Searching for Identity : The Political Instrumentalisation of Cultural Traditions i n Romania, (1948-1965).

Claudiu Petru Rusu This study focuses on the analysis of the process of instrumentalisation of diff erent aspects and themes belonging to the traditional culture, reflecting thus t he effort made by the Marxist-Leninist regime from Romania to structure an ident itary image for itself upon which to build its strategies in relation to the soc iety. By means of a conceptual and referential analysis, we will explore the pro cess of re-symbolising the concepts used in defining the national culture, and a lso the role that different cultural institutions (such as the Institute of Phil osophy of the Romanian Academy, the Institute of Folklore, the Institute of Lite rary History) had in promoting the new progressive traditions and the new folklore . The sources that we used in validating the research premises focused on the publ ications edited by the above mentioned institutions Cercetari Filosofice [Philos ophical Research], Revista de Folclor [Journal of Folklore], Studii ?i articole de Istore Literara ?i Folclor [Studies and Research of Literary History and Folk lore] , allowing us to present both the theoretical implications and the politica l stakes of the process of instrumentalising the cultural traditions.