Beyond Transition Towards Inclusive Societies

Ananiev, Jovan and Atanasov, Petar and Gerovska- Mitev, Maja and Shukarov, Miroljub (2011) Beyond Transition Towards Inclusive Societies. [Project]

Text RBEC_HDR_2011_EN.pdf Download (1MB)

Abstract

Received wisdom has favoured broad-stroke economic reforms for transition Europe
and Central Asia since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many have argued that privatization and deregulation would unleash the productive energy of the market and
attract foreign capital. This advice was seen to bear fruit. Following the transition recession of the early 1990s, and especially after the crisis of 1998, the region saw a decade of broad-based and uninterrupted recovery. Livelihoods improved, and poverty declined on average in every country.
This report builds on evidence that, despite these gains, a significant number of people in transition Europe and Central Asia continue to feel dejected, and believe that their position in society has declined. While some of these feelings may be rooted in the uncertainty that has accompanied market relations and greater freedoms, something more fundamental is at play. Even in the decade of recovery and growth, inequalities continued to widen— especially between central and peripheral regions. The recovery failed to lift significant segments of the population out of poverty. Many people fell further behind. Fundamental to this analysis is the concept of social exclusion. This report links the social exclusion/inclusion paradigm, as developed in the European Union context, with the human development paradigm, as articulated by Amartya Sen. It starts from the premise that people value not only consumable goods and services but also things that cannot be consumed—activities and abilities that reinforce human dignity and self-respect. For example, we value employment not only because the income derived increases our purchasing power, but also because it makes us feel like worthy members of society. Human development is about a growing number of people leading lives that they increasingly value

Item Type:	Project
Subjects:	Social Sciences > Economics and business Social Sciences > Political Science Social Sciences > Sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Law
Depositing User:	Jovan Ananiev
Date Deposited:	21 Nov 2012 18:55
Last Modified:	15 May 2013 14:05
URI:	https://eprints.ugd.edu.mk/id/eprint/967

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