Florin Grancea

Inside the Mechanisms of Romanian Modernization: the Transformation of Public Sphere Between Media and Political System Florin Grancea

This book analyzes, in the relation with the Romanian modernity, the transformations of the Romanian public sphere, political system and journalism from the beginning of the 19th Century up to 2005. The argumentation starts from the idea that the Romanian Enlightenment never had the chance to reach its purpose, the creation of the individual as a human category. As a consequence of this historical fact, the Romanian modernity was not explored in all its dimensions and was not congruent with its western model of development. Only after late 90's, signs for a surpassing historical backwardness were seen in Romania, and only after the integration into EU become sure. From this perspective this book looks onto the change in the modernization engine of Romania, in late 90's. This change is happening as a transgression from a three steps modernization model, in which the role of the elite is central, to a two steps modernization model, in which the role of the elite is minimal. Because the three steps modernization model fits the idea of an acclamatory public sphere, while the two steps modernization engine fits the concept of civil public sphere, this book proves that the Romanian democracy is evolving from its totalitarian background to become a participative democracy. The only question unanswered yet, is if the elite and the mass media are willing to let Romania and its citizens to breakup the ties with the totalitarian past.