Publication details
Spotreba a výskum reálne existujúceho socializmu.
| Title in English | Consumption and study of socialism |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2006 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Etnologické rozpravy |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Archaeology, anthropology, ethnology |
| Keywords | socialism; consumption; modernisation; Eastern Europe |
| Description | The aim of this paper is to emphasise the necessity of examining consumption for understanding of actually existing socialism in Slovakia. I intend to show that consumption was crucial for both socialist political economy and mundane life despite the fact that communist ideology privileged production and redistribution. In particular, consumption was an important medium where the attitudes towards communist regime were both created and expressed. The communist party used an increase in consumption and fulfilling basic needs of citizens for legitimisation of their power. Simultaneously, the consumption became a space for the resistance against the communist regime and one of the causes of the regime fall. |