Artikel

Over de fluwelen en stille revoluties in Oost- en Midden-Europa aan het eind van de jaren tachtig: een theoretische reconstructie

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Abstract

On the velvet and silent revolutions in Eastern and Central Europe at the end of the eighties. A theoretical reconstruction - This paper deals with the question of whether, and if so how an explanation of the velvet and silent revolutions that took place in Eastern and Central Europe at the end of the eighties can be given by using cultural sociological insights of dissident writers such as Solzjenitsyn and Havel. In addition several (neo-Weberian, world system, rational choice) explanations are presented and theoretically reconstructed. It is argued that the approach of this topic from the point of view of the sociology of culture contrasts with the prevalent structuralist paradigm. The main conclusion is, however, that, be it with the benefit of hindsight, a fruitful combination of a culturalist and a structuralist approach offers a convincing explanation of the origin and course of the velvet revolutions.

How to Cite:

Arts, W., (1996) “Over de fluwelen en stille revoluties in Oost- en Midden-Europa aan het eind van de jaren tachtig: een theoretische reconstructie”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 41(4), 382–405. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.95249