Rooms for Manoeuvre

Another Look at Negotiating Processes in the Socialist Bloc

Contributions by Theodore R. Weeks Contributions by Markus Krzoska Contributions by Dušan Segeš Contributions by Martin Jemelka Contributions by Maria Hetzer Contributions by Jakub Gałęziowski Contributions by Matthias Barelkowski Contributions by Juraj Buzalka Contributions by Błażej Brzostek Contributions by Barbara Klich-Kluczewska Contributions by Claudia Kraft Contributions by Jerzy Kochanowski Contributions by Maria Buko Edited by Jerzy Kochanowski Edited by Claudia Kraft

Book cover: Rooms for Manoeuvre

Extent: 308 pages

Publisher: V&R unipress

Subjects: Anthropology, Gender & Sexuality

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(September 2021)

ISBN: 9783847113362

6.3 x 9.25 inches

Price: $69.00

In stock

The volume focuses on emerging “rooms for manoeuvre” in the socialist societies of Central and Eastern Europe after the Second World War. Unlike in other works, these areas of activity are not viewed as isolated spheres where citizens could act independently from political and societal constraints. They are rather conceptualized here as geographical, social or institutional spaces whose existence was either outside of political control or more or less intentionally allowed by authorities and other decision-makers. The contributions investigate how East Germans, Poles, Romanians, Slovaks and Czechs coped with the limitations of socialist reality.


The volume focuses on emerging “rooms for manoeuvre” in the socialist societies of Central and Eastern Europe after the Second World War. Unlike in other works, these areas of activity are not viewed as isolated spheres where citizens could act independently from political and societal constraints. They are rather conceptualized here as geographical, social or institutional spaces whose existence was either outside of political control or more or less intentionally allowed by authorities and other decision-makers. The contributions investigate how East Germans, Poles, Romanians, Slovaks and Czechs coped with the limitations of socialist reality. How did they adopt and successfully adapt given norms to their own specific interests? To what extent were the resulting “rooms for manoeuvre” not only essential aspects of the state socialist system, but even necessary to stabilize it?

  • Contributions by Theodore R. Weeks
  • Contributions by Markus Krzoska
  • Contributions by DuÅ¡an SegeÅ¡
  • Contributions by Martin Jemelka
  • Contributions by Maria Hetzer
  • Contributions by Jakub Gałęziowski
  • Contributions by Matthias Barelkowski
  • Contributions by Juraj Buzalka
  • Contributions by BÅ‚ażej Brzostek
  • Contributions by Barbara Klich-Kluczewska
  • Contributions by Claudia Kraft
  • Contributions by Jerzy Kochanowski
  • Contributions by Maria Buko
  • Edited by Jerzy Kochanowski
  • Edited by Claudia Kraft