Challenges of Sustained Development: The Role of Socio-Cultural Factors in East-Central Europe

by Frane Adam (Editor), Matej Makarovic (Editor), Borut Roncevic (Editor), Matevz Tomsic (Editor)

Overview

This book addresses these questions in a comprehensive way. It delves into the inter-relations between the major factors of developmental performance and looks at their effects on sustained societal development. A vast amount of statistical data on social and economic factors in selected European countries is grouped into 31 easy-to-handle tables and analyzed along the following constructs: civilizational competence; social capital; cognitive mobilization; quality of governance; entrepreneurial spirit; social cohesion; and openness to the international environment. The analysis, based on theories and indicators of development, reveals that, in spite of the progress since the fall of Communism, countries in Central and Eastern Europe still fall short of having been transformed into propulsive, "vibrant" societies, with intellectually open-minded, socially and technologically innovative environments

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789637326004
Publisher:	Central European University Press
Publication date:	08/28/2005
Pages:	247
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.02(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Frane Adam, Ph.D. is Professor of Sociology at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. Matej Makarovič, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences. Borut Rončević, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the School of Business and Management in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. Matevž Tomšič, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Sociology and Research Fellow at the University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences.

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION: THE POINT OF DEPARTURE 4

2. CIVILISATIONAL COMPETENCE 17

3. SOCIAL CAPITAL 40

4. COGNITIVE MOBILISATION 63

5. QUALITY OF GOVERNANCE 86

6. ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT 108

7. SOCIAL COHESION 131

8. THE OPENNESS OF SOCIETIES 151

9. DEVELOPMENTAL PERFORMANCE 174

10. CONCLUSION 198

REFERENCES 202

DATABASES 212

Editorial Reviews

"This excellent example of critical modernization studies focuses on issues of socio-economic development, paying special attention to so-called cultural factors of development.... [This book] is an inspiring attempt at offering a theoretically and methodologically sound 'cultural' approach to developmental, institutional and social change. It integrates a broad exploration of social-theory sources with carefully conducted empirical analyses. Moreover, it outlines a holistic, heuristic model of developmental performance, which is immediately put to the empirical test by the authors in the comparative analyses focused on post-communist countries. It is noteworthy that the authors do not hide theoretical and methodological difficulties inherent in the proposed model – unique in itself – but try to overcome them or, at least, to warn the reader against them. In addition, they leave the model open for further elaboration. Throughout the book they present and discuss an impressive pool of variegated, both quantitative and qualitative, data that may be used for further analyses."—Note de Lecture

From the Publisher