Reveniri la Goicea (Mare): satul românesc între monografierea de tip gustian și abordarea proceselor locale de schimbare
Returns to Goicea (Mare): the Romanian village between the Gustian monographic tradition and an approach focused on local processes of change

Summary/Abstract: The Romanian village has long been an object of scientific interest, with strong foundations laid by the monographic school led by Dimitrie Gusti. Today, this legacy remains relevant, though the rural context has changed profoundly. Villages once documented by Gusti’s teams offer valuable ground for tracing a historical trajectory that spans a century and several sociopolitical eras. This paper revisits key efforts to combine synchronic and diachronic perspectives in rural research, from the innovative methodologies of monographers such as H. H. Stahl and A. Golopenția to more recent studies focused on understanding both the lived realities of the Romanian village and its structural transformations. Reassessing and adapting the monographic model may also inform more effective and sustainable rural development policies. Drastically impacted by collectivization and forced systematization during communism, and entering a new crisis after 1990, the Romanian village faces acute challenges: mass emigration, aging populations, declining birth rates, deteriorating infrastructure, and weakened social cohesion. In this context, village research can no longer rely on descriptive or nostalgic approaches. Methodological renewal is essential. The present essay proposes a reflection on how a new monographic investigation – in the spirit of the early 20th-century inquiries – might be reimagined today. Using the case of Goicea Mare, first studied in 1925, we explore what aspects remain relevant and how a return to this site might shed light on the evolving dynamics of rural life in contemporary Romania.

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