Transition and Transition Debates in Global History

Nothing outside „transition“... Transition: relatively small, gradual changes, become a qualitatively new phenomenon. Transition: -physical nature -Individuals -Economy -Social, political, cultural spheres -Ideological, conceptual etc. transitions

Transitions in history: Focus on some historical processes of economic, social and political transition Focus on transition to „modern society“ Attributes often used: –Western –Modern –Capitalist/bourgeois capitalist –Market-based –Industrial

„Tell me how the transition happened and I tell you who you are?“ Not „as it really was“ (L. v. Ranke) Instead: historical conceptualizations of the genesis of modern capitalist society Reflects: -ideas of how society works in general -ideas of „conditio humana“ -> G. Fülberth: „Kapitalistik“

Three key-notions for discussing economic transition Re-production -> subsistence Production -> labour and labour force Exchange -> trade, markets, money economy

Meanings of the term „transition“ Related concepts: evolution, development, birth, genesis, making, formation, emergence, „coming into being“ (Werden, Entstehung, Entfaltung, Herausbildung)

Different modes of transition Transition as gradual changes becoming a new quality? „evolutionary materialism“ (Stephen K. Sanderson, Social Transformations. A General Theory of Historical Development, Oxford 1995)

Transition as gradual changes becoming a new quality in specific and relatively short periods of time? –„leaps“, „revolution“

Transition as gradual changes becoming a new quality, which means a higher, better quality? –„progress“, „development“

Transition, it‘s gradual changes and qualitative consequences as preconceived, preordained and inherent? –Teleology, „Development“ in modernization theory, „Theory of stages“ in Soviet Marxism

„Transition“ linked to concept of „time“ Social time is not neutral in relation to historical context

Transition/transformation studies, a new sub-disciline? Before 1989: „Transition“ in the disuccion about the genesis of modern capitalist society „Transition“ as concept in marxist conceptions about a new form of society 1976: transición in Spain; 1980: transición in Latin America.

Post-89 Transition Studies „transition“ becomes a mainstream concept - emergence of a booming sub-discipline, especially in political and social sciences. How to understand and promote the transition to „well-functioning markets“, „democratic institutions“ in the countries of former Real Socialism. Liberal consensus as political-ideological background.