The Sociology of Transitions: Post-Communism World

The Sociology of Transitions: Post-Communism World

Dr. Sinisa Malesevic

Room 208

Floor 2, Block T

e-mail:

The dramatic and largely unexpected collapse of the state socialism had a significant impact on the entire world. In a very short period of less then two years (1989-1991) the world has experienced a radical change in political, economic and ideological systems in Eastern Europe and Soviet Union. A political order that was in existence for more then seven decades was gone almost overnight. The large, powerful and numerous communist parties have changed their names and political programs or have simply vanished. The ideas of central planning in economy and ‘dictatorship of proletariat’ in politics have disappeared from the public discourse to be replaced with the concepts such as ‘market economy’ and ‘liberal democracy’. In addition, the change in political system was accompanied by the emergence of ethno-nationalism, which resulted in the break up of three communist federations (Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia). The social change was truly dramatic and complete.

In this course we will look at these changes and will try to answer questions such as: What is communism? What is the relationship between Marxism and state socialism? Why did communism collapse? Did communist states have any popular legitimacy? Why did Soviet Union and Yugoslavia break up? What was the position of women in communism and how it is today? Are there classes in post-communist societies?

The aim of the course is to introduce students to some of these sociological and political changes of the post-communist world. Students will be familiarised with the main principles and ideas of state socialism as well as with the theories of the collapse of communist power in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union. The changes and developments in the post-communist world will be analysed and discussed also by looking at the effects that they have on the rest of the world in an era of intensive globalisation.

Core texts:

R. Sakwa (1999). Postcommunism. London: Open University Press.

D. Lane (1996). The Rise and Fall of State Socialism. Cambridge: Polity Press.

L. Holmes (1997). Post-Communism: An Introduction. Cambridge: Polity Press.

S. Malesevic (2002) Ideology, Legitimacy and the New State. London: Frank Cass.

Course Programme

Topic 1. Introduction: Communism and Post-Communism in Theory and Practice

Readings:

*Sakwa, Ch1, p.1-8.

* Lane Ch 2, pp.15-35.

* Holmes Ch1, pp.3-22.

* K. Marx & F. Engels (1977). The Communist Manifesto. In K. Marx Selected Writings. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

* J.A. Hall (1998). A View of a Death: On Communism, Ancient and Modern. Theory and Society. 27 (4): 509-534.

* G. Eyal & E. Townsley (1995). The Social Composition of the Communist Nomenklatura: A Comparison of Russia, Poland and Hungary. Theory and Society. 24(5): 723-750.

* M. Maslovski (1996). Max Weber's Concept of Patrimonialism and the Soviet System. The Sociological Review. 44 (2): 294-308.

* L. Kolakowski (1981). Main Currents of Marxism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Topic 2. Political Legitimacy and the Communist Order

Readings:

*Malesevic, Ch 2, pp. 84-120

*Sakwa, Ch.3, pp.23-36

*Lane, Ch 7, pp. 135-150

* M. Weber (1968). Economy and Society. New York: Bedminster Press.

C. Lane (1984). Legitimacy and Power in the Soviet Union Through Socialist Ritual British Journal of Political Science, 14, pp. 207-17.

* T. Rigby (1982). Introduction: Political Legitimacy, Weber and Communist Mono-Organisational Systems in T.Rigby and F. Feher (eds), Political Legitimation in Communist States. London: Macmillan.

* G. Gill (1982). ‘Personal Dominance and the Collective Principle: Individual legitimacy in Marxist-Leninist Systems’, in T. Rigby and F. Feher (eds), Political Legitimation in Communist States, London: Macmillan.

* J. Pakulski (1986). ‘Legitimacy and Mass Compliance: Reflections on Max Weber and Soviet-type Societies’. British Journal of Political Science 16 (1): 45-63.

Topic 3. – Theories of Communist Collapse

Readings:

* Holmes, Ch 2, pp. 23-62.

* Lane, Ch 8, pp.151- 187.

* Sakwa, Ch 2, pp. 8-22, Ch5, pp.68-85

* R. Collins (1986). Weberian Sociological Theory. Ch. 8 The future decline of the Russian Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

* J. A. Hall (1994). After the Fall: An analysis of Post-Communism, British Journal of Sociology. 45 (4).

