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The Czech Economic Elite after Fifteen Years of Post-Socialist Transformation
[journal article]
Abstract The East-Central European post-socialist transformations have now reached a new stage, with the need to address the problems of further modernisation & maintenance in the context of the EU. The role of elites in this process is as intermediators between the influence of the European context & the ne... view more
The East-Central European post-socialist transformations have now reached a new stage, with the need to address the problems of further modernisation & maintenance in the context of the EU. The role of elites in this process is as intermediators between the influence of the European context & the needs & interests of differentiated internal social structures. Their attitudes & behaviour exhibit a high degree of internal fragmentation & division corresponding to various strategical orientations favouring various societal models. The post-socialist Czech economic elite was initially reproduced out of former state socialist managers & their cadre reserves. After the first phase of economic developments, inspired by neo-liberal radical privatisation & elements of 'shock therapy', & once the new, more European phase ushered in many new factors, there was a distinct decline in the number of 'old-new' economic elite on the scene. In the empirical part of the article the results of several surveys are used to briefly describe the changes in the composition of the Czech economic elite in the 1994-2005 period & to summarise their attitudes & behaviour. The analysis concludes that the current image of a liberal & pro-European Czech elite is consistent with the stable & remarkable progress of the Czech economy since 1999, the considerable wealth, strong profits, & high salaries enjoyed by top elites, & the enhancement of their role in the European economy. There are also some limitations & weak points that diverge from this general picture. The article's conclusions touch on the question of the role of the economic elite in the progress of arriving at more consensual attitudes & behaviour among societal elites as a whole, favouring further economic growth, modernisation & the strengthening of social cohesion in the context of the EU.... view less
Classification
Sociology of Economics
Free Keywords
Czech Republic; Elites; Social Change; Postcommunist Societies; Economic Development
Document language
English
Publication Year
2006
Page/Pages
p. 537-556
Journal
Sociologický časopis / Czech Sociological Review, 42 (2006) 3
Status
Published Version; reviewed
Licence
Deposit Licence - No Redistribution, No Modifications