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Accepted Paper
Hope stronger than anguish: timber traders imagining the future in times of crisis
Monica Vasile
(University of Oulu, Finland)
Paper long abstract
Recent fieldwork in the highlands of Romania brought me to a village of "non-complainers" set in the midst of a mass of postsocialist "complainers". Living by selling timber for construction, in all parts of the country, they are being dramatically affected by the global economic crisis. Recent elections as well as environmental regulations may threaten their trade as well. Despite the crisis and looming changes, they are serene: "nobody will starve here". I shall explore how they envision their future in relation to their economy. How do we explain their optimism? What makes hope stronger than anguish?
Imagination, crisis and hope, or, do futures have a future?
Session 1