Publisher Description

Political, social, and economic transformation is a complex historical phenomenon. It can adequately be analysed only by a multidisciplinary approach. The Handbook brings together an international team of scholars who are specialists in their respective research fields. It introduces the most important areas, theories, and methods in transformation research, with particular attention placed on the historical and comparative dimension. Although focussing onpost-communist and other democratic transformations in our epoch, the Handbook therefore presents and discusses not only their problems, paths, and developments, but also deals with the antecedent 'waves',beginning with the Meiji Restoration in Japan in 1868 and its book is structured into six parts. Starting with basic concepts as systems, actors, and institutions (Section I), it gives an overview over major theoretical approaches and research methods (Sections II and III). The connection of theory and method with their application is essential, allowing special insights into the past and opens analytical avenues for transformation research in the (IV) provides a historically oriented description or interpretation of particular 'waves' or types of societal transformation. With a clear focus on present transformations, the contributions toSection V provide a description and discussion of the problems, structures, actors, and courses of the transformations within different spheres of (civil) society, politics, law, and economics. Finally, brief lexicographic entries in Section VI delineate research perspectives and facts about relevant issues of societal transformation. Each of the 79 contributions contains a concise list of the most important research literature.

Table of Contents

1: Wolfgang Merkel, Raj Kollmorgen, and Hans-Jürgen Wagener: Transformation and Transition Research: An IntroductionSection I Theoretical Frameworks2: Wolfgang Merkel, Julian Brückner, and Hans-Jürgen Wagener: System3: Stefan Voigt: Institutions4: Wolfgang Merkel and Hans-Jürgen Wagener: ActorsSection II Research Approaches5: Raj Kollmorgen: Modernization Theories6: Julian Brückner: Transition Approaches7: Julian Brückner: Structuralism8: Jan Kubik: Cultural Approaches9: Christoph H. Stefes: Historical Institutionalism and Societal Transformations10: Malcolm H. Dunn and Joseph P. Ganahl: Development Economics and Transformation Studies11: Stefan Kolev and Joachim Zweynert: Approaches to Transformation in Economics12: Frank Bönker: Political Economy Approaches13: Jürgen Beyer: Political Steering Approach14: Karl-Dieter Opp: Political Mobilization Approaches15: Grzegorz Ekiert: Civil Society Approach16: Raj Kollmorgen and Wolfgang Merkel: Combining Theoretical ApproachesSection III Methods17: Carsten Q. Schneider: Macro-Qualitative Approaches18: Bruno Hildenbrand: Micro-Qualitative Research19: Gert Pickel and Susanne Pickel: Quantitative Methods in Transformation Research20: Tatjana Thelen: Ethnographic Methods21: Johannes Angermuller and Raj Kollmorgen: Discourse Approaches22: Martin Myant and Jan Drahokoupil: Economic Methods23: Dirk Berg-Schlosser: Comparative Methods in Transformation Research: Political CultureSection IV Historic Waves and Types of Societal Transformations24: Raj Kollmorgen: Post-Absolutist Transformations in the Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries25: Dieter Segert: State-Socialist Transformations in the Twentieth Century26: Alexander Nützenadel: Transformation in Fascist Interbellum Europe27: Wolfgang Merkel and Johannes Gerschewski: Democratic Transformations after the Second World War28: Carsten Herrmann-Pillath: China's Transformations in the Twentieth Century: Economic, Political and Cultural Interdependencies29: Siegmar Schmidt: Postcolonial Transformations in Africa in the Twentieth Century30: Naser Ghobadzadeh: Islamist Transformations: From Utopian Vision to Dystopian Reality31: Peter Thiery: Democratic Transitions in the Late Twentieth Century32: Raj Kollmorgen: Post-socialist Transformations in the Twentieth and Twenty-First CenturiesSection V Spheres33: John Keane and Wolfgang Merkel: Civil Society34: Christian Kirchner and David Ehmke: Law35: Hans-Jürgen Wagener: EconomySection VI Basic Problems of Transformation36: Antje Kästner: Autocracy Promotion37: Anton Sterbling: Collective Identities38: Astrid Lorenz: Constitution-building39: Bernhard Weßels: Corporative Actors: Parties, Associations40: Attila Ágh: Deconsolidation of Democracy in East-Central Europe41: Aurel Croissant and Wolfgang Merkel: Defective Democracy42: Julia Leininger: Democracy Promotion43: Leonardo Morlino: Democratic Consolidation44: Jürgen Dorbritz: Demographic Transitions45: Ilyas Saliba and Wolfgang Merkel: Dilemma of Simultaneity46: Michael Fritsch: Economic Restructuring47: Andreas Schedler: Elections and Transformation48: Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser: Elites49: Vera Trappmann: External Transformation Anchors50: Hans-Dieter Klingemann: Founding Elections51: Silke Roth and Charlie Walker: Gender Relations52: Aurel Croissant: Historical Legacies53: Alexander Schmotz: Hybrid Regimes54: Hans-Jürgen Wagener: Institutional Transfer55: Herman W. Hoen: Internationalization56: Katharina Pistor: Legal Systems and Economic Development57: Daniel Lambach: Legitimacy58: László Csaba: Liberalization59: Marek Dabrowski: Macroeconomic Stabilization60: Barbara Thomaß: Mass Media61: Sonja Grimm: Military Intervention62: Hubert Gabrisch: Monetary Transformation63: Saara Inkinen: Parties as Agents of Transition64: Wolfgang Merkel and Lea Heyne: Phases of Transformation65: Detlef Pollack: Political Culture66: Dag Tanneberg: Political Repression67: Bruno Dallago and Chiara Guglielmetti: Privatization68: Thomas Apolte: Property Rights69: Hans-Joachim Lauth: Regime Diffusion70: Hans-Joachim Bürkner: Regional Disparities71: Detlef Pollack: Religious Change72: Anne van Aaken: Rule of Law and Statehood73: Kenneth Newton: Social Capital74: Raj Kollmorgen: Social Inequalities75: Katharina Müller: Social Security76: Timm Beichelt: Stateness77: Vladimir Popov: Strategies of Economic Transformation78: Jan Fidrmuc: Transformation Crises79: Brigitte Weiffen: Transitional Justice80: Bernhard Weßels: Value Change

Long Description

Political, social, and economic transformation is a complex historical phenomenon. It can adequately be analysed only by a multidisciplinary approach. The Handbook brings together an international team of scholars who are specialists in their respective research fields. It introduces the most important areas, theories, and methods in transformation research, with particular attention placed on the historical and comparative dimension. Although focussing onpost-communist and other democratic transformations in our epoch, the Handbook therefore presents and discusses not only their problems, paths, and developments, but also deals with the antecedent 'waves', beginning with the Meiji Restoration in Japan in 1868 and its book is structured into six parts. Starting with basic concepts as systems, actors, and institutions (Section I), it gives an overview over major theoretical approaches and research methods (Sections II and III). The connection of theory and method with their application is essential, allowing special insights into the past and opens analytical avenues for transformation research in the future. Section (IV) provides a historically oriented description or interpretation of particular 'waves'or types of societal transformation. With a clear focus on present transformations, the contributions to Section V provide a description and discussion of the problems, structures, actors, and courses of the transformations within different spheres of (civil) society, politics, law, and , brief lexicographic entries in Section VI delineate research perspectives and facts about relevant issues of societal transformation. Each of the 79 contributions contains a concise list of the most important research literature.

Feature

This volume, originally published in German, provides the definitive point of reference, within the social sciences, of the concept of transformationDevelops a broad socio-economic approach, and surveys historical waves of transformationFeatures contributions from leading international scholars

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