ABSTRACT

Changes in social structure in Central and Eastern Europe involve processes such as the transformation from rural to urban society; from a society with extreme levels of inequality to one with ‘functional inequalities’; from agricultural occupations to those in the industrial and service sectors; from a low social mobility rate to socially more open societies; and from a clear division of labour between men and women, to mixing gender roles in the workplace, etc. Particular attention will be paid to four key social groups in modern society: elites, the middle class, the working class and peasants. The chapter will also focus on education, which is traditionally considered an important element of social mobility in modern society. The history of mass education in the twentieth century was marked by waves of both expansion and stagnation. Here, too, a historical gap between Western and Eastern Europe can be observed. The chapter will explore not only these parallels and diversities within a larger European context, but also address the role of education in shaping social values and expectations. To what extent did the societies of Eastern Europe after 1989 return to historically established patterns and how can we view their experience in light of general European trends?