Description
Book Synopsis In many parts of post-socialist Europe the tumultuous political and economic developments have generated strong emotions, ranging from hope and euphoria to disappointment, envy, disillusionment, sorrow, loneliness, and hatred. Yet these aspects have been largely neglected in analyses of the profound transformations that have taken place in Central and Eastern Europe since 1990. Based on a wide variety of ethnographic case studies focusing on Russian, Siberian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Slovenian, Croatian, Czech, and Polish communities, this volume proves the significance of emotions to post-socialist political processes as an inherent part of the transformations and sheds new light on the impact of local, national, and transnational political forces that have given rise to the resurgence of nationalist sentiments, increasing poverty and marginalization, conflicts arising from the restitution of state property, constitutional changes, and economic deprivation.
Trade Review “In conclusion, the intersection of politics and emotions in the postsocialist countries is definitely an interesting and daring academic journey, situated at the crossroads of political science and psychology. The pioneering work of the contributors furthers the academic boundaries of the disciplines, and adds an interdisciplinary richness to both fields of knowledge.” • Social Anthropology
“The authors of these essays present nuanced analyses of ethnographic data from a number of substantive fields, all significant and relevant beyond their immediate empirical focus. For this reason, and thanks to the essays’ easily accessible language and novel theoretical focus, this book is an excellent scholarly contribution to the growing literature on social change in Eastern Europe, and could also serve as a text for students of social change both at the graduate and undergraduate level.” • The Historian
Table of Contents Introduction: Postsocialism and the Politics of Emotions
Maruška Svašek
Chapter 1. Nostalgia and the Emotional Economy: a Comparative Look at Rural Russia
Patrick Heady and Liesl L. Gambold Miller
Chapter 2. Social Suffering and Political Protest: Mapping Emotions and Power among Pomaks in Postsocialist Bulgaria
Dimitrina Mihaylova
Chapter 3. Sentiments and/as Property Rights: Restitution and Conflict in Postsocialist Romania
Filippo M. Zerilli
Chapter 4. Postsocialist Ownership: Emotions, Power and Morality in a Czech Village
Maruška Svašek
Chaper 5. Claiming Ownership in Postwar Croatia: the Emotional Dynamics of Possession and Repossession in Knin
Carolin Leutloff-Grandits
Chapter 6. ‘The First Europeans’ Fantasy of Slovenian Venetologists: Emotions and Nationalist Imaginings
Zlatko Skrbiš
Chapter 7. Strategies of Resistance in the Polish Campaign against EU Membership
Justine Golanska-Ryan
Chapter 8. The Misgivings of Democracy: Personal Resentment and Alternating Power in a Czech Village
Birgit Müller
Chapter 9. The Dynamics of Trust and Mistrust in Poland: Floods, Emotions, Citizenship and the State
Don Kalb and Herman Tak
Afterword
Alaina Lemon
Notes on Contributors
Index
