1) Bibliographic data
Morawska, Ewa (1999), “The Malleable Homo Sovieticus: Transnational
Entrepreneurs in Post-Communist East Central Europe,” Communist and
Post-Communist Studies, V 32: 359-378.
2) Question(s) addressed by the author and working arguments
The considerations of the operations of transnational East Center Europeans
(ECE)entrepreneurs who dwell in between the post-communist world with
its “baggage” of accustomed outlooks and behaviours that
represent at the same time characteristic features of the dependent
late-capitalism development of peripheral regions.
Three basic resources from the soviet-style fit the conditions of late
capitalism very well: (1) deeply habituated beat-the-system/bend-the-rules
modes of operation in the pursuit of their desired purposes; (2) accustomed
reliance on patronage and informal networks; and (3) consumption-oriented,
rather than production-oriented capital accumulation whereby immediate
or short-term rewards take priority over long-time deferred gratification.
The collapse of the Soviet regime in Eastern Europe opened the door for
the accelerated incorporation of that region into the global system,
The East-West international migrations have been short-term and back-and-forth “shuttling” cross
borders travels of arbeits (workers) or handelstouristen (quasi-tourists)
who remain abroad and engage in work without appropriate immigration
documents.
The core Western economies have already nearly completed what the post-communist
ones have only begun, that is, post-industrial restructuring, or a shift
to short –term production of services based on small and variable
companies. The migrant-workers employed in western informal economies
accept much lower wages than those paid in to the natives and save employers
significant contributions to social welfare.
The majority of indocumentado male tourist-workers find employment primarily
in construction, agriculture, and in a wide variety of service trades.
Ethnic parishes and foreign-language newspapers in the host country have
served as a popular source of employment information, contacts, and references
for announcements boards or in papers.
3)
Conceptual references to transnational – transnationalism
4) Conclusions or Final Remarks
The overall effects of the activities of transnational migrants who make “work
in motion” their occupation have been ambiguous. Instead the economic
society pervasive under the previous regime that has survived it demise
and thrives in the perestroika era is based on the bend-the-law/corrupt
its officials syndrome of orientations and practices.
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