Green barons, force-of-circumstance entrepreneurs, impotent mayors : rural change in the early years of post-socialist capitalist democracy / Nigel Swain.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Swain, N. (Nigel)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Agriculture and state--Europe, Eastern.

Agriculture and state.

Post-communism--Europe, Eastern.

Post-communism.

Democratization--Europe, Eastern.

Democratization.

Europe, Eastern--Economic conditions--1989-.

Europe, Eastern.

Europe, Eastern--Economic policy--1989-.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Budapest : Central European University Press, 2013.

Summary:

An exemplary study in comparative contemporary history, this monograph looks at rural change in six countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. In the 1990s most of these nations experienced a fourth radical restructuring of agricultural relations in the twentieth century, and all went through the dramatic transition from communism to capitalism. The author analyzes attempts to activate democracy on a local level and recreate farming structures and non-agricultural businesses based on private ownership and private enterprise. He describes the emergence of a new business class that seeks to dominate local government structures; the recuperation of former communist farming entities by former managers; and the transformation of peasants into rural citizens, who nevertheless remain the underdogs. Swain exposes common features as well as specific divergences between the six countries; he portrays the winners, losers and engineers of transformations. He situates his themes in a wider context that will appeal to a broad range of social scientists and historians.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Maps

Preface

Chapter 1. Politics, Policies and Legal Measures

Chapter 2. Common General Findings

Chapter 3. Bulgaria

Chapter 4. Czech Republic

Chapter 5. Hungary

Chapter 6. Poland

Chapter 7. Romania

Chapter 8. Slovakia

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index of Research Villages

General Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-003-71995-3

615-5225-71-0

9781003719953

OCLC:

867652480