Social Psychology of Democracies in Transition (CEE, 1989-2019)

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering historical, political, psychological, and sociological concepts essential to understanding post-1989 transitions in Central and Eastern Europe.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Post-communist region stretching from the Baltic to the Balkans, studied for its diverse political transitions after 1989.

Democratic Centralism

Leninist principle whereby party decisions are made at the top and strictly followed by lower levels, eliminating grassroots input.

Totalitarian System

One-party rule that monopolizes politics, economy, media, education, and civil society through coercion and surveillance.

Central Planning

State-directed allocation of resources and production targets, typical of communist economies, leading to shortages and inefficiencies.

Social Engineering (Communist)

Deliberate state efforts to reshape society via collectivization, forced industrial labor, and cultural control.

Collectivization

State takeover of private farmland into collective units, central to communist agricultural policy.

Structural Breakdown

Late-1980s collapse of communist economies marked by low productivity, technological stagnation, and public disillusionment.

Negotiated Transition

Democratic shift brokered by elites of regime and opposition (e.g., Poland, Hungary).

Mass-Protest Transition

Regime change driven by large-scale street mobilization (e.g., Romania, Czechoslovakia).

Reform-from-Within

Moderate communist elites initiate gradual liberalization (e.g., Bulgaria, Albania).

Break-up Transition

State disintegration into new units, often with violence (e.g., Yugoslavia, Baltic secession).

Market Liberalization

Post-1989 economic reforms of privatization, deregulation, and opening to global markets.

Hybrid Regime

Political system mixing formal democratic institutions with pervasive corruption and weak rule of law.

Democratic Backsliding

Erosion of democratic checks (courts, media, civil society) by elected leaders, visible in Hungary and Poland.

Legacy (Political)

Present outcome linked to a past regime via a mechanism that no longer operates (e.g., low trust rooted in surveillance).

Cultural Legacy

Persisting norms and values—such as political avoidance or conservatism—derived from past regimes.

Material Legacy

Enduring physical conditions like outdated infrastructure or polluted environments inherited from communism.

Institutional Legacy

Surviving organizational structures (e.g., centralized bureaucracy, weak courts) formed under authoritarian rule.

Homo Sovieticus

Stereotype of the communist-era citizen: collectivist, conformist, helpless, and mistrustful of the state.

Homo Post-Sovieticus

Post-1991 mindset combining status anxiety, nostalgia, distrust, and reliance on informal networks.

Anomie

State of normlessness and social instability arising from rapid societal change, common in transitions.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Theory that blocked goals (jobs, housing) generate anger and aggressive behavior.

Pro-Social Behavior

Acts intended to benefit others—helping, volunteering, donating—often weaker in formal channels in CEE.

Social Capital

Networks, trust, and norms facilitating cooperation; strong within families (bonding) but weak institutionally (bridging) in CEE.

Learned Helplessness

Conditioned belief that one’s actions have no effect, fostering passivity under authoritarian rule.

Ostalgie

Nostalgic longing for perceived certainties of East German or communist life, illustrating system justification.

System Justification Theory

Motivation to defend existing social arrangements, whether communist stability or capitalist opportunity.

Social Identity Theory

Concept that group memberships shape self-concept and favor in-group over out-group, key to post-communist identity shifts.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling worse off when comparing one’s gains to others (e.g., West Europeans), fueling dissatisfaction despite progress.

Terror Management Theory

Idea that existential threat (collapse of communism) pushes people toward comforting worldviews like nationalism or religion.

Social Learning Theory

Behavior acquired by observing others; explains persistence of informal practices like corruption.

Contact Hypothesis

Allport’s proposal that intergroup contact under equal status, cooperation, common goals, and support reduces prejudice.

Decategorization

Prejudice-reduction model focusing on individuals rather than group labels.

Recategorization

Strategy of forming a superordinate “we” identity to diminish intergroup bias.

Mutual Differentiation

Model acknowledging distinct group identities while collaborating on shared tasks.

Extended Contact

Knowing an in-group member with out-group friends, which indirectly lowers prejudice.

Vicarious Contact

Observing positive intergroup interaction in media, reducing bias without direct contact.

Parasocial Contact

One-sided emotional bonds with out-group media characters that can improve attitudes.

Islamophobia (CEE)

Fear or hostility toward Muslims, high in CEE despite low Muslim populations, driven by lack of contact and media stereotypes.

Prejudice

Negative attitude toward people based solely on group membership, comprising cognitive, affective, and behavioral components.

Scapegoating

Blaming out-groups for societal problems, intensifying during post-1989 crises.

Realistic Conflict Theory

View that competition over scarce resources breeds intergroup hostility.

Authoritarian Personality

Trait cluster—conformity, submission to authority—predicting intolerance toward minorities.

Need for Cognitive Closure

Desire for certainty and quick judgments, fostering reliance on stereotypes.

Groupthink

Faulty decision-making caused by pressure for consensus, leading to suppressed dissent.

Mindguards

Group members who filter information to protect cohesion, reinforcing groupthink.

Illusion of Invulnerability

Group belief in its own infallibility, a groupthink symptom.

Group Polarization

Tendency for group discussion to amplify initial leanings into more extreme positions.

Intimacy Group

Small, close group (family, friends) formed for affection needs.

