Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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Within the field of agriculture, significant global changes are underway, which have profound impact on various aspects on the local level. These global changes influence the local employment...Show moreWithin the field of agriculture, significant global changes are underway, which have profound impact on various aspects on the local level. These global changes influence the local employment structure, the landscape, nature, biodiversity and the overall perception of agriculture. More than one third of the land in Romania is dedicated to agriculture, and nearly a quarter of the population works within the agricultural sector, which makes it an ideal area to examine how these global changes take place on a local level. As farming is deeply embedded within the local culture and landscape, it becomes imperative to explore the social dimension of the challenges and transformations unfolding in the agricultural domain. This ethnographic research is specifically focused on understanding the livelihoods and households of farmers in Transylvania, Romania. To shed light on how the sociocultural aspects of the farmers livelihoods and households relate towards the decisions and pathways farmers take within their profession. By both exploring the micro-level of the thoughts and actions of the farmers and how their households react to change, it gives implications on changes within the macro-level of regional and global structural changes taking place. This is done through case studies of farmers living in rural Transylvania. Reflection on these case studies is done through implementing Van der Ploeg his theory of repeasantisation. Given the pivotal role of farmers within the local community, this research also includes the changes that have taken place and are taking place in the village community of Șoimeni, Romania.Show less
This thesis investigates the political role of Protestant refugees, foreign-educated locals, and Jesuits at the Transylvanian princely court under three consecutive rulers between 1559 and 1602....Show moreThis thesis investigates the political role of Protestant refugees, foreign-educated locals, and Jesuits at the Transylvanian princely court under three consecutive rulers between 1559 and 1602. The novelty of this project is the joint analysis of the relations, conflicts, and cooperation of these foreign-influenced groups that have been analysed only separately in the existing literature. The thesis argues that Transylvania's political elite was largely permeated by the activities of individuals that represented the interests of foreign powers or introduced foreign intellectual and political trends. Thus, this research sheds new light on the complexity and connectedness of the sixteenth-century Transylvanian elite.Show less
