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The territorial system of the Apuseni Mountains can be considered a critical region from a geo-demographic viewpoint. This is due to two major geo-demographic risks that affect it at present, namely the massive migration, mainly of the young and adult population, and the severe decrease in birth rate, also as a consequence of migration. These two processes determine the main two geodemographic risks within the Apuseni Mountains: on the one hand, depopulation and the geodemographic decline of the settlements and, on the other hand, population ageing. The present study aims to analyse the latter by focussing on the Land of the Moţi. Conclusions emphasise a rather severe process of demographic ageing. The rate of the old age group increased from 17.9% in 1992 to 25.2% in 2011. All the 16 administrative-territorial units under analysis recorded an increase in the rate of the old age group. In 2011, the ratio of the extreme age groups (young population/old age group) is above the unit (1) both in the region as a whole and in the majority of its administrative units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The territorial system overlapping cross-border areas shapes a particularly dynamic and complex functional area. This paper synthesises several research outcomes regarding the social and environmental dysfunctions and opportunities defining the marginal territories that were emphasised during the "Analysis and diagnosis of the current situation in the cross-border area', a phase of the project "Common Strategy of Sustainable Territorial Development of the Romanian-Bulgarian Cross- Border Area' (SPATIAL). The main indicators concerning the population structure and movement highlight a series of problematic aspects within the cross-border area: population decline, significant rural population concentration on the Romanian side, demographic ageing, increase in the age dependency ratio, and a negative natural growth and migration rate. The analysis also indicates areas of socio-demographic potential that are marked by population growth, a significant young population presence that is convergent with an important share of active population. In this perspective, the spatial analysis also focused on identifying natural drivers affecting development and restrictive factors, on the environmental quality evaluation, as well as on establishing areas exposed to natural and technological risks. Therefore, delineating and analysing components underlying social and environmental processes were intended to determine those issues and opportunities considered to influence the evolution of this potentially functional area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the "second demographic transition" theory in light of changes in the Romanian demographic structure over the past fifty years. The author shows that the birth-death rate imbalance, currently manifested in many countries including Romania, does not necessarily follow from changes in the value system surrounding the family and relationships among its members, nor is it necessarily associated with other behavioral changes such as higher levels of cohabitation, increased divorce rates, and more single mothers, as the theory posits. Findings indicate that for Romanian women, as for many of their counterparts in Western countries, the classic model of the "bourgeois family," which centers on the child, is still the dominant one. Nonetheless, despite rather "traditional" attitudes toward family and children, which have remained pretty stable over the years, since 1989 Romania has experienced a dramatic decline in total fertility rate (TFR), and currently has one of the lowest fertility levels in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Value shifts and labour market transformations of the recent past have increased the importance of the work-family balance in the active population. Work overload also means an increased health risk. This study aims at identifying the main demographic, social and work-related determinants of work-family balance in the ethnic Hungarian active age population of Mures County, Romania. Linear regression is performed to assess the controlled effects of variables. Single parents, parents with more children and shift workers are at increased risk of imbalance. Demographic agents account for more disparities in work-family balance than do work-related features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]