East Central Europe since 1989 : politics, culture, and society / Sabrina P. Ramet, Lavinia Stan, Stefano Bianchini.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ramet, Sabrina P., author.

Stan, Lavinia, author.

Bianchini, S. (Stefano), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Post-communism--Europe, Eastern.

Post-communism.

Europe, Eastern--History--1989-.

Europe, Eastern.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

London : Taylor & Francis, 2025.

Summary:

"This groundbreaking treatment of post-communist developments in East Central Europe examines politics, economics, media, religious institutions, transitional justice, gender inequality, and literature, highlighting the overt functions, latent functions, and side effects associated with each sphere. Communism in East Central Europe had cracks from the beginning, as uprisings in East Germany in 1953 and Hungary in 1956 demonstrated. But with the establishment of the Independent Trade Union Solidarity in Poland in summer 1980, communism went into steady decline and, between 1988 and 1991, crumbled. What followed has been an unsteady transition to various forms of often corrupt pluralism with democracy doing best in the Czech Republic (with the exception of the years 2017-2021) and Slovenia, and worst in Hungary, Albania, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Drawing on the functionalist theory of Robert K. Merton, the authors examine what policy-makers - communist and post-communist - were or are trying to accomplish, the intended and unintended results of these policies, and the side-effects they have produced. This volume will be of interest not only to specialists in East Central Europe but also to graduate and undergraduate students, members of the diplomatic corps, and general readers"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

The Functions of Pluralism, the Dysfunctions of Populism : An Introduction / Sabrina P. Ramet

Changes in Political Institutions and Party Systems / Lavinia Stan

Unintended Consequences in the Economic Transition / Lavinia Stan and Sabrina P. Ramet

The Functions, Dysfunctions, and Unintended Consequences of War : Yugoslav Conflicts, 1991-2001 / Sabrina P. Ramet

The Latent Functions of EU Accession and EU Norms / Lavinia Stan

The Media : Functioning in Whose Interest? / Sabrina P. Ramet

God, Religious Institutions, and Politics / Lavinia Stan

Transitional Justice / Lavinia Stan

Patterns of Inequality of Gender and Sexual Orientation Since 1989 : The Latent Dysfunctionality of Patriarchy, the Unexpected Consequences of Policy Decisions / Sabrina P. Ramet

The Latent Functions of Literature / Sabrina P. Ramet

Drivers of Change : A Functionalist Perspective / Sabrina P. Ramet and Lavinia Stan.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.