Taking Stock of Shock. Social Consequences of the 1989 ReVolumeutions

Kristen Ghodsee and Mitchell A. Orenstein skillfully integrate empirical research with personal narratives to present a comprehensive analysis of the winners and losers in the post-communist transformation, shedding light on the emergence of populism in Eastern Europe. Following the 1989 collapse of the Berlin Wall, over 400 million individuals were thrust into a new epoch, transitioning abruptly from state-controlled, centrally planned economies to, predominantly, liberal democracies and free-market systems. Three decades on, citizens from post-socialist nations remain deeply divided over the transition's legacy. Was it a successful endeavor yielding significant advancements after an initial recession, or a socio-economic disaster imposed by Western capitalists upon the East? In "Taking Stock of Shock," the authors embark on an in-depth, interdisciplinary exploration of the transition's social consequences, including the ascent of authoritarian populism and xenophobia. They reveal that research across economic, demographic, sociological, political science, and ethnographic fields often yields conflicting conclusions due to varied methodological approaches and data interpretations. By triangulating these findings, Ghodsee and Orenstein validate aspects of both the J-curve model, which predicts sustained growth after an economic dip, and the 'disaster capitalism' theory, which attributes severe negative outcomes to neoliberal policies. While significant portions of populations in diverse post-socialist nations have experienced notable achievements, prosperity, and progress, many others have endured severe socio-economic distress. Ultimately, Ghodsee and Orenstein determine that the aspirations of the transition remain unfulfilled for numerous individuals and propose policy measures to mitigate the adverse social and political repercussions.