"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
General
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