Issues

Socio-economic transformation in FRY (Serbia and Montenegro) and Croatia

Responsible researchers:
Serbia and Montenegro - Silvano Bolcic, Mihail Arandarenko, Mladen Lazic, Veselin Vukotic
Croatia - Vojmir Franicevic, Srdjan Vrcan, Alija Hodzic

Common features and differences in the nation-state formation of the ex-Yugoslav republics Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro should be examined in the light of their socioeconomic transformation in the past decade (1990-2000). Further transformation of these new states from authoritarian to modern democratic states as well as the realization of human rights of citizens of these states heavily depends on the outcomes of their socioeconomic transformation. This includes relevant institutional changes of the economic systems, new economic and social practices and also changed socioeconomic conditions of the daily life of citizens in these states. Similarities and differences of recent socioeconomic transformations in these states should be connected to their previous common life in Yugoslavia, and to the actions and impact of internal social forces as well as of actors of the international community.
This part of the project would be devoted to the following issues:
Changes of basic economic institutions and rules: transformation of property relations (replacement of the former social/state property with privatized property and other forms of "owner-specific" property); replacement of the state administrative (bureaucratic) control of enterprises by the market regulation; new role of state institutions in economic life. It will be necessary to study similarities and differences in directions of change, in institutional solutions and, especially, in the outcomes of these changes in real life
Transformations of management and labor relations: new roles for managerial bodies and managers; abandonment of the former "self-management system" and new institutional solutions for respecting interests of relevant social actors in management (owners, employees, local and broader communities, state.); redefinition of employees' rights, trade-union roles, collective bargaining and other forms of mediation of conflicts in the sphere of work.
Socio-economic differentiation and new (in)equalities: formation of new economic structures in these states in relation to their changing markets and impact of these changes on the employment opportunities and incomes distribution; recent social policy measures and their role in socioeconomic differentiation in these states; "winners" and "losers" in transition years and privileged and pauperized social groups; the extent of former social inequalities and new inequalities during the years of transition.
Social restratification and changes in the elite-formation: changes in the characteristics of former social strata (peasants, workers, professionals), and of new establishing strata (owners, entrepreneurs.); changes in the elite-formation and in the actual elite recruitment; replacement of domination of "politocracy" with plurality of elite (political, economic, cultural elite); "transformation" or "transplanting" of former elite and formation of new elite.

It is expected that each of the analyzed ex-Yugoslav republics will have some peculiarities in their recent socioeconomic transformation. The Project findings should include description of relevant socioeconomic institutional changes, of real practices and of interests and attitude of key social actors affecting these transformations. Observations and assessments will be based on the available statistical and other official information and on the relevant surveys and other sociological findings.
This part, in short, would deal with the transitional processes in economic structure and property relations, with special attention paid to its social consequences - the social structure and social mobility changes, changes in working legislature, in social policy legislature, in daily life standard, in the field of job availability, etc. In other words, the complex social implications of economic structural changes would be taken into consideration, with a special attention paid to political culture and civil society.