Orlova Margarita

Irish Economic Modernization Experience

Analyzing the prerequisites, paths and socio-political ramifications of Ireland’s modernization, M.Orlova tries to solve the puzzle of how and to what extent the political culture burdened with the traditionalistic characteristics can be corrected, refilled and modified on the basis of the current experience. The article demonstrates how the modernization process in Ireland started with the economic reforms gradually spread onto the political sphere. The novel political space emerged, in which even the destructive socio-economic impulses of today’s crisis are channeled into further social changes. The author concludes that the aspiration towards renovation is directed against the major flaw of the Irish modernization strategy i.e. the absent mechanism of balancing between different social classes’ interests that would be able to maintain equilibrium between mass consumption and forced economic growth.

DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2010-5859-3-75-86

THINKING ABOUT IRELAND BEING ON THE EDGE OF THE CRISIS

Reflecting upon the processes occurring in the Irish society together with the authors of the monograph under review, M.Orlova totally agrees with their conclusion: the “Green Island” is still far from the end of its history – as well as the whole world having found itself within the black streak of the deep crisis.

DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2010-56-1-182-189

WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS THROUGH SOCIAL AND POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE Materials of a round table discussion

On 12 November 2008 the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences held a round table discussion that analyzed the reasons and possible social and political consequences of the world economic crisis. Despite the fact that crisis processes only started gaining grounds when the discussion was held, all the participants agreed that this crisis in terms of its scale could be compared to the Great Depression of 1929–1933. At the same time, the statements underlined that, unlike the Great Depression that only affected capitalist countries with high and medium levels of development, this crisis has right away become worldwide not metaphorically, but literally. The discussion also drew attention to the crisis’s resistibility in relation to the regulating impulses that earlier allowed to deal with crisis phenomena. Participants at the round table concluded that, unless efficient anti-crisis tools are found, the crisis might create serious difficulties for the acting government or even for the whole social system, especially in the countries with poorly developed or transitional economies.

DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2009-52-1-44-77

In the Search of the Alternative: the Destiny of the Left Idea in the Changing World

At the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences a project covering the analysis of modern political thought and consequently its liberal conservative and left components is being implemented under the leadership of Professor Galkin. This publication is based on the papers of the round table discussion held in spring 2006 and dedicated to the left idea, its obvious crisis and the search of getting out of it and the evaluation of its supporters’ attempts to respond to radically changing reality. Left wing processes related to the attempts to work out an adequate response to modern challenges are studied using Germany, UK, France, Austria, Ireland and Poland as examples.

DOI: 10.30570/2078-5089-2006-40-1-104-130

Pages: 104-130