Dissidents in Communist Central Europe: Human Rights and the Emergence of New Transnational Actors (Palgrave Studies in the History of Social Movements)

This monograph traces the history of the dissident as a transnational phenomenon, exploring Soviet dissidents in Communist Central Europe from the mid-1960s until 1989. It argues that our understanding of the transnational activist would not be what it is today without the input of Central European oppositionists and ties the term to the global emergence and evolution of human rights. The book examines how we define dissidents and explores the association of political resistance to authoritarian regimes, as well as the impact of domestic and international recognition of the dissident figure. Turning to literature to analyse the meaning and impact of the dissident label, the book also incorporates interviews and primary accounts from former activists. Combining a unique theoretical approach with new empirical material, this book will appeal to students and scholars of contemporary history, politics and culture in Central Europe. Front Matter ....Pages i-xxiv Introduction (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 1-19 Who Are the Dissidents? (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 21-37 Marxist Neophytes and Democratic Heretics (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 39-63 Dissent Gains Names and Faces (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 65-86 Between Prague and Helsinki: Setting the Transnational Stage for Dissidence (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 87-117 The Birth of the Dissident Figure, 1976–1977 (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 119-144 Molding the Dissident Figure (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 145-161 The Looping Effect of the Dissident Figure: Resistance and Performance (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 163-181 Generalization of the Dissident Figure (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 183-206 Conclusion: Can Dissidentism Explain Post-Dissident Politics? (Kacper Szulecki)....Pages 207-229 Back Matter ....Pages 231-242