The Tunnel at the End of the Light: the Crisis of Transition in Hungary

The economic, political and social transition processes of the last two decades, far from being in harmony, clearly have a detrimental rather than an enriching influence on each other. These processes will never become harmonised just by themselves in a natural fashion. The worst obstacle of a successful transformation is that the chief actors, such as the government, the market and the representatives of the society. The Prince, the Merchant and the Citizen do not show the necessary commitment, competence and determination to create a new, effective type of partnership. This is a challenge which urgently demands answers on all levels of governance, economic and social life. This must be done in the frames of local communities, and on the regional, the European and the global levels. Nearly twenty years after the political turnabout, Hungary now needs a new social contract and must lay down the ethical, political, institutional and intellectual foundations for its twenty-first century democracy.

A stochastic version of the malthusian trap model: Consequences for the empirical relationship between economic growth and population growth in LDC's

A stochastic version of the Malthusian trap model relating the growth rate of income per capita to the population growth rate of a given country is described. This model is applied to the a priori evaluation of the cross‐sectional correlation between these two growth rates under two additional assumptions: i) the relations in the model at national levels include country‐specific and time‐invariant random components, and ii) these growth rates are measured with a certain degree of temporal aggregation. It is shown that these two assumptions can explain near‐zero correlations between the two growth rates even if there exist a strongly negative effect of population growth on economic growth. However it is not clear whether these assumptions fully explain such insignificant correlations. Indeed, the implementation of the model is complicated by the structural shifts which are likely to occur in the equations over the course of the demographic transition.     

A Social Problems Framework for the Critical Appraisal of Automobility and Sustainable Systems Innovation

Over the past three decades, critical assessment of the automobile has evolved from a focus on the technical inadequacies of the internal combustion engine to a more comprehensive appraisal of the sociotechnical system for providing mobility. The following study charts the evolution of this discourse by focusing in particular on the way in which the Worldwatch Institute has interpreted the various problems of the motorcar during this timeframe. There are now indications that a more thoroughgoing systems view of automobile dependency is developing predicated upon three problem dimensions: fuel use, urban congestion and sedentary lifestyles. The analysis presents a social‐problems framework for beginning to conceptualize more sustainable modes of mobility in the post‐automobile era.     

关于建立"中国转型社会学"学科的设想——兼评90年代中国社会转型研究

本文从我国社会转型期的社会实践和社会学理论发展出发,认为现在已具备了建立一门作为"转型学"分支学科的"中国转型社会学"或社会转型学的条件,指出建立这一学科具有重要的现实意义和学科意义.文章继而对"中国转型社会学"的理论与应用研究进行了学术梳理和定位,还对"中国转型社会学"的研究与发展的技术、经济社会和文化背景作了学理分析和前景展望.最后,提出了中国社会学家应抓住转型期社会创新所提供的学术创新的机会,发挥社会学家的想像力与社会观察力,以实现社会学者的社会责任和历史使命.     

超越“集体行动困境”——埃莉诺·奥斯特罗姆的自主组织理论述评

自主组织理论是在对传统集体理论的批判分析中形成的,它集中探讨了一群相互依赖的个体怎样自己组织起来,进行自主治理,从而在一定程度上超越"集体行动困境".自主组织理论可为我国治道变革中面临的公共资源可持续利用、基层民主建设和非营利组织发展等问题提供一些借鉴,但必须考虑我国政治、文化传统等方面的自身特点与影响.     

中国社会转型期的社会分化与主流意识形态凝聚力的重建

中国社会正处于转型中,转型造成经济利益分化,社会结构变化,社会主流意识形态的凝聚力必须相应加强。我们应重新认识国家的社会职能,高举邓小平理论伟大旗帜,以江泽民“三个代表”重要思想为指导,拓展理论与实践的空间和领域,重建主流意识形态的凝聚力。     

我国经济转型期大学毕业生失业状况分析

大学毕业生失业是市场经济的产物。与其他商品经济国家一样,我国在经济转型过程中,也出现了大学毕业生失业现象;越来越多的毕业生失业对个人、家庭和社会产生了不良的影响,也造成人力资源和教育资源的极大浪费。降低大学毕业生的失业率将随着下岗就业问题的淡化而日益突显为社会就业的主要矛盾,理应引起政府、教育部门和社会各界的极度重视。文章分三个部分来阐述,首先概述我国当前大学毕业生失业状况,然后探析经济转型期大学毕业生毕业即失业的根源,最后提出适合我国国情的、解决毕业生就业的策略性建议。     

论二十世纪中国现代历史剧的批评话语

在民族文化知识谱系都在进行深刻的现代性转型的背景下,20世纪中国现代历史剧的批评话语力图倡导剧作家们借用"话剧"这一现代戏剧样式,以一种宏伟的历史叙述艺术性地再现民族历史,实现历史剧的现代转型.     

建构市场化的三元制度创新主体--制度变迁中的政府角色转换

中国在进行向市场经济体制转型的进程中,政府一直是推动制度变迁的"第一行动集团".但在不同的时期,政府的主导作用具有不同的特点,即进行着角色的转换.本文试从新制度经济学的角度揭示制度变迁进程中政府的角色转换,分析角色转换中存在的问题及原因并探讨在向市场经济体制转型进程中如何正确定位政府的角色.     

瞻望21世纪中国的社会转型和道德发展

社会转型包括经济转型、政治转型和文化转型,三者相互作用、依次推进、螺旋上升。改革开放是中国历史上最新一轮的社会转型,它意味着经济上由计划经济转向市场经济,政治上由人治社会转向法治社会,文化上由封闭状态转向开放状态。社会转型期存在诸多道德问题,"道德滑坡"和"道德爬坡"都是道德转型和重建的必然表现。瞻望未来,我国伦理道德的发展趋向将显示出三个特征:发展模式将是民族开放型的,发展速度将是渐进型的,发展途径将是综合创新型的。