Transnational Culture and the Political Transformation of East-Central Europe

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Brier

In social scientific studies of Europe’s new democracies, there has emerged an analytical approach which transcends the teleology of ‘transitology’ and, focusing on the impact of culture and history, is sensitive to the contingencies and ‘eventfulness’ of social transformations. The main thrust of this article is that such a culturo-historical approach may prove useful not only in assessing the different results to which the processes of democratization lead at the national level, but also to assess the general direction of political change after 1989 towards democracy. Building on Eisenstadt’s notion of modernity as a cultural and political program, this article therefore attempts to understand the revolutions of 1989 not only as the mere sum of particular national events, but also as part of an ‘entangled history’, that is, as a common, transnational phenomenon which was based on and articulated a shared cultural understanding.

1999 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Kramer

The death of Josif Stalin was followed by momentous changes in the Soviet bloc. Part 1 of this two-part article considers how and why these changes came about, looking at the interaction between domestic and external events. It explores the nature of Soviet decision making, the impact of events in East-Central Europe, the implementation of Moscow's new policy, and the use of Soviet troops to put down a large-scale uprising in East Germany. Politics, Power, and U.S. Policy in Iran, 1950–1953


2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Rupnik ◽  
Jan Zielonka

The countries of East-Central Europe (ECE) embarked on a democratic transition in 1989 were proclaimed consolidated democracies when they joined the European Union (EU) in 2004. Today most of the new democracies are experiencing “democratic fatigue” and some seem vulnerable to an authoritarian turn. The EU, seen as the guarantor of the post-1989 democratic changes, is experiencing an unprecedented economic, financial, and democratic crisis with the combined challenges of technocracy and populism. The article explores the different approaches to the study of democracies in ECE, their specific features and vulnerabilities, and tries to provide an interpretation of the premature crisis of democracy in ECE in a broader transeuropean context.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-57
Author(s):  
Florentina MANOLEA CÎRJAN ◽  

The article is a contribution to the geographical study of the Slatina city in order to elucidate the impact of the economic and social transformations of 1990 – 2002 interval had on the evolution of its demographic phenomena, but also on understanding its socio-economic profile. The research methodology consisted of a comparative analysis of the numerical values provided by the Olt Regional Directorate of Statistics. The measured parameters were: the numerical evolution and its causes, the structure by sexes and age groups, the structure of the active population, the ethnic structure, and according to the practiced religion. The results of the analysis show an evolution developed on the background of the existing one at national level, having as causes: a tendency of numerical decrease determined by the decrease in the birth rate, the opening of European borders, simultaneously with a decline of the national economy, rising unemployment and travel abroad for searching of a job. The article highlights two important conclusions: the economic transformations show the existing reality in the social and economic field, their impact on the socio-economic profile of the Slatina city; the same transformations have taken place at the national level, on the background of the same causes.


2002 ◽  
pp. 149-166
Author(s):  
David Turnock

Borders in East Central Europe have become much more permeable over the past ten years as formalities have been simplified and many new crossing points have opened. At the same time, cooperation in border regions has increased, thanks mainly to the EU 'Interreg' programmes, to include a range of business cultural and conservation interests. In many cases these arrangements have been formalized through Euroregions which have become an indicator of good international relations. The paper reviews these trends with reference to examples and pays particular attention to environmental projects and the joint planning initiatives being undertaken in a number of Euroregions. At a time when regional policy has been generally weak, cross-border cooperation has contributed significantly to cohesion and it is also a good indicator of stability in the region. However, the impact has been greater in the north than in the Balkans and the first round of EU eastern enlargement will have implications for cooperation across the new external borders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Nölke

Abstract Can comparative capitalism (CC) assist us in understanding both the rise and the current challenges of emerging market capitalism? This article applies analytical instruments developed in CC scholarship on emerging markets to address this question. During the last two decades, CC scholarship – defined by common features such as the emphasis on institutional contexts that are sticky and most important at the national level – has evolved considerably. This contribution to the third generation of this scholarship highlights the degree of international economic integration as the central strategic choice to be faced by emerging economies. It does so by systematically comparing dependent market economies of East Central Europe with the state-permeated economies of China, India and Brazil. The core finding is that both types of capitalism have been able to mobilize substantial institutional complementarities during the last three decades but will face considerable economic and political challenges in the years ahead.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina N. Kicherova ◽  
Galina Z. Efimova

Introduction. The update rate of information and the scope of social transformations became a trend of modern life. To remain competitive, a person needs to foster his/her competencies and skills. Non-formal education is becoming the most mobile way to solve the tasks, allowing to quickly acquire relevant knowledge and experience. Research interest is focused on the impact of non-formal education on the formation and development of the human capital. The purpose of the article is to study the involvement of representatives of various generations in a non-formal education. Materials and Methods. The research draws on the methodology of the in-depth interview interpretation analysis. The data was obtained using the focus group method: a series of 27 group interviews, 9 for each age category (youth, mature and older). The focus groups included 253 people – residents of Tyumen, Tobolsk, Ishim, and settlements in the South of the Tyumen region. Results. The possibilities of non-formal education in the process of accumulation and realization of human capital were revealed. The analysis of the practices of youth, adult and older generation’s non-formal education was carried out. Based on the study of generational theories, the educational attitudes of various age groups and the needs for non-formal learningwere analyzed. Based on the analysis of the intensity of educational practices, three types of actors were identified depending on their involvement in non-formal education: the active type “eternal student”, the moderate type “situational student” and the passive type “indifferent student”, which were found in representatives of different generations. The authors identified the following things that motivate and demotivate people to receive non-formal education: operational updating of competencies, fostering of personal and professional skills for a specific professional position, reducing the qualification gap. Analysing the non-formal educational practices of youth, adults, and the older generation, the authors found that non-formal education significantly affects the dynamics of professionalization, the nature of social and labour transfers. Discussion and Conclusion. The results of the study will aid in sizing the impact of non-formal education on human capital in terms of the generational approach. The materials of the article are useful for building an educational ecosystem at the regional and national level and for practical application in the development and adjustment of strategies for working with people of different age groups.


1988 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 449-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Scruton

‘The New Right’, as it has come to be known, derives from at least two major intellectual sources, free market theory and social conservatism. The question how far these are compatible is frequently raised. The aim of this two-part article is to explore the impact of ‘New Right’ thinking in East Central Europe (specifically in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary) in order to show that, in the conditions of ‘real socialism’, free market and social conservative ideas seem to arise naturally from the same root conceptions. The first part deals with Czechoslovakia-specifically with the thought of Patocka, Have1 and Bratinka, and with the conservative wing of the Charter movement. It argues that, while many writers would specifically reject labels like ‘conservative’ or ‘right-wing’, the actual content of their thought is very close to that of the New Right in the western hemisphere. In particular, the call for a ‘depoliticization’ of society, for responsible accounting, and for a lived historical identity which will be both national and European, are indistinguishable from long-standing themes of social conservatism.


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