Pathways to adaptation – The rationality of “think global, act local”: A case study of Székely–Hungarian community of Romania

This qualitative case study employed an interpretive-social constructivist approach to examine the rural decline of Székely–Hungarian villages and their cultural landscapes in Romania. The convergent interview method was used to understand landowners’ decision-making processes and their ”think global, act local” responses, which influence community, village, and landscape. Local-level adaptation processes to global challenges, such as climate change and natural resource depletion, are unfolding in „real time and space” within this ethnoregional context. A locally articulated rationality was captured through the adaptation strategies of six emerging personality types: “intellectual peasants,” “heirloomers,” “locally rooted farmers,” “necessity farmers,” “hoarders,” and “floaters.” Each of these personalities is attributed with key human developmental characteristics, which are perceived to influence the Székely ethnic village and cultural landscape, with implications for local and global sustainability goals.