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Steven Saxonberg focuses on three main issues in Czech politics: the development of the Czech party system, the "Klaus phenomenon," and gender issues. Recurring themes throughout the book are the role and limits of formal political institutions, the importance of social psychological elements and the lack of influence which ideology has on party politics and voting during the transitional period. ... Read more

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Another Terrific book by Steven Saxonberg!!!
This is the second exciting book written by the Swedish Political Scientist Steven Saxonberg. His first publication came out of his PhD Dissertation in Political Science from Uppsala University with the work, The Fall: A comparative Study of the End of Communism in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary and Poland (Harwood/Routledge,2001).This newest publication, The Czech Republic before the new Millennium (East European Monographs/Columbia University Press,2003) is a area studies work that addresses Czech politics directly, but also gives the reader a great wealth of political insight that emerged in Central Europe since the transition and non-transitions from the communist era.

The fruitfulness of this book is that it does not simply remain within a one-dimensional research paradigm, but also includes issues that have risen-up in Czech politics since the previous communist fall , as well as many complex transitions, to more interesting discussions around the charisma of Klaus. The book also brings in another perspective conducting an analysis that also includes issues of gender pluralism and gender representation, gender recognition and the framing of gender/feminist movements for the future. Another significant bonus is that this book was written in ways that also non-academic readers will be able to find and grasp much of the resourceful information. To paraphrase Saxonberg himself "great effort has been made in keeping the chapters simple enough for students and casual readers to understand."

The first two chapters of the book mention Czech Politics and its political transitions and non-transitions from communism. There are brief discussions that take on the historical past from 1918 to 1989, as well as contemporary times. In addition, Saxonberg examines themes like the Interim Government (following the Velvet Revolution), data from the 1990 and 1992 Czech Elections, Privatization policies, and the rise of the Czech Social Democrats. The reader at first may feel like being overwhelmed with too many themes, but these begin to sink in with deeper arguments and criticism made towards the end of chapter two. Saxonberg also makes another interesting discovery and possible rationale why Czech's are generally more pessimistic than other Eastern European Citizens. This goes back to the nature of the communist past in which "personal animosities ... intensified by the strong divide between intellectuals and technocrats, which also has its roots in the Communist legacy. The Czech Republic has a long history of political dissidence ... (because) dissidents remained basically isolated from society until 1989."(p.62)

To make things more interesting, Saxonberg also highlights some of the social problems that are becoming visible in the Czech Republic and elsewhere. These problems return back to acts of discrimination against women. While the Czech state apparatus has successfully modernized its economy, it has not yet been able to offer women the same protection and work opportunities as men. This has to do with the stronghold and reliance of male-breadwinner model. Saxonberg claims that women still "face discrimination both at home and at the workplace "(p. 64) To be sure, Saxonberg is making a worthy point, however, he does not take into consideration that the Czech feminist movement has not yet been able tomatch feminist movements in Sweden, Norway and Finland. However, I also believe that with much effort this will become a possibility in years to come.

This book would have been much more exciting if it had also further elaborated on the transitions and non-transitions of feminist ideas from a comparative perspective. However, this again also might have been difficult since such material appears to be lacking. One argument that can be made with this regard is that feminist aims and approaches are good and great if such organizations actually exist in that country.Such movements might still be within the mist of "transition" which is understandable, but it lacks a presence in the public sphere. The problem is that there is no Feminist International. Sure, there are plenty of websites and other documents out there, but it still lacks an organization and structure.

Until then, one could try and export feminist ideas from strong-feminist countries (like Scandinavia) and than transplant these beacons of hope into countries that desperately need such policies implemented. This then could take a transnational form and over-extend and in some ways critique the political establishment and (current) empowered national apparatus in Eastern European Countries. However, this is strongly theoretical and may not be as feasible when applying it to the practical.

Saxonberg continues to make the book interesting and insightful when he devotes two chapters on Klaus and his influence on Czech politics. By adding approaches from social-psychology and sociological theory, the reader is able to follow the authors argumentation in a systematic fashion. In the beginning, of this chapter the author paraphrases the German sociologist and appears to reject his hypothesis on charismatic domination rather abruptly, by saying "Weber ... did not offer any hypothesis about the conditions under which charismatic leaders attain power." (p.72) Thus, he rejects Weberian Charismatic theory and replaces it by a theorist named Tucker who focused on a charismatic study of STALIN.

