Customer Reviews

National Ideology Under Socialism: Identity and Cultural Politics in Ceausescu's Romania (Societies and Culture in East-Central Europe)

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Katherine Verdery is an American anthropologist working primarily in Romania. She has written a number of books on this fascinating and often troubled country.

When I started working there in 1992 I found it very difficult to understand quite what was going on, and the background to many of the debates I was encountering.

Verdery's book examines the background to National Ideology in Romania, both its historical roots in the 17th and 18th centuries and its more recent history under the communist regime. She also provides an in-depth theoretical analysis of the communist "command economy" and its impact on academic debates in Romania. The book provides several case studies including literary criticism and history.

I read this book with utter fascination and it formed the key to my understanding of many of the problems I encountered. It is not an easy read, it is a theoretical academic book, but it is a brilliant one and is essential reading for anyone engaging with the academic sphere in Romania.