The Birth of the Myth of the Unaffiliated Sociologist

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to focus on Professor Dimitrie Gusti’s position within the Peasantist government at the beginning of 1930s. The author tries to gather necessary arguments against the belief which emerged in the fifties under the communist regime, and still valid until present days, that Gusti was promoted in the government of the National Peasantry Party because he was a good specialist, and not because of his political affiliation to this party. Asides the significant antecedents which prove the permanent and powerful connection with the elite of the National Peasantry Party since the beginning of the 1920s, he also had an interest in studying and modernizing the rural areas. The Professor’s political behavior during his term might be described as loyalty and dedication towards fulfilling the governing programme of the party. More than that, even in 1934, when the National Peasantry Party was in opposition, Dimitrie Gusti, defended the accuracy of this party’s political programme and participated in the conception of its new programme. The clarification of the professor’s position within the Peasantry Party government is suitable especially for analyzing his ideological stance, which is a subject that still arises perfectly justifiable in current debates. This analysis is legitimate not only for clearing the Professor’s position, but also for shedding light on the activity of the National Peasantry Party.