Abstract
The paper is concerned with decreasing state ownership in post-communist Eastern Europe and a concomitant decline in the proportion employed in the state sector. Many individuals have shifted into private sector employment, self-employment or unemployment. The literature on sectoral shifts in employment in Eastern Europe is summarised, and from this it is argued that there will be a growing differentiation between private sector employees and state sector employees in economic, social and political terms. Data is then analysed based on a survey in 1995 of around 1000 households in each of four cities – Budapest, Prague, Warsaw and Krakow. Similar patterns emerged in the four cities. Consistent differences in working conditions and rewards are already evident between the self-employed, private sector and state sector. These conflicting economic interests are reflected in contrasting attitudes to the economy and polity amongst those employed in different sectors.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Böröcz J. and Róna Tas A., 1995: Small leap forward: emergence of new economic elites. Theory Soc. 24: 751-781.
Campbell J., 1996: An institutional analysis of fiscal reform in post-communist Europe. Theory Soc. 25, 45-84.
Centeno M. and Rands T., 1996: The world they have lost: an assessment of change in Eastern Europe. Social Res. 63, 369-402.
Duke V. and Grime K., 1994a: Urban cleavages in the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe. In: Nagel S. and Rukavishnikov V. (eds), East Europe Development and Public Policy. Macmillan, London, pp. 3-16.
Duke V. and Grime K., 1994b: Privatisation in East Central Europe: similarities and contrasts in its application. In: Bryant C. and Mokrzycki E. (eds), The New Great Transformation. Routledge, London, pp. 144-170.
Dunleavy P., 1980: The political implications of sectoral cleavages and the growth of state employment (in 2 parts). Political Studies 28: 364-383, 527–549.
Estrin S., 1994: Economic transition and privatisation: the issues. In: Estrin S. (ed.), Privatisation in Central and Eastern Europe. Longman, London, pp. 3-30.
Evans G. and Whitefield S., 1995: The politics and economics of democratic commitment: support for democracy in transition societies. Brit. J. Pol. Sci. 25: 485-514.
Ferge Z., 1996: Social citizenship in the new democracies: the difficulties in revising citizens rights in Hungary. Int. J. Urban Regional Res. 20, 99-115.
Frydman R. and Rapaczynski A., 1994: Privatisation in Eastern Europe: Is the State Withering Away? Central European University Press, Budapest.
Grime K. and Duke V., 1993: A Czech on privatisation. Regional Studies 27: 751-757.
Grime K. et al., 1997: The Social and Economic Consequences of Privatisation in Central and Eastern Europe. Final report to the European Union, University of Salford.
Kolankiewicz G., 1995: Regime transformation as the rationalisation of social capital. In: Conference for David Lockwood. Department of Sociology, University of Essex, Colchester.
Misztal B., 1996: Post-communist ambivalence: becoming of a new formation? Arch. Europ. Sociol. 37: 104-140.
Mizsei K., 1993: Bankruptcy in the Post-communist Economies of East Central Europe. Westview, Boulder, CO.
Nelson D., 1996: Civil society endangered. Soc. Res. 63: 345-368.
O'Connor J., 1973: The Fiscal Crisis of the State. St Martins, New York.
Róna Tas A., 1994: The first shall be last? Entrepreneurship and communist cadres in the transition from socialism. Am. J. Sociol. 100: 40-69.
Rose R. and Makkai T., 1995: Consensus or dissensus about welfare in post-communist societies. European J. Polit. Res. 28: 203-224.
Rychard A., 1996: Beyond gains and losses: in search of 'winning losers'. Social Res. 63: 465-485.
Sik E., 1994: From the multicoloured to the black and white economy: the Hungarian second economy and transformation. Int. J. Urban Regional Res. 18: 46-70.
Sikorska J., 1995: Social differences in consumption: realisation strategies for consumption aims: Quoted in Rychard, A. (see above).
Stark D., 1992: Path dependence and privatisation strategies in East Central Europe. East European Pol. Soc. 6: 17-54.
Stark D., 1996: Recombinant property in East European Capitalism. Am. J. Sociol. 101: 993-1027.
Szelenyi I., 1988: Socialist Entrepreneurs: Embourgeoisement in Rural Hungary. Polity Press, Cambridge.
Tittenbrun J., 1995: The managerial revolution revisited: the case of privatisation in Poland. Capital Class 55: 21-32.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Duke, V. No longer working for the state: residual state sector versus private sector. GeoJournal 49, 17–24 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007081905761
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007081905761