National Ideology Under Socialism: Identity and Cultural Politics in Ceausescu's Romania (Societies and Culture in East-Central Europe) [Hardcover]

Katherine Verdery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 1991 | Series: Societies and Culture in East-Central Europe (Book 7)

The current transformation of many Eastern European societies is impossible to understand without comprehending the intellectual struggles surrounding nationalism in the region. Anthropologist Katherine Verdery shows how the example of Romania suggests that current ethnic tensions come not from a resurrection of pre-Communist Nationalism but from the strengthening of national ideologies under Communist Party rule.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Argues that nationalism was not as elsewhere (merely a tool in the hands of Party leaders, but, by becoming the main concern of the Party and the intellectuals, was a major element in discrediting Marxism and destroying the Party's legitimacy. . . . [A] highly learned book." -- Istvn Dek, New York Review of Books

"Not only a rigorous historico-political analysis but also a rich narrative of the tribulations of intellectual work under socialism, which relies on field interviews, extensive readings, and on 'those old ethnographic standbys: intuition, overheard gossip, and rumor.'" -- Marcel Cornis-Pope, Slavic Review

About the Author

Katherine Verdery is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan, and the author of Transylvanian Villagers (California, 1983).

Product Details

• Hardcover: 406 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (May 2, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520072162
• ISBN-13: 978-0520072169
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,211,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and useful book, November 5, 2007

By 

Kris Lockyear "great_uncle_romania" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: National Ideology Under Socialism: Identity and Cultural Politics in Ceausescu's Romania (Societies and Culture in East-Central Europe) (Paperback)

Katherine Verdery is an American anthropologist working primarily in Romania. She has written a number of books on this fascinating and often troubled country.

When I started working there in 1992 I found it very difficult to understand quite what was going on, and the background to many of the debates I was encountering.

Verdery's book examines the background to National Ideology in Romania, both its historical roots in the 17th and 18th centuries and its more recent history under the communist regime. She also provides an in-depth theoretical analysis of the communist "command economy" and its impact on academic debates in Romania. The book provides several case studies including literary criticism and history.

I read this book with utter fascination and it formed the key to my understanding of many of the problems I encountered. It is not an easy read, it is a theoretical academic book, but it is a brilliant one and is essential reading for anyone engaging with the academic sphere in Romania.