Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity
Overall living conditions improved significantly in Romania during 2010-2020, even though over the entire period Romania has been one of the countries with the highest income inequality, poverty and social exclusion rates among the EU member states. Many research and policy analyses pointed out the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bucharest
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology |
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| Online Access: | http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Compaso2023-141-Pop.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797650110587338752 |
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| author | Luana Pop |
| author_facet | Luana Pop |
| author_sort | Luana Pop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Overall living conditions improved significantly in Romania during 2010-2020, even though over the entire period Romania has been one of the countries with the highest income inequality, poverty and social exclusion rates among the EU member states. Many research and policy analyses pointed out the improvements in social outcomes, as success stories of the economic and social reforms in Romania, despite the poor results from a European comparative perspective. Yet, starting with 2015, the number of those warning about concerning disparities between rural and urban areas increased. However, no systematic analyses focused on the dynamics of these geographical disparities. Thus, the paper proposes an analysis of the dynamics of the disparities between rural communities and cities. It argues that high and consistently growing disparities in all welfare indicators between these two extreme residential types can be better understood, explained, and addressed by applying the concept of geographical polarization to sustainable welfare. The paper provides a broad overview of the determinants of the growing polarization of sustainable welfare. It argues that European and national strategies have been crucial in guiding the social reforms in Romania, but not enough to prevent substantial loss of opportunities. The fast-paced transition to a market economy and to European institutions sparked an uneven and opportunistic development of its social policy framework. Finally, the concept of polarization of sustainable welfare, intimately linked to that of inequality of opportunities, allows a change of narrative and, therefore, also a change in focus regarding the need for social intervention, from remedial re-distributive measures and policies to strategies of enhancing individual and collective capabilities to sustain welfare over time. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:55:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-14bde8c72e14485382fb2f741011087c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2068-0317 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T15:55:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Bucharest |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology |
| spelling | doaj.art-14bde8c72e14485382fb2f741011087c2023-10-25T10:17:34ZengUniversity of BucharestJournal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology2068-03172023-06-01141132Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunityLuana Pop0Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, RomaniaOverall living conditions improved significantly in Romania during 2010-2020, even though over the entire period Romania has been one of the countries with the highest income inequality, poverty and social exclusion rates among the EU member states. Many research and policy analyses pointed out the improvements in social outcomes, as success stories of the economic and social reforms in Romania, despite the poor results from a European comparative perspective. Yet, starting with 2015, the number of those warning about concerning disparities between rural and urban areas increased. However, no systematic analyses focused on the dynamics of these geographical disparities. Thus, the paper proposes an analysis of the dynamics of the disparities between rural communities and cities. It argues that high and consistently growing disparities in all welfare indicators between these two extreme residential types can be better understood, explained, and addressed by applying the concept of geographical polarization to sustainable welfare. The paper provides a broad overview of the determinants of the growing polarization of sustainable welfare. It argues that European and national strategies have been crucial in guiding the social reforms in Romania, but not enough to prevent substantial loss of opportunities. The fast-paced transition to a market economy and to European institutions sparked an uneven and opportunistic development of its social policy framework. Finally, the concept of polarization of sustainable welfare, intimately linked to that of inequality of opportunities, allows a change of narrative and, therefore, also a change in focus regarding the need for social intervention, from remedial re-distributive measures and policies to strategies of enhancing individual and collective capabilities to sustain welfare over time.http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Compaso2023-141-Pop.pdfgeographical polarizationsustainable welfareinequality of opportunitiessocial policyregional disparitieseu strategieseastern europe |
| spellingShingle | Luana Pop Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology geographical polarization sustainable welfare inequality of opportunities social policy regional disparities eu strategies eastern europe |
| title | Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity |
| title_full | Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity |
| title_fullStr | Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity |
| title_short | Geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in Romania: The unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity |
| title_sort | geographical polarization of sustainable welfare in romania the unbearable lightness of inequality of opportunity |
| topic | geographical polarization sustainable welfare inequality of opportunities social policy regional disparities eu strategies eastern europe |
| url | http://compaso.eu/wpd/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Compaso2023-141-Pop.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT luanapop geographicalpolarizationofsustainablewelfareinromaniatheunbearablelightnessofinequalityofopportunity |