Communist Parties Revisited: Sociocultural Approaches to Party Rule in the Soviet Bloc, 1956-1991

The book Communist Parties Revisited explores the inner workings of Eastern Bloc parties by investigating everyday life within basic organizations, reconstructing rituals, practices, and power struggles, and providing a detailed account of state socialist policymaking on a micro-historical scale.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 383 pages
\n Publication date: 01 November 2020
\n Publisher: Berghahn Books
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The communist parties that held sway over the postwar Soviet Bloc wielded an extraordinary level of power, exerting their influence across various societal domains. This power was perhaps due in part to their perceived monolithic nature, austere demeanor, and sometimes opaque institutions. However, a new perspective emerges in "Communist Parties Revisited." This book takes a refreshing approach by delving into the daily lives of ordinary members within basic organizations. Through a comprehensive examination of national and transnational contexts, the contributions gathered here reconstruct the rituals of party meetings, informal practices among functionaries, intra-party power struggles, and the social processes that shaped ideology. This rich tapestry of insights provides a detailed account of state socialist policymaking on a micro-historical scale, challenging prevailing narratives and offering a fresh perspective on the inner workings of Eastern Bloc parties.

The communist parties that held sway over the postwar Soviet Bloc wielded an extraordinary level of power, exerting their influence across various societal domains. This power was perhaps due in part to their perceived monolithic nature, austere demeanor, and sometimes opaque institutions. However, a new perspective emerges in "Communist Parties Revisited." This book takes a refreshing approach by delving into the daily lives of ordinary members within basic organizations. Through a comprehensive examination of national and transnational contexts, the contributions gathered here reconstruct the rituals of party meetings, informal practices among functionaries, intra-party power struggles, and the social processes that shaped ideology. This rich tapestry of insights provides a detailed account of state socialist policymaking on a micro-historical scale, challenging prevailing narratives and offering a fresh perspective on the inner workings of Eastern Bloc parties.

\n Weight: 520g\n
Dimension: 228 x 152 x 26 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781789208450\n \n