*L. Ray (1997). Post-Communism: Post-Modernity or Modernity Revisited? British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 48 (4).

* F. Tarifa (1997). The Quest for Legitimacy and the Withering Away of Utopia. Social Forces. 76(2): 437-74.

* L. Siedentop (1994). The Ancient Regime and the Revolution (1856) and Full Circle. Ch.6 from his Tocqueville. pp.113-138.

* R. Dahrendorf (1990). Reflections on the Revolution in Europe. London: Chatto & Windus.

* M. Cox (1998). Rethinking the Soviet Collapse. London: Pinter.

Topic 4. Class and Status Structure in the Post-Communist Societies

Readings:

* G. Eyal, I. Szelenyi and E. Townsley (1997). The Theory of Post-Communist Menagerialism. New Left Review. March/April (222): 53-92.

* F. Parkin (1982). System Contradiction and Political Transformation. In: A. Giddens and D. Held (eds.) Classes, Power and Conflict. London: Macmillan.

* A. Hove (1982). Is There a Ruling Class in the USSR? In: A. Giddens and D. Held (eds.) Classes, Power and Conflict. London: Macmillan.

* J. K. Hass (1999). The Great Transition: The Dynamics of Market Transitions and the Case of Russia, 1991-1995. Theory and Society, 28:383-424.

* S. Clarke (1993). Popular Attitudes of the Transition to a Market Economy in the Soviet Union on the Eve of Reform. The Sociological Review. 41(4): 619-652.

* G. Evans & C. Mills (1999). Are There Classes in Post-communist Societies? A New Approach to Identifying Class Structure. Sociology. 33 (1):234-68.

Topic 5. Gender Relations in Post-Communist Societies

Readings:

* D. Harsanyi (1993). Women in Romania. In: N. Funk and M. Mueller (eds.) Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflections from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. London: Routledge.

* A. Heitlinger (1993). The Impact on the Transition from Communism on the Status of Women in the Czech and Slovak Republics. In: N. Funk and M. Mueller (eds.) Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflections from Eastern Europe and the formerSoviet Union. London: Routledge.

* J. Goven (1993). Gender Politics in Hungary: Autonomy and Antifeminism. In: N. Funk and M. Mueller (eds.) Gender Politics and Post-Communism: Reflections from Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. London: Routledge.

* R. Siemienska (1994). The Contemporary Dilemma of the Polish Family and its Genealogy. The European Journal of Women’s Studies. 1 (2): 207-227.

* J. Heinen (1997). Public/Private: Gender - Social and Political Citizenship in Eastern Europe. Theory and Society. 26(): 577-597.

Topic 6. – Culture and Religion in Communist and Post-Communist World

Readings:

* P. Ramet (1990). Catholic Tradition, Hierarchy and the Politics of Coexistence under Communism: An Introduction. In: P. Ramet (ed.) Catholicism and Politics in Communist Societies. Durham: Duke University Press.

* V. Chypinski (1990). The Catholic Church in 1944-1989 Poland. In: P. Ramet (ed.) Catholicism and Politics in Communist Societies. Durham: Duke University Press.

* R. Andorka (1995). Recent Changes in Social Structure, Human Relations and Values in Hungary. Social Compass. 42(1):9-16.

* B. James (1999). Fencing the Past: Budapest Statue Park Museum. Media, Culture and Society. 21 (3): 291-311.

* M. Svasek (1995). The Soviets Remembered: Liberators or Aggressors? Czech History, Memory and Memorial Sites. Focaal. 25: 103-124.

* S. Malesevic (1997). The Czech Republic and Slovakia: Two Different Roads to Cultural Development.In: S. Malesevic (ed.) Culture in Central and Eastern Europe: Institutional and Value Changes. Zagreb: IMO, pp. 51-69.

Topic 7. – The State and Political System in Communist and Post-Communist Era

Readings:

*Sakwa, Ch 4, pp.37-67.

* Holmes, Ch 7, p. 135-196.

* Lane, Ch 3, p.36- 55.

* Poggi, G. (1990). A New Type of State. In his: The State: Its Nature, Development and Prospects. Stanford: Stanford University Press, p. 145-172.

