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From national discrimination toward the intensifying class struggle: Czechoslovak Welfare State 1945–1956
Rákosník, Jakub
2022
Abstract
The paper is devoted to the early history of communist (popular democratic) welfare reforms after the Second World War. It is focused on the issue of redistribution and transformation of the social structure through welfare policies and labour law, which were produced by a unique combination of nationalism and socialist ideology during the postwar reconstruction. Welfare regimes always reflect the political priorities and values prevailing at a particular time and always actively contribute to the transformation or consolidation of the existing social structure. The beginning of the paper is concerned with the social conditions that emerged after the war, which were characterized by an emphasis on the idea of national unity and the ethnic and socio-economic homogenization of society. These ideas had profound impact on the post-war welfare reform. Then attention is also paid to the transformation of the social structure that caused the growth of status inconsistency. This process resulted in the failure (or only partial success) of the communists’ efforts to reshape society according to their ideas. Last part is devoted to the introduction of the national insurance and the demonstration of how it contributed to the transformation or, on the contrary, the consolidation of existing social stratification.
Publisher
EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste
Source
Jakub Rákosník, "From national discrimination toward the intensifying class struggle: Czechoslovak Welfare State 1945–1956" in: "Qualestoria. Rivista di storia contemporanea. L, N.ro 2, Dicembre 2022", EUT Edizioni Università di Trieste, Trieste, 2022, pp. 57-71
Languages
en
Rights
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internazionale
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