Alternatively, I would reject the notion that Weber does not provide any hypothesis under which charismatic leaders achieve power. Max Weber writes a lengthy chapters on "Charisma and its Transformation" in his book, Economy and Society Vol. 1 (Weber 1978:1111-1156) .While it is true that Weber sometimes remains within the religious and mystifying terms, he also takes perspectives ranging from , "Charismatic Legitimation" , "Charismatic Acclamation", and even "Charismatic Education" (Weber 1978).

To be fair, some of Weber's visions may not be compatible to contemporary times and than it does become necessary to include other possible theoretical explanations that explain the change and modern attainment of charisma. Still, Saxonberg does a great job in making the linkage between Klaus and his charismatic appeal in Czech politics. This was very elegantly proven with the utilization of charismatic traits by Klaus , like the exceptional usage of rhetorical skills . (p.86)

The chapters on "Gendering Czech Family Policy" and "Gender and Parliamentary Representation" are the best two chapters in the book. The major argument being made in these chapters is that under the transition from communism the issue of female representation, as well as, female-friendly social policy has worsened. Issues pertaining to women and many of the preventive factors like the "Communist Legacy" appear to limit in which ways contemporary feminists are able to come to power in Eastern Europe. Simple things, like even the word "feminism" are commonly associated with the communist past and framed by ruling conservatives as a evil and dirty word. In particular, the ideological trends seen in many Eastern European countries confirm the notion that they are anti-feminists, and politicians continue to carry out social policy that does not benefit women and the feminist strive for gender equality.

Saxonberg makes a great argument towards the end of the chapter when he suggests that the "obstacle to equal female representation seems more likely to be found in the internal nominating processes of the parties".(p.177)I would agree with this argument, but would suggest the need for additional outside-parliamentary Feminist forces (civil society, universities, clubs, etc.) to break this iron law of male dominance and in some fashion overpower political parties (even strong social democratic parties) to select more women in their governments and political ranks. A good place for feminists to start in Eastern Europe would be to first take over the Universities than moving from one public institution to another. This process will help to build the feminist cause and engage more people into the public sphere. Eastern European feminists may want to take a closer look how their counterparts are coming to power in Nordic countries and simply duplicate what has worked and transplant this idea at home.

Saxonberg further elaborates this theme in the chapter on "the makings of a woman's movement". Here the author suggests that what may need to occur is for feminists to frame their messages in a manner that can resonate and circumvent the establishment. Saxonberg writes a good portion on frame analysis and framing metaphors which could become useful fur feminists to use in Eastern Europe. This more or less has to do with the "Harmonious Past" that simply associates current feminist acts and political causes with the previous communist regime. Saxonberg suggests that feminists therefore must frame a more radical form of "maternal feminism" in which male values are constantly challenged and not taken for granted. Another possible avenue was the framing of "gender pluralism". This would take the form of challenging traditional division of labor and requiring both to contribute equally to the distribution of household work.

In, addition, Saxonberg also gives suggestions in overstepping the "Harmonious Past" and "Communist Legacy". To put it simply, many feminists must be careful in the words they choose to communicate within the population, especially, words that can be traced to a quasi-left newspeak (my words). To this end, Saxonberg makes a valuable point:
"Since women's organizations are still rather weak in the Czech Republic, it is understandable that they concentrate on `safer issues, such as fighting against violence towards women and pressuring the government to fulfill UN and EU obligations...In addition, problems such as the trafficking of women are especially acute in post-Communist societies." ( p.244)

This is the last chapter in the book and then is followed with a very fruitful conclusion. In short, I would say that Saxonberg did a great job in structuring the chapters in a fluid way. It appears that much research was undertaken with many of the themes, as they are richly detailed with valuable evidence. Thus, the empirical evidence sinks in very easily and seems to accurately support many of arguments being made in the book.

Nevertheless, the title of the book is somewhat out of touch with most of the actual themes being represented in the book. It might have been labeled "The new millennium is Feminist" and offer more discussion on the subject of gender and globalization. This surely could have done more justice to the book