* I. Szelenyi & S. Szelenyi (1995). Circulation or Reproduction of Elites During the Postcommunist Transformation of Eastern Europe. Theory and Society. 24 (1): 615-635.

* E. Fodor, E. Wnuk-Lipinski & N. Yershova (1995). The New Political and Cultural Elite. Theory and Society. 24 (1): 783-800.

* E. Hanley, N. Yershova & R. Anderson (1995). Russia - Old Wine in a New Bottle? The Circulation and Reproduction of Russian Elites, 1983-1993. Theory and Society. 24(5):639-668.

* J. Wasilewski & E. Wnuk-Lipinski (1995). Poland: Winding Road from the Communist to the Post-solidarity Elite. Theory and Society. 24(5): 669-696.

* S.Szelenyi, I. Szelenyi & I. Kovach (1995). The Making of the Hungarian Postcommunist Elite: Circulation in Politics, Reproduction in the Economy. Theory and Society. 24(5): 697-722.

* G. Hosking, J. Aves & P. Duncan. (1992). The Road to Post-Communism. London: Pinter.

Topic 8. – Civil Society and New Social Movements in Post-Communist Societies

Readings:

* Holmes, Ch 10, pp. 267-302.

* Lane, Ch 5, pp.83 –113.

* P. Sztompka (1998). Mistrusting Civility: Predicament of a Post-Communist Society. In: J. Alexander (ed.) Real Civil Societies. London: Sage.

* C. Hann (1995). Philosopher’s Models in the Carphatian Lowlands. In: J. Hall (ed.) Civil Society. Cambridge: Polity Press.

* W. Wesolowski (1995). The Nature of Social Ties and the Future of Post-Communist Society: Poland After Solidarity. In: J. Hall (ed.) Civil Society. Cambridge: Polity Press.

* K. Pikvance (1998). Democracy and Grassroots Opposition in Eastern Europe: Hungary and Russia Compared. The Sociological Review. 46 (2): 187-207.

Topic 9. – Ethnicity and Nationalism in Post-Communist World

Readings:

* R. Brubaker (1996). Nationalism Reframed: Nationhood and the National Question in the New Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

* R. Brubaker (1998). Myths and misconceptions in the study of nationalism. In: J. Hall (ed.). The State of the Nation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 272-306.

* D. McCrone. (1998). The unforseen revolution: post-communist nationalism (Ch. 8) in his: The Sociology of Nationalism. London: Routledge.

* V. Vujacic (1996). Historical legacies, nationalist mobilization, and political outcomes in Russia and Serbia: A Weberian view. Theory and Society. 25(2): 763-801.

* A. Juska (1999). Ethno-Political Transformation in the States of The Former USSR. Ethnic and Racial Studies. 22 (3).

* J. Musil (ed.). (1995). The End of Czechoslovakia. Budapest: Central European University Press.

* S. Malesevic (2002). From ‘Organic’ Legislators to ‘Organicistic’ Interpreters: Intellectuals in Yugoslavia and Post-Yugoslav states. Government and Opposition. 37(1) pp. 55-75.

Topic 10. – The Break up of Yugoslavia: Sociological Explanations

Readings:

* Malesevic, Ch 3,4,5, pp. 121-269

* Holmes, Ch 3, pp. 90-98

* S. Malesevic (2000). Ethnicity and Federalism in Communist Yugoslavia and its Successor States. In: Y. Ghai (ed.) Autonomy and Ethnicity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 147-170.

* R. Salecl (1994) The Crisis of Identity and the Struggle for New Hegemony in the Former Yugoslavia. In: Laclau, E. (ed.) The Making of Political Identities: London: Verso.

* R. Hodson, Sekulic, D. & Massey, G. (1994) National Tolerance in the Former Yugoslavia. American Journal of Sociology. 99 (6): 1534-58.

* B. Dallago & Uvalic, M. (1998). The Distributive Consequences of Nationalism: the Case of Former Yugoslavia. Europe-Asia Studies. 50 (1): 71-90.

* L. Cohen (1993). Broken Bonds.The Disintegration of Yugoslavia. Boulder: Westview.

* N. Popov (ed.). (1999). The Road to War in Serbia. Trauma and Catharsis. Budapest: Central European University Press.