Identities in Transformation

This study examines the relationship between globalization, culture and identity. The study was conducted in the City of Cluj, Romania, with the main problem lying partly in the concurrent relations in the locality, partly in the cultural elements coming in from the "outside". Both theoretically and empirically the study is structured around the distinct but interacting views and roles of the past, the present and the future - features around which identities are constructed. The question at issue throughout this study is in what ways the constructions of identities are affected by globalization/ transformation, and what differences in the constructions depend on. Methodologically a qualitative triangulating approach is used, combining interviews, observations and a qualitative informative survey. The conclusions of the study are that the construction of identities – based on the interactions between the individual and his/ her surrounding – revolve around the two factors of the conception of the past and the ideas and hopes for the future.