Course Content
Browse classes:
- Introduction to the course. Heritage and Nostalgia. Theoretical and Methodological Undertakings
- Studying Socialism from a Historical and Anthropological Perspective: Thirty Years after the Political Changes of 1989
- History and Memory of the Communist Period: Traumatic Pasts and Nostalgic Returns
- The Town and the Village – Internal Mobility and Residence Practices. Socialist Transformations and Their Lasting Effects
- Nostalgia of Socialist Everyday Life (1): Work Practices and Labor Organization under Socialism
- Nostalgia of Socialist Everyday Life (2): Free Time, Entertainment, Recreation and Vacations under Socialism
- Consumption under Socialism. Everyday Practices, Memory and Nostalgic Potential
- Living Spaces under Socialism – between Nostalgia and Rejection. The Transformations of Private and Public Spaces after 1989
- Public Rituals and Memorial Spaces of the Communist Period: Continuities, Disruptions, Heritage Construction
- Post-socialism and Post-colonialism: Post-Soviet Nostalgia, Yugonostalgia, Ostnostalgia
- Socialist Heritage and Museum Practices after 1989: between Nostalgia, Denunciation, and Disneyification
- Popular Culture under Socialism: Continuities and Nostalgic Revisiting
- Social Worlds and Transmission of Cultural Experience: Nostalgia and the Issue of Generations
- The Memory of Socialism – between Allergy and Nostalgia, Remembering and Amnesia
- Studying Socialism from the Perspective of Nostalgia and Heritage. Final Presentations and Conclusions
Complete Bibliography:
Nostalgia of Socialist Everyday Life (1): Work Practices and Labor Organization under Socialism
The class undertakes an approach to the socialist everyday life and the way it can stir nostalgia among groups of the population, as well as be a resource of heritage-related practices in the post-socialist period. This first part of the topic is focused on work practices and labor organization during communism, with attention to topics such as the work shifts and work norms in communist enterprises, the functioning of the work collectives, the role of the working class and the implication that this role had before 1989 and during the post-communist transition.
Texts for discussion:
- Scarboro, Ch., Today’s Unseen Enthusiasm: Communist Nostalgia for Communism in the Socialist Brigadier Movement. In: Todorova, M. and Zs. Gille, eds., Post-Communist Nostalgia, Berghahn Books, 2010, 46-60.
- Kideckel, D. A., The Unmaking of an East-Central European Working Class. In: Hann, Ch. M. ed., Postsocialism: Ideals, Ideologies and Practices in Eurasia. London and New York, 2002, 114-158.
Additional readings:
- Добрева, Д., Трудова дейност в колектива. Официална норма и действително поведение в едно планинско село през 1950-те години. – Български фолклор, кн. 3-4, 1997, 71-103 [Dobreva, D., Work Activity within the Collective. Official Norm and Real Behavior in a Mountain Village during the 1950s. – Bulgarian Folklore Journal, 3-4, 1997, 71-103].
- Ценов, Х., Локални икономически стратегии в сферата на труда – между социализма и постсоциализма (опитът от гр. Гоце Делчев). – Антропологични изследвания, т. VII, 2009, София, 209-224. [Tsenov, H., Local Economic Strategies in the Sphere of Labor – between Socialism and Post-socialism (the example of Gotse Delchev town). – Anthropological Studies, vol. 7, 2009, Sofia, 209-224].
- Беновска-Събкова, М., Политически преход и всекидневна култура. София, 2001. [Benovska-Sabkova, M., Political Transition and Everyday Culture. Sofia, 2001].
Еленков, И., Труд и радост, отдих и култура. Въведение в историята на идеологическото моделиране на всекидневието през епохата на комунизма. София, 2013. [Elenkov, I., Work and Joy, Recreation and Culture. Introduction into the History of Ideological Modelling of Everyday Life during the Communist Period. Sofia, 2013].