On the Social Life of Postsocialism
Memory, Consumption, Germany
Daphne Berdahl author Matti Bunzl editor
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Indiana University Press
Published:23rd Dec '09
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Pathbreaking studies of the postsocialist transition
Anthropologist Daphne Berdahl was one of the leading scholars of the transition from state socialism to capitalism in central and eastern Europe. From her pathbreaking ethnography of a former East German border village in the aftermath of German reunification, to her insightful analyses of consumption, nostalgia, and citizenship in the early 21st century, Berdahl's writings probe the contradictions, paradoxes, and ambiguities of postsocialism as few observers have done. This volume brings together her essays, from an early study of memory at the Vietnam War memorial in Washington, D.C., to research on consumption and citizenship undertaken in Leipzig in the years before her untimely death. It serves as a superb introduction to the development of the field of postsocialist cultural studies.
[Berdahl's] work reinforces the importance of European ethnography and acts as a critical resource on the study of borders, cultural change and social belonging. . . Berdahl's essays are well crafted, infused with feeling, dotted with specific examples, and evoke larger theoretical questions, not just about Eastern Germany, but about understandings of self, memory and belonging. Her writing manages to capture fleeting moments and movements in postsocialist Germany, and the book is both informative and a joy to read. 28. 1 2010
* ANTHROPOLOGY E EUROPE REVIEW *Scholars interested in meaning, memory, consumption and representation of the East German past will greatly benefit from reading this thoughtful volume. 29.2 2011
* German History *As a posthumous publication and deserved labour of love, this compilation understandably has some repetitions and loose ends, but also highly suggestive arguments that remain ours to pursue. It is a pleasure to follow Berdahl's lines of thought and growth as a scholar, her consummate fieldwork and writing.
* Anthropological Notebooks *This highly readable book spans a full life of research and offers researchers and students alike an opportunity to continue the discussions which Berdahl pioneered as the historical events themselves were taking place.
* German Studies Review *This collection is an excellent introduction to Daphne Berdahl's generous and insightful ethnography... [R]eaders will be rewarded by her perceptive research, skillful prose, and humanizing insights.April, 2011
* H-SISBN: 9780253221704
Dimensions: 235mm x 155mm x 13mm
Weight: 313g
192 pages