Task Group

Small group assembled to achieve a specific goal (jury, work team).

Social Category

Large identity-based grouping (e.g., women, ethnic group) formed for affiliation.

Bonding Social Capital

Strong ties within homogeneous groups (family, close friends).

Bridging Social Capital

Weaker ties across diverse groups that build broader trust—often scarce in CEE.

Political Tolerance

Support for civil and political rights of disliked groups; vital for democratic pluralism.

Civil Liberties (Abstract)

General endorsement of freedoms such as speech and religion, distinct from applied tolerance.

Cognitive Mobilization

Combination of skills and motivation enabling citizens to engage in complex politics, rising with education.

Post-Materialism

Value orientation prioritizing self-expression and quality of life over economic security, linked to democratic support.

Letki Study

Research showing association membership and former Party ties predict post-communist political involvement.

Equal Status (Contact)

First Allport condition: interacting groups must meet on the same social footing to reduce prejudice.

Nationalist Political Mobilization

Use of ethnic or national rhetoric to gain support, often undermining democratic norms.

Social Remittances

Ideas and practices migrants bring back home, influencing norms and civic values.

DIASPOlitic Project

Study finding CEE migrants abroad vote more liberal and pro-democracy than residents at home.

Embeddedness vs Autonomy

Schwartz value dimension contrasting group loyalty with individual independence.

Hierarchy vs Egalitarianism

Schwartz axis measuring acceptance of unequal roles versus equality.

Mastery vs Harmony

Schwartz dimension contrasting control over environment with fitting into it.

Environmental Degradation

Severe pollution legacy from unregulated heavy industry under communism.

Path-Dependent Economy

Economic structure locked into historical patterns, such as reliance on outdated heavy industry.

EU Attitudes (CEE)

Generally positive views of EU membership, especially among younger, educated populations.

Democratic Satisfaction

Citizens’ contentment with how democracy functions, varying widely across CEE.

Systemic Corruption

Entrenched misuse of public office for private gain, characteristic of many hybrid regimes.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)

Post-communist region stretching from the Baltic to the Balkans, studied for its diverse political transitions after 1989.

Democratic Centralism

Leninist principle whereby party decisions are made at the top and strictly followed by lower levels, eliminating grassroots input.

Totalitarian System

One-party rule that monopolizes politics, economy, media, education, and civil society through coercion and surveillance.

Central Planning

State-directed allocation of resources and production targets, typical of communist economies, leading to shortages and inefficiencies.

Social Engineering (Communist)

Deliberate state efforts to reshape society via collectivization, forced industrial labor, and cultural control.

Collectivization

State takeover of private farmland into collective units, central to communist agricultural policy.

Structural Breakdown

Late-1980s collapse of communist economies marked by low productivity, technological stagnation, and public disillusionment.

Negotiated Transition

Democratic shift brokered by elites of regime and opposition (e.g., Poland, Hungary).

Mass-Protest Transition

Regime change driven by large-scale street mobilization (e.g., Romania, Czechoslovakia).

Reform-from-Within

Moderate communist elites initiate gradual liberalization (e.g., Bulgaria, Albania).

Break-up Transition

State disintegration into new units, often with violence (e.g., Yugoslavia, Baltic secession).

Market Liberalization

Post-1989 economic reforms of privatization, deregulation, and opening to global markets.

Hybrid Regime

Political system mixing formal democratic institutions with pervasive corruption and weak rule of law.

Democratic Backsliding

Erosion of democratic checks (courts, media, civil society) by elected leaders, visible in Hungary and Poland.

Legacy (Political)

Present outcome linked to a past regime via a mechanism that no longer operates (e.g., low trust rooted in surveillance).

Cultural Legacy

Persisting norms and values—such as political avoidance or conservatism—derived from past regimes.

Material Legacy

Enduring physical conditions like outdated infrastructure or polluted environments inherited from communism.

Institutional Legacy

Surviving organizational structures (e.g., centralized bureaucracy, weak courts) formed under authoritarian rule.

Homo Sovieticus

Stereotype of the communist-era citizen: collectivist, conformist, helpless, and mistrustful of the state.

Homo Post-Sovieticus

Post-1991 mindset combining status anxiety, nostalgia, distrust, and reliance on informal networks.

Anomie

State of normlessness and social instability arising from rapid societal change, common in transitions.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Theory that blocked goals (jobs, housing) generate anger and aggressive behavior.

Pro-Social Behavior

Acts intended to benefit others—helping, volunteering, donating—often weaker in formal channels in CEE.

Social Capital

Networks, trust, and norms facilitating cooperation; strong within families (bonding) but weak institutionally (bridging) in CEE.

Learned Helplessness

Conditioned belief that one’s actions have no effect, fostering passivity under authoritarian rule.

Ostalgie

Nostalgic longing for perceived certainties of East German or communist life, illustrating system justification.

System Justification Theory

Motivation to defend existing social arrangements, whether communist stability or capitalist opportunity.

Social Identity Theory

Concept that group memberships shape self-concept and favor in-group over out-group, key to post-communist identity shifts.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling worse off when comparing one’s gains to others (e.g., West Europeans), fueling dissatisfaction despite progress.

Terror Management Theory

Idea that existential threat (collapse of communism) pushes people toward comforting worldviews like nationalism or religion.