Informality in Eastern Europe: Structures, Political Cultures and Social Practices (Interdisciplinary Studies on Central and Eastern Europe)

This volume deals with different aspects of informal structures and practices in Eastern Europe. Its objectives are twofold. It aims at discovering whether or to what extent informal structures and practices in Eastern Europe have meanings, functions, forms and effects different from those that can be observed in the politics and societies of Western Europe. The authors of this volume – most of them are from the region – have been invited to discuss the scientific relevance of the distinction informal / formal in their respective field of research or discipline. This points to the second objective of this volume which is to encourage a more fruitful interaction between disciplines that often disregard each other and which, despite inevitable and essential epistemological differences, have significant shared interests such as the comparative analysis of political phenomena in terms of elementary forms of social organization. The relation between informality and formality in a more methodologically pluralist and ultimately holistic way can be analysed via regards croisés between the disciplines anthropology, political science and sociology. This allows the extension of this comparative and multidisciplinary approach to other themes and phenomena of mutual interests. Cover Table of Contents 5 Christian Giordano and Nicolas Hayoz Introduction: Exploring Informality in Eastern Europe through Different Disciplines 9 Part I: General and Comparative Perspectives 25 Christian Giordano The Social Organization of Informality: The Rationale Underlying Personalized Relationships and Coalitions 27 Nicolas Hayoz Observations on the Changing Meanings of Informality 47 Anton Sterbling Aspects of “Informality” – with Particular Focus on South-Eastern Europe 67 Kristof Van Assche, Anastasiya Shtaltovna and Anna-Katharina Hornidge Visible and Invisible Informalities and Institutional Transformation in the Transition Countries of Georgia, Romania, and Uzbekistan 89 Maximos Aligisakis Shadow Economy, Corruption and Informal Political Exchanges: The Greek Case in a Comparative Perspective 119 Part II: Central and Southeastern Europe 139 Nicole Gallina Analysing Informality: A Case-Study Based Concept applied to the Czech Republic 141 Veronika Pasynkova The Synchronization of Communist Legacy in Postcommunist Politics and Labour: the Case of Poland 159 Tanya Chavdarova Institutionalization of Market Order and Reinstitutionalization of Vruzki (Connections) in Bulgaria 179 Katerina Gehl and Klaus Roth The Everyday Culture of Informality in Post-Socialist Bulgarian Politics 197 Sonja Schüler Abuse of Office, Informal Networks, “Moral Accountability” – Political Corruption in Bulgaria 223 Edvin Zhllima and Drini Imami Informality in Albania – The Case of Rural Land Tenure and Transactions 243 Adem Beha Contested Statebuilding in Kosovo: the Nature and Characteristics of Serbian Parallel Structures 261 Fanny Sbaraglia “They are with the Others”: From Gossip to Stigmatization, Romanian Civil Society through an Informal Perspective 279 François Ruegg Social Representations of Informality: the Roma Case 297 Part III: Post-Soviet Countries 317 Jonathan Wheatley Informal and Formal Institutions in the Former Soviet Union 319 Galina Michaleva The Dominance of Informal Politics on the Eve of the Electoral Year 2011–2012 337 Elvira Leontyeva Corruption Networks in the Sphere of Higher Education: An Example from Russian Mass Universities 357 Elena Denisova-Schmidt How Unwritten Rules Can Influence Human Resource Management in Russia 379 Andrea Friedli Informality as a “Weapon of the Weak”? Public Representation of Tatar Youth Movements in Kazan, Russia 397 Abel Polese The Ambiguity and Functions of Informality: Some Notes from the Odessa-Chisinau Route 415 Rail Safiyev Informality in a Neopatrimonial State: Azerbaijan 433 Alexander Iskandaryan Formalization of the Informal: Statebuilding in Armenia 451 Giga Zedania Informality and the Question of Modernization: the Case of Georgia 469 Notes on Contributors 485 Introduction : Exploring Informality In Eastern Europe Through Different Disciplines / Christian Giordano And Nicolas Hayoz -- The Social Organization Of Informality : The Rationale Underlying Personalized Relationships And Coalitions / Christian Giordano -- Observations On The Changing Meanings Of Informality / Nicolas Hayoz -- Aspects Of Informality With Particular Focus On South-eastern Europe / Anton Sterbling -- Visible And Invisible Informalities And Institutional Transformation In The Transition Countries Of Georgia, Romania, And Uzbekistan / Kristof Van Assche, Anastasiya Shtaltovna And Anna-katharina Hornidge -- Shadow Economy, Corruption And Informal Political Exchanges : The Greek Case In A Comparative Perspective / Maximos Aligisakis -- Analysing Informality : A Case-study Based Concept Applied To The Czech Republic / Nicole Gallina -- The Synchronization Of Communist Legacy In Postcommunist Politics And Labour : The Case Of Poland / Veronika Pasynkova --^ Institutionalization Of Market Order And Reinstitutionalization Of Vruzki (connections) In Bulgaria / Tanya Chavdrarova -- The Everyday Culture Of Informality In Post-socialist Bulgarian Politics / Katerina Gehl And Klaus Roth -- Abuse Of Office, Informal Networks, Moral Accountability : Political Corruption In Bulgaria / Sonja Schüler -- Informality In Albania : The Case Of Rural Land Tenure And Transactions / Edvin Zhllima And Drini Imami -- Contested Statebuilding In Kosovo : The Nature And Characteristics Of Serbian Parallel Structures / Adem Beha -- They Are With The Others : From Gossip To Stigmatization, Romanian Civil Society Through An Informal Perspective / Fanny Sbaraglia -- Social Representations Of Informality : The Roma Case / Francois Ruegg -- Informal And Formal Institutions In The Former Soviet Union / Jonathan Wheatley -- The Dominance Of Informal Politics On The Eve Of The Electoral Year 2011-2012 / Galina Michaleva --^ Corruption Networks In The Sphere Of Higher Education : An Example From Russian Mass Universities / Elvira Leontyeva -- How Unwritten Rules Can Influence Human Resource Management In Russia / Elena Denisova-schmidt -- Informality As A Weapon Of The Weak : Public Representation Of Tatar Youth Movements In Kazan, Russia / Andrea Friedli -- The Ambiguity And Functions Of Informality : Some Notes From The Odessa-chisinau Route / Abel Polese -- Informality In A Neopatrimonial State : Azerbaijan / Rail Safiyev -- Formalization Of The Informal : Statebuilding In Armenia / Alexander Iskandaryan -- Informality And The Question Of Modernization : The Case Of Georgia / Giga Zedania. Christian Giordano & Nicolas Hayoz (eds). Includes Bibliographical References. This volume explores informal structures and practices in Eastern Europe and whether these are different from informality which can be observed in Western Europe. The authors discuss the scientific relevance of the distinction informal/formal across different disciplines.