Democratic and Capitalist Transitions in Eastern Europe: Lessons for the Social Sciences

by M. Dobry (Editor)

Overview

here ofexchange, and borrowing in debates between these disciplines, all the more so, as we shall see a little further on, as the analysis of the Central and East European transformations has also contributed to introduce into political science and sociology theoretical systematizations first formulated in economics. In addition to this opening up to the objects and theories of economics, the pseudo-"dilemma" ofsimultaneity produced, by a kind of feedback, another series of effects on transitology and the related research domains. Contrary to most expectations and predictions in the wake ofthe 1989 upheavals - affirmations that the "dilemmas", "problems" or "challenges" of the transitions in Central and Eastern Europe ought to have been dealt with and resolved one after the other in sequence, in the manner of the more or less idealized trajectories of Great Britain or Spain (trajectories significantly enough promoted, far beyond the circles of scholars, as a "model" of transition), andabove all, contrary to the assumption that superposing a radical economic transformation upon a transition to democracy would make the whole edifice thoroughly unworkable, unstable or dangerous - it must be stated clearly out that the two processes, in their "simultaneity", are not necessarily incompatible. This is one of the main findings stressed upon in several chapters of this book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789401141628
Publisher:	Springer-Verlag New York, LLC
Publication date:	12/06/2012
Series:	GeoJournal Library , #55
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Michel Dobry is Professor of Political Science at the University of Paris X, Nanterre, and Director of the Laboratoire d'Analyse des Systèmes Politiques (CNRS). His works have greatly contributed to the ongoing renewal of the analysis of processes of political crises and, more generally, critical political conjunctures.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: When Transitology Meets Simultaneous Transitions.- I Transitology : the Impact of Eastern European Transformations.- 2. Rival Views of Postcommunist Market Society. The Path Dependence of Transitology.- 3. Paths, Choices, Outcomes, and Uncertainty. Elements for a Critique of Transitological Reason.- 4. The Place of Place in Transitions to Democracy.- 5. Anticipated Institutions: the Power of Path-finding Expectations.- II Elites, Political Games, and the Consolidation of Democracy.- 6. Elite Power Games and Democratic Politics in Central and Eastern Europe.- 7. From Transition to Consolidation. Extending the Concept of Democratization and the Practice of Democracy.- 8. Constitutions and “Good Democracy” in Eastern Europe.- III The Political Economy of Simultaneous Transitions.- 9. The Transformation of State Socialism in Russia: from “Chaotic” Economy to State-led Cooperative Capitalism.- 10. Constituting Markets: the Case of Russia and the Czech Republic.- 11. National Trajectories of Post-socialist Transformation: Is There a Convergence Towards Western Capitalisms?.- 12. Internationalisation: An Issue Neglected in the Path-Dependency Approach to Post-Communist Transformation.

Editorial Reviews

European and American social scientists grapple with the recognition that if the social sciences are to meet the challenge of understanding eastern European transition to both democracy and capitalism, it is necessary to re-examine the methodological principles and the models of explanation of the main approaches, or paradigms, competing within the research, most notable the strategic approach of classical transitology, and the path- dependence approach, with its more avant-garde flavor. The 12 essays consider the impact of eastern European transformations on transitology; elites, political games, and the consolidation of democracy; and the political economy of simultaneous transitions. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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