Unusual Turbulences—Unexpected Continuities
Unusual Turbulences—Unexpected Continuities
Transformation Life Courses in Retrospective
This chapter sums up and interprets findings on life courses during the transformation of East Germany from an independent state and communist regime to a part of West Germany, under the leitmotif of “unusual turbulences—unexpected continuities.” The first section examines the life-course dynamics and the second takes a closer look at differences between various social groups, assessing the outcomes in terms of winners and losers. The third section evaluates the respects in which assets and experiences accumulated by the former citizens of the GDR before 1989 were a resource or a burden during the transformation. The fourth section explores whether the abolishment of the GDR was a period that promoted and rewarded personal initiative and self-determination. Finally, the fifth section evaluates the overall outcome of the East German version of transformation in comparison to various benchmarks, including the “varieties of transition” in other post-communist countries.
Keywords: East Germany, West Germany, life-course dynamics, GDR, post-communist countries
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