THE FIGURE OF THE “BADANTE” AND DIASPORIC IDENTITY IN CONTEMPORARY ROMANIAN LITERATURE
THE FIGURE OF THE “BADANTE” AND DIASPORIC IDENTITY IN CONTEMPORARY ROMANIAN LITERATURE
Author(s): Ciprian ApetreiSubject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Literary Texts, Customs / Folklore, Fiction, Studies of Literature, Novel, Romanian Literature, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Philology, Sociology of Literature
Published by: Editura Arhipelag XXI
Keywords: Romanian migration literature; diaspora; care work; transnational families; cultural identity
Summary/Abstract: "This article examines the representation of Romanian female migration in contemporary prose, focusing on Badante pentru totdeauna and Satul fără mămici by Ingrid Beatrice Coman-Prodan and Badantă de împrumut by Cristina Olteanu. Drawing on concepts from diaspora studies and cultural identity theory, the study analyzes how these texts construct the figure of the migrant caregiver (badante) as a symbol of diasporic identity.The analysis highlights key themes such as the paradox of care work, the experience of children left behind, and the role of longing (dor) in shaping migrant identity. It also explores how migrant space is represented as an ambivalent environment marked by both economic opportunity and cultural alienation.The article argues that contemporary Romanian migration literature functions as a form of cultural reflection on the social transformations generated by post-communist mobility."
Journal: Journal of Romanian Literary Studies
- Issue Year: 2026
- Issue No: 44
- Page Range: 623-632
- Page Count: 10
- Language: Romanian
