Social and Cultural Identity

Questionnaires were administered to students (N = 8) from the Republic of Moldova enrolled in a 4-year study course at the Bucharest Academy of Theater & Film; the same questionnaire was administered twice, at the first & final year of study. Some of the questions asked were (1) What language do you speak? (2) Do you think it is important to learn Romanian? (3) Do you think it is useful to speak, correctly & well, Standard Romanian? (4) Do you consider Romanian & Moldavian two different languages? (5) Is Moldavian inferior to Romanian? (6) Do you feel culturally inferior because you speak Moldavian & not Romanian? (7) Can you express everything you want & need in Moldavian? & (8) Do you intend to return to your country or remain in Romania after graduation? Answers are used to reflect on the relationship between language & culture, the role of language as an instrument of socialization & formation of cultural identity, & the use of language in primary (family) & secondary (institutional) socialization processes. It is found that even after decades of separation from mainstream Romanian culture & forced acculturation to Russian culture & language, & despite political boundaries between the Republic of Moldova & Romania, respondents' target culture & cultural identity were unequivocally Romanian. 10 References. Z. Dubiel