ABSTRACT
In his "Editorial and Commentary: On Creating the 'Journal of Personal and Interpersonal Loss' and the Nature of Loss," Harvey (1966) provides a personal view on the nature of loss. Loss is made of real events, personal and interpersonal, and most people are likely to experience a loss at some time in their lives. Harvey's assertion that "in the 1990s, we are constantly bombarded by media with images of loss" is correct. Indeed, it seems that loss is quite normal, that certain necessary losses are experienced by everyone, and that, naturally, collective losses have higher prestige when they do occur. In the personal sense, loss could be that of self-esteem or of a close relationship that no longer exists or is in danger. In a larger sense, loss could be that of collective identity such as the case of Romanian women. This is the case presented in the chapter, in which it will be described how, at the beginning of the century, the female identity was built, how it supported changes during the totalitarian years, and how it was promoted in recent years after Romanian society moved towards a democratic life. My presentation will eventually show the continuity of gender stereotypes and the importance of personal solutions in solving individual losses.
