Self-organisation and development: A comparative approach to Post-communist transformations from the perspective of social systems theory

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Centrinė ir Rytų Europa; Demokratija; Lyginamasis požiūris; Po-komunizmas; Pokomunistinės transformacijos; Pokumunistinės transformacijos; Saviorganizacija; Socialinių sistemų teorija; A comparative approach; Central and Eastern Europe; Democracy; Post-communism; Post-communist transformations; Self-organization; Social systems theory.

ENThe article addresses post-communist transformations in Central and Eastern Europe through the conceptual apparatus of Luhmann’s social systems theory, which sees increasing functional differentiation in terms of subsystems’ autonomous autopoietic self-organisation as the key aspect of these transformations. By applying fuzzy-set analysis, it is demonstrated that a radical break with the former communist regime is sufficient for the self-organisation of the political subsystem, and necessary for the market reforms that are sufficient for the self-organisation of the economic subsystem. Moreover, the self-organisation of both functional subsystems has clearly contributed to development in terms of an increase in the Human Development Index after 1990. [From the publication]