Postcommunism from Within

This book is an excellent collection of research which shows the gaps in understanding that have emerged from studying post-communist states and societies from above and from the perspective of taken-for-granted concepts, such as the neat separation of public and private spheres. Rather the contributors illustrate the need to disaggregate the concepts that have been used to understand post-communist problems and to disaggregate, as researchers, our own approaches and assumptions. ~Europe-Asia Studies

This is a much-needed collection. Studies of the political and economic transformation of the postcommunist countries have focused on the role of the state and market, obscuring both a full consideration of the role of society and the impact of change on society. Such a bottom-up perspective is necessary to understand the phenomenon of postcommunism. In bringing together a series of essays on focused 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,Raymond and Miriam Ehrlich Chair, Department of Political Science, University of Florida

This is a much-needed book that charts a new path in studying postcommunist societies. Jan Kubik, Amy Linch, and their collaborators propose an original, multidisciplinary approach that challenges standard modes of analyzing transformations in Central and Eastern Europe. This approach, calling for careful and context-sensitive empirical research, recognizes the diversity of experiences and outcomes in the region and offers conceptual tools to understand vastly dissimilar societies and cultures undergoing massive political, social, and economic transformations. For anyone concerned with patterns of postcommunist transformation, this is a must read. ~Grzegorz Ekiert,Professor of Government and Director of the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard U