Sociology in Central and Eastern Europe in the 1990s: A Decade of Reconstruction

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independence of Central and Eastern Europe, and the disappearance of the great polarity that separated East and West, the climate for sociology changed radically. Throughout the region sociologists found themselves with a new independence, free of the ideological and intellectual restrictions that had been imposed by state and Party authorities. In the post-1989 era, sociology entered a decade of reconstruction and began to take on a new role, helping to understand the transformations that occurred, as well as facilitating the social change they brought about. This article examines this recent history of sociology in Central and Eastern Europe with particular attention to deCommunization, institutionalization, teaching, theory and methods, topics of research, and international collaboration and influences.