In this Book
- Green Barons, Force-of-Circumstance Entrepreneurs, Impotent Mayors: Rural Change in the Early Years of Post-Socialist Capitalist Democracy
- Book
- 2013
- Published by: Central European University Press
summary
An exemplary study in comparative contemporary history, this monograph looks at rural change in six countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. In the 1990s most of these nations experienced a fourth radical restructuring of agricultural relations in the twentieth century, and all went through the dramatic transition from communism to capitalism.
The author analyzes attempts to activate democracy on a local level and recreate farming structures and non-agricultural businesses based on private ownership and private enterprise. He describes the emergence of a new business class that seeks to dominate local government structures; the recuperation of former communist farming entities by former managers; and the transformation of peasants into rural citizens, who nevertheless remain the underdogs.
Swain exposes common features as well as specific divergences between the six countries; he portrays the winners, losers and engineers of transformations. He situates his themes in a wider context that will appeal to a broad range of social scientists and historians.
Table of Contents
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- Introduction
- pp. 1-18
- 2. Common General Findings
- pp. 71-112
- 3. Bulgaria
- pp. 113-152
- 4. Czech Republic
- pp. 153-194
- 5. Hungary
- pp. 195-240
- 7. Romania
- pp. 279-320
- 8. Slovakia
- pp. 321-360
- Conclusion
- pp. 361-372
- Bibliography
- pp. 373-390
- Index of Research Villages
- pp. 391-392
- General Index
- pp. 393-399
Additional Information
ISBN
9786155225710
Related ISBN(s)
9786155225703
MARC Record
OCLC
867652480
Pages
412
Launched on MUSE
2016-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No