys, together with the sociologist Pavel Câmpeanu, with whom he coordinated over 70 national surveys and as many television monitoring. He set up the Bureau of Social Research first within the Federation of Free and Independent Trade Unions PETROM, then in October 1999 as a research foundation, where he coordinated over 500 surveys, focus groups and other types of psychosocial research. He is an associate professor at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Department of Training for Teaching Career and Socio-Human Sciences, where he has been teaching courses in sociology of organizations, managerial communication, sociology and work psychology since 1993. He has published 12 sociology books, 2 volumes of short stories and dozens of scientific articles. He participated in over 1,000 television shows in which he commented on social and political phenomena, and about 1,000 articles and editorials were written in the central and national press about the research coordinated by him.