Newsletter - Social Science in Eastern Europe 1996-4
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
Segert, Dieter
Late Socialism and Party Foundation in Eastern Europe after 1989
Berlin: The Berlin Debate/ Science Press 1996. - 217 pp..
Contents:
Segert, D.: Which Political Past has had an Impact on Party Development in
Eastern Europe after 1989? Introduction
1. Late Socialism and Political Transition
* Segert, D.: The History of Late Socialism as the Key to an Understanding of
the "Post-Communist" Party System
* Bayer, J.: Party Education and Political Culture in Hungary
* Szabo, M.: The Present Age in a Thicket of History? Marking the Profile of
Citizens' Protests in Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary Through the Recent Past
* Mackow, J.: The Influence of Systemic Crises from Soviet Socialism on Party
Foundation in Russia and Poland
* Mattusch, K.: Manifoldness despite Similar History - The Three Baltic States
and their Different Party Systems
2. The Eastern European Left, Before and After 1989
* Voracek, E.: The Origin of a Left Wing Opposition in Czechoslovakia Prior to
November 1989
* Wojtaszczyk, W. A.: The Left and the Right Within the Third Polish Republic
* Georgiev, I.: Late-Socialist preconditions for the Election Outcome of the
Bulgarian Socialist Party
* Sipos, J.: The Origin of the Reform Movement Within the MSZMP
* Machos, Cs.: The Succeeding Party as a Left "People's Party"? Considerations
Given the Example of the Hungarian Socialist Party
The Frankfurt Institute for Transformation Studies (Europa-University
Viadrina, Frankfurt/ Oder) published in 1996 so far four issues in the new
series "Labour Report - Discussion Papers".
The following two issues listed here deal with problematic themes in Eastern
Europe:
* Szamuely, L.: Establishment and Erosion of the Soviet Model of CPE as
Reflected in Economic Science in Hungary 1945 - 1980
Editors.: Frankfurt Institute for Transformation Studies, Europa-University
Viadrina; Labor Report - Discussion Papers 1(1996) No.1, 61 pp.
* Winiecki, J.: Foreign Investment in Eastern Europe: Expectations, Trends,
Policies
Editors.: Frankfurt Institute for Transformation Studies, Europa-University
Viadrina; Labour Report - Discussion Papers 1(1996) No.3, 15 pp.
Katrin Mattusch
Democratization in the Baltics?
On the Drawing of Boundaries Arising from the Chances for Democratization
Through Political Cultures
Frankfurt/M., Berlin, Bern, New York, Paris, Wien: Peter Lang Publishing
1996. 275 pp. (European University Publications: List 31, Political Science
Vol. 309)
Contents:
1. Democratization in Eastern Europe? A Framework for Explanation
2. Theoretical Basis: The Concept of Political Culture - Preconditions for
Applicability to Eastern Europe
3. Particularities of Political Culture in Socialist Societies: Collectivism of
the Soviet Model and its Consequences
4. The National Level: Particularities of Political Culture in the Balkans
5. Preconditions for Empirical Analyses
6. The Popular Perception of Politics in the Baltics: Empirical Findings
7. How Can the Contradictory Political Culture in the Baltics Be Explained:
8. An Interpretation of the Empirical Findings
9. Political Cultures and the Direction of Chances for Democratization in the
Baltics:
10. Realisable Democratic Models
11. Relativeness: The Cultural Dimension in the Total Process of Transformation
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12. Chances for and the obstacles to Democratization in the Baltics
13. Methodological Appendix: Operationalization, Typology and Methodical
Problems
Multilingual Dictionary Demography:
English, German, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Russian
/ Eds. Steffi Bliedung & Gerhard A. Riesthuis. - Bonn: Social Science
Information Centre, 1995. 223 pp. ISBN 3-8206-0103-1, DM 28,--
This eight language dictionary was completed between 1988 and 1994 and is a
product of an international co-operative effort. As part of multilateral
commissions consisting of members from Eastern European countries the
commission "Demography" under the direction of Prof. Dr. Wulfram Speigner
(former GDR) in a collaboration of demographers from the former USSR, former
Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania generated a collection of
approximately 2,000 terms. These terms were repeatedly reviewed and edited. For
the latest existent edition about 1,500 terms were selected. The dictionary
consists of two parts. The first part contains terms in all eight languages,
alphabetically ordered by the English keyword. Part Two includes alphabetically
listed words of the "non-English" languages. The particularities of each
individual language with respect to the alphabetical order were taken into
consideration. This kind of presentation makes a comprehensive, but multivolume
book unnecessary.
Advance Notice
New Publication 1997
"Elite Research in Eastern Europe"
Ed.: H. Best; Opladen: Leske + Budrich Publishers, 1997. - ca. 250
pp.
Publication Date: Spring 1997
Since the turn of events in Eastern Europe one could very quickly observe the
beginnings of research ramifications in the social sciences all looking at the
transformation process in Eastern Europe from various aspects. Today, in the
West, information on and access to the situation and development in Eastern
European countries is mainly channelled through more or less disturbing media
reports. Fundamental insights into actual developments are barely possible.
Questions on the future developments of these transformation societies are also
difficult to answer from outside. Only due to recent research results from the
Eastern European countries themselves, there may be a recognition of important
tendencies.
Central to the development of future structures of society and public life are
questions linked to the role of elites in Eastern Europe. Do the radical
changes also lead to a change of elites? Are new elites arising or do things
stay "the way they have always been" despite all the changes of central
positions in politics, economy and society? Is there a power struggle between
old and new elites? If the "sticking to old structures" partially perceived by
the West can be linked to the problem that there was no change of elites
happening (see the take-over of elites "from above" in the former GDR), then,
this being the case, such a question cannot even be raised in Eastern Europe,
because an "elite-substitution" from above is not conceivable due to the lack
of alternative elites. The manifestation of elites is simply not in sight,
although particularly the role of elites represents an indicator for
developmental tendencies in Eastern European societies.
For Western observers the access to and understanding of this already
many-layered, impenetrable process is further complicated barriers of language
and culture as well as by an insufficient supply of scientific publications.
The latter stands in the way of the chance for recent research results to
receive a wide reception. Noting this apparent obstacle, IZ used its access to
Eastern European social scientists and obtained in 1995/1996 reports on
literature as well as surveys on the state of elite research from both younger
scientists and those with field experience in various Eastern European
countries. With this information a representative overview on research
developments and results of elite research in Bulgaria, Estonia, Poland,
Russia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the Ukraine and Hungary is offered. The
publication will consist of ca. 250 pages and will appear in English. At the
end of each state-of the-art report, bibliographical information on the most
important publications since 1990 will be listed (these appendices vary in
scale depending on the emergence of the research and publications). Also
planned is the introduction, as examples, of research results from one or two
projects from Russia or the Czech Republic.
Introductory contributions from a German and a Hungarian social scientist are
in the process of being obtained for the publication.
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