I Introduction (19. 3 2013)

Introduction to Post-Communist Social Change,

Spring 2013Mikko Lagerspetz

Åbo AkademiSociology

mlagersp@abo.fi

Teachers: Mikko Lagerspetz, Professor, Sociology, ÅA (course leader)Henri Vogt, Professor, International Politics, TYSabina Hadzibulic, PhD Candidate, Belgrad University

19. 3 Tuesday, 15-17: Introduction (Mikko) 20. 3 Wednesday, 15-17: Democratisation (Henri) 26. 3 Tuesday, 15-17: Challenges of transformation (Henri) 27. 3 Wednesday, 15-17: NO LECTURE 2. 4 Tuesday, 15-17: Civil society etc (Mikko) 3. 4 Wednesday, 15-17: Identity and ethnicity (Mikko) 9. 4 Tuesday, 15-17: Global, EU etc (Henri) 10. 4 Wednesday, 15-17: Economic transformation (Sabina) 16. 4 Tuesday, 15-17: The Yugoslavian case (Sabina) 17. 4 Wednesday, 15-17: Conclusions (Mikko)

Why Post-Communism? Science: idiographic – giving

descriptions and analyses of unique events and phenomena – or nomothetic – finding out about general laws and regularities

a region of 400 million people historical development a laboratory of social and institutional

change

”Triple transformation” (Claus Offe)

change of economy from (in principle) planned to market economy;

change of political system; change of society and culture; and also the emergence of new states and a

change in the previously existing states’ place in the international system

(Around) 29 countries

”Transition?”

Models of welfare capitalism

Gøsta Esping-Andersen (1990): Liberal Corporatist-Statist Social DemocraticLater, he proposed another type: Mediterranean

”Transition?”

The appeal of authoritarianism

Is liberal democracy an inevitable outcome of economic modernization? (Francis Fukuyama 1990: The End of History and the Last Man)

among the South-East Asian economic ”tigers” such as Singapore there has occurred rapid economic growth and modernization without political liberalisation. Even this developmental path can have its appeal

”Transition?”

A temporary condition? “transition” creates the picture of a

temporary state. Cf. “developing countries”, or the way in which the Real Socialist regimes legitimated their system: it was a transition towards Communism, in which all problems would be solved

normative and teleological

”Transition?”

Around 29 countries

Regions

Post-Communism: shared characteristics

George (György) Schöpflin (1997: 4) two main traits that characterise post-communist societies:

1) Genesis environment – many possible paths of development were (and partly, still are) open

2) Liminality – parts of the old society and culture remain, live alongside with new structures, values, norms, ideas etc.

Explaining transformation Poland 1980s; Gorbachev 1985-;

Revolutions 1990-91; Dissolution of SU 1992

1) normative 2) remuneratory 3) coercive => 1) ideology, 2) economy; 3) military power

Thank you for your attention!(picture: Martti Innanen)