System transformation in central and Eastern Europe, economic development and subjective well‐being

Abstract

One of the vital questions connected with the system transformation in Poland and other former Soviet Bloc countries is whether the overthrow of the communist system was caused by the poor state of their economies or rather people's struggle for their civil rights. However, the “either/or nature” of this question is disturbed by another possibility: it might have been a relatively good state of the economy which made the overthrow possible. Moreover, there is no doubt that the introduction of free market and democracy resulted in many positive changes in people's lives: from the increase in life expectancy and subjective well‐being to the growth of civil liberty. Yet, economic development and (more broadly) modernity also produce extensively described negative effects which, at certain point, seem to “neutralise” their positive ones. Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries seem to follow this path.

Santrauka

Vienas svarbiausiu klausimu, susijusiu su sistemos transformacija Lenkijoje ir kitose buvusiose sovietinio bloko šalyse, yra toks ‐ ar komunistinio režimo nuvertimas buvo sukeltas neturtingu valstybiu ekonomikos, ar žmoniu kovos del savo teisiu? Kad ir kaip būtu, šio klausimo atsakymui “arba… arba” trukdo kita galimybe: tai galetu būti gera valstybe, kurios ekonomika sudare palankias salygas nuversti mineta režima. Be to, nera abejoniu, kad laisvos rinkos ir demokratijos ivedimas sukele daug pozityviu pokyčiu žmoniu gyvenime ‐ nuo didejančiu galimybiu ir geroves iki augančios pilietines laisves. Vis delto ekonomikos pletra ir modernumas taip pat sukelia plačiai aprašytu negatyviu pasekmiu, kurios tam tikrais atvejais naikina pozityviasias. Lenkija ir kitos Vidurio bei Rytu Europos šalys eina šiuo keliu.

Keywords:

• system transformation
• capitalism
• economic growth
• happiness
• traditional and secular/rational values
• material and post‐material values
• subjective well‐being

Reikšminiai žodžiai:

• sistemos transformacija
• kapitalizmas
• ekonomikos augimas
• laime
• tradicines ir sekuliariosios bei racionaliosios vertybes
• materialines ir postmaterialines vertybes
• subjektyvioji gerove