Post-Communism : An Introduction

ISBN-13: 9780745613123 / Angielski / Miękka / 1997 / 400 str.

Leslie Holmes

Opis

The euphoria that greeted the collapse of communist power in Eastern Europe and the USSR has largely been replaced by despondency. Yet, given that radical change was attempted in the political, economic, social and cultural spheres simultaneously, serious disclocations were bound to occur. The unique nature of the transitions makes a study of post-communism important.

Recenzje

"While the daily news from East Europe has provided many of us with a continuous sense of surprise and uncertainty ever since 1989, Holmes has sat down to write a masterful, as well as daring, synthetic account of what is going on in the region. The reader of this ambitious exercise in real time historiography, including the undergraduate beginner in the emerging sub–discipline of East European ′transitology′, is offered a wealth of country portraits, original typologies, and systematic ′before–and–after′ comparisons. Both in its conceptual and empirical parts, the book is a highly stimulating and insightful companion to any observer of East European history in the making." Claus Offe, Humboldt University, Berlin

"As well–informed as it is broad–ranging, the book pays due attention to historical context as well as to political, social and economic change in the 1990s." Archie Brown, St Antony′s College, Oxford

"Clearly written and comprehensive in its scope, this is probably the best introduction to the politics of post–communism that is currently available." Stephen White, University of Glasgow

"Holmes has done a great service in attempting to define post–communism. He has brought together a massive amount of data from nearly 30 countries and provided real insight through his organisation and interpretation." Survival

"Leslie Holmes has written an encyclopedic introduction to post–communism as it exists in the former communist states of Eastern Europe and the former USSR ... His discussion ranges widely across countries, concepts and empirical data. Stimulating in many of the points he makes, and insightful. This book is a mine of useful information, a fine introduction to the subject.′ Australian Journal of Political Science

"[A] fine book." Political Studies

"Holmes′s volume is a very readable textbook and a comprehensive analysis of post–communism in theorectical as well as practical terms. It offers a comparision of late communism and early post–communism and highlights general phenomena in a comparative context." G?bor Stojanovits, Loughborough University, Journal of European Area Studies

Spis treści

List of Figures and Tables.

Preface.

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations.

Terminology and Map.

Part I Theories and Approaches. .

1. On Communism and Post–Communism.

2. Theories of the Collapse of Communist Power.

Part II Transition to post–Communism: The Revolutions of 1989–1991. .

3. Eastern Europe.

4. The USSR.

5. The Survivors.

6. A Comparative Overview.

Part III Early Post–Communism. .

7. Institutional Politics.

8. The Economies.

9. Social Policies and Problems.

10. Civil or Uncivil Societies?.

11. Changing Allegiances.

Part IV Conclusions.

12. Some Concluding Remarks.

Bibliography.

Index.

Blurb

This textbook is the first comprehensive, single–authored analysis of post–communism.

Post–Communism: An Introduction begins with an overview of both the history and many interpretations of the collapse of communism, in order to clarify the difficult issue of what we mean by "post–communism". Holmes then goes on to analyse the realities of post–communism in the social, political and economic spheres. In a predominantly thematic and comparative way the book discusses issues such as the new political institutions; social movements and the question of civil society; marketization and privatization; gender; the environment; nationalism and ethnic politics; and changing international allegiances. Throughout the book, the present circumstances are compared with the pre–1989 situation in order to provide a fuller interpretation and understanding of post–communism.

Comprehensive, comparative and up–to–date, this book will be essential reading for lecturers and students of politics, and the general reader.