Social (Trans)formations in East-Central Europe, 1918-1968
International workshop
Warsaw, 18-20 March, 2005
Institute of History, University of Warsaw
Collegium Civitas

The project calls for critical contributions that address the problem of social transformation in many areas. What was the terrain of these processes? Has it affected pre-dominantly the rural society or urban population? Were its main subject the middle-classes or elites or lower strata? Where did it take place: in the cities or in villages? What was its major driving force? Changes in the social structure and material conditions? Modifications of social mentality or cultural patterns? The interrelations of power and civil society? All these questions need to be discussed in a broader European context in order to touch upon the problem of interpretation, as well. Were these transformations parts of the European modernization? Can these be considered as an adjustment to the general Western development or a divergence from European patterns? What are and were the similarities and dissimilarities of Western and Eastern types of modernity? Is it justified to discern between two types at all? Was there a peculiar Eastern European modernization or a specific Eastern European pattern of historical development? Do scholars have to witch towards entirely different conceptual frameworks? What is the role of communism within these interpretive frameworks? Is it legitimate to term communism a form of modernity or as a peculiar mode of modernization? Are there modern societies in Central and Eastern Europe?

18 March, Friday
Institute of History, University of Warsaw
Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28
10 am
Gábor Gyáni:
Modernity, Modernization and Modernisms
11:30—13.30
Panel 1: Transformations of the Rural World
Constantin Iordachi: Center and Periphery in the Collectivisation of the Romanian Agriculture. Case Study: the Dobrogea Region
Dorin Dobrincu: “Contending classes” during the first years of agricultural collectivization in Romania. Wealthy peasantry’s repression (1949-1952)
Virgiliu Tarau: Transformation of Land and Peasants during Collectivization in Romania

15:30—17:30
Panel 2: Market and Work
Damir Jelič: Eastern Europe Between Market and Subsistence Economy: Geographic Background and Differences
Daniela Koleva: "My life has mostly passed in work": Notions and Patterns of Work in Socialist Bulgaria
Mariusz Jastrząb: A Stick without a Carrot? Disadvantaged Groups of Polish Working Class
Péter Apor: The Creation of the Black-Marketer: Economic Centralisation and the Productionof Social Identities in Postwar Hungary

19 March, Saturday
Collegium Civitas
Palace of Culture and Science, 12th floor
Plac Defilad 1
9.30 am
Ulf Brunnbauer:
“The Struggle for the Soul”. The Politics of Everyday Life in Socialist Bulgaria (1944–1989)
10.30—12:30
Panel 3: Everyday Life
Sanja Petrovič Todosijevič: European Influence on the Process of Modernisation of Everyday Life in Šabac between the Two World Wars
Tibor Valuch: Everyday Life in Socialist Hungary
Breda Luthar: Shopping and Desire: The Politics of Everyday Life in Socialism

14:30—16:30
Panel 4: Changing Patterns of Consumption
Predrag J. Markovič: Symbols and Reality of Yugoslav Socialist Material Culture: Between Consumers’ Stalinism and Socialism with Human Face
Igor Duda: Durables for All: Consumer Frenzy and the Croatian Household in the 1960s
Maruša Pušnik: 'Sight Machine' in the Communication Toolshed Home:
Memories of Early Television in Slovenia

17:00-19:00
Panel 5: Models for Interpreting Macro-Social Change: Migrations and Modernization
Dariusz Stola: International Migrations from Poland
Zdenko Čepič: Rural Population Drain. The Case of Slovenia: Transformation of the Social and Vocational Status of Farmers 1945-1965
Božo Repe: Cultural and Social Transformation of Slovenian Society during the 1960’s and it's Consequences

20 March, Sunday
Institute of History, University of Warsaw
9.30—11:30
Panel 6: The Creation of Social Identities
Sándor Horváth: Making of the Socialist Youth: Hungarian Hooligans
Gregor Starc: Sporting the Nation: Transforming the Symbolic Dimensions of Sport in (Pre)Socialist Slovenia
Tamás Kende: Peasants into Communists – Communists into Peasants? Towards a Social History of the Communist Party