Postcommunism from Within: Social Justice, Mobilization, and Hegemony (Social Science Research Council, 8)

"This is a much needed collection.... In bringing together a series of essays focused on gender, poverty, and corruption, the book is a must for anyone who wants to develop a multifaceted and nuanced understanding of the far-reaching changes of the past two decades."--Michael Bernhard, author of Institutions and the Fate of Democracy: Germany and Poland in the Twentieth Century While the decline of communism in the late twentieth century brought democracy, political freedom, and better economic prospects for many people, it also produced massive social dislocation and engendered social problems that were far less pronounced under the old regimes. The fall of state socialism led to enormously complex political, economic, social, and cultural transformations, and while political liberalization was a lofty goal, it was neither uniform in its effects nor unqualified in its benefits. Postcommunism from Within foregrounds the diversity of the historical experiences and current realities of people in the postcommunist region in examining how they are responding to these monumental changes at home. The original essays in this volume lay out a bold new approach to research on the postcommunist region, and to democratization studies more broadly, that focuses on the social and cultural microprocesses behind political and economic transformation. Thematic essays by eminent scholars of postcommunism from across the social sciences are supported by case studies to demonstrate the limitations of current democratization paradigms and suggest ways of building categories of research that more closely capture the role of vernacular knowledge in demanding, creating, and adapting to institutional change. A novel approach to understanding one of the greatest political and social transformations in recent history, Postcommunism from Within explores not just how citizens respond to political and economic restructuring engineered at the top but also how people enact their own visions of life, politics, and justice by responding to daily challenges. Jan Kubik is Professor and Chair in the Department of Political Science at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. His publications include Anthropology and Political Science (with Myron Aronoff) and The Power of Symbols against the Symbols of Power. Amy Linch is a lecturer in Political Theory at Pennsylvania State University. She is an editor of the International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest: 1500 to the Present. A co-publication of New York University Press and the Social Science Research Council Introduction--postcommunism In A New Key: Bottom Up And Inside Out / Amy Linch -- From Transitology To Contextual Holism: A Theoretical Trajectory Of Postcommunist Studies / Jan Kubik -- Social Justice, Social Science, And The Complexities Of Postsocialism / Thomas C. Wolfe And John Pickles -- Social Justice: Hegemony And Women's Mobilization / Joanna Regulska And Magdalena Grabowska -- Grounds For Hope?: Voices Of Feminism And Women's Activism In Romania / Laura Lovin -- Transformation To Democracy: The Struggles Of Georgian Women / Medea Badashvili -- Poverty And Popular Mobilization In Postcommunist Capitalist Regimes / Ivan Szelenyi And Katarzyna Wilk -- Scandalous Ethnicity And Victimized Ethnonationalism: Pejorative Representations Of Roma In The Romanian Mainstream Media After 2007 / Alina Vamanu And Iulian Vamanu -- A Critique Of The Global Corruption Paradigm / Alena V. Ledeneva -- Informal Payments To Doctors: Corruption Or Social Protest? / Rasma Karklins -- Informal Relations In Public Procurement: The Case Of East Central And South Eastern Europe / Åse Berit Grødeland -- Afterword--mobilizing Justice Across Hegemonies In Place: Critical Postcommunist Vernaculars / Michael D. Kennedy. Edited By Jan Kubik And Amy Linch. A Joint Publication Of The Social Science Research Council And New York University Press. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. While the decline of communism in the late twentieth century brought democracy, political freedom, and better economic prospects for many people, it also produced massive social dislocation and engendered social problems that were far less pronounced under the old regimes. The fall of state socialism led to enormously complex political, economic, social, and cultural transformations, and while political liberalization was a lofty goal, it was neither uniform in its effects nor unqualified in its benefits. This book foregrounds the diversity of the historical experiences and current realities of people in the postcommunist region in examining how they are responding to these monumental changes at home While the decline of communism in the late twentieth century brought democracy, political freedom, and better economic prospects for many people, it also produced massive social dislocation and engendered social problems that were far less pronounced under the old regimes. The fall of state socialism led to enormously complex political, economic, social, and cultural transformations, and while political liberalization was a lofty goal, it was neither uniform in its effects nor unqualified in its benefits. This book foregrounds the diversity of the historical experiences and the realities of people in the postcommunist region in examining how they are responding to these monumental changes at home