The changing world of labour in Hungary and Central and Eastern Europe before and after the 1989/90 transition

ABSTRACT

This study examines the social and economic changes experienced by the former class of workers in Hungary and Central and Eastern Europe following the 1989–1990 shift from socialism to democracy. After introducing what common traits characterized the region’s workers during the late period of state socialism, I will analyze in detail the post-communist transition, the processes of both de- and post-industrialization and the various impacts of globalization, including its subsequent realignment of social classes. Questions such as the transformed content of physical labour, the changes involved in identifying as a labourer and the work or survival strategies employed by certain groups of workers will also be briefly addressed.

KEYWORDS:

• Workers
• post-communist transition
• 1989-1990 democratic shift
• central and eastern Europe
• social transformation and fragmentation

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

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Tibor Valuch

Tibor Valuch is a research professor at the Center for Social Sciences Institute of Political Science, Budapest. He is also professor at the Institue of History Eszterhazy Karoly Catholic University, Eger. His main research fields include the social and cultural history if Hungary after Second World War period, history of everyday life in the contemporary Hungary and Central Europe, contemporary European social history and labour history He holds a PhD in History from the University of Debrecen (1995). He is author of several monographs and papers.His latest book is: Everyday life under Communism and after - Consumption an Lifestyle in Hungary, 1945-2000. (CEU Press, New York-Vienna-Budapest, 2021.)