Oana Ramona ILOVAN, Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography and Territorial Identities and Development Research Centre, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Alexandra Ioana CIUPE, Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography and Territorial Identities and Development Research Centre, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Csaba HORVÁTH, Babes-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
This presentation explores the spatial and social features of Romanians’ networking and volunteering to cope with the societal crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania. We explored how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the civil society to take initiative, both in central and peripheral areas, in assisting vulnerable and marginalised groups, who were highly affected by this disease (e.g. the social, cultural, and economic disadvantaged groups: the elderly, the children, the ill, the unemployed, the poor, the Roma). The research question was the following: Which are the factors that correlate with the spatial distribution of higher or lower numbers of initiatives? To answer it, we considered the county level. Although we first took into account the possibility to collect data and interpreted it for two types of regions: development regions and historical/cultural regions, we realised that these enable only partially any relevant spatial analysis at present. However, the main objectives were to identify, analyse and then discuss the differences at the regional level regarding the initiatives from the civil society (regular citizens, volunteers, associations, non-governmental organisations) and explore how networking was developed in the regions of Romania. The database was created especially through online research, for the period March 2020-October 2021. Results were displayed for development regions and historical regions, using the ArcGIS 10.2 programme. Besides the quantitative analysis, we discussed the factors influencing and explaining regional disparities. We assessed how geographical marginality was addressed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions underline the crucial relevance of the civil society for coping with the COVID-19 crisis in Romania, in a context of geographical and social marginality, and of drastic changes induced in the Romanian society.
Mots clés : social capital|counties|regional disparities|geographical and social marginality|COVID-19 societal crisis
A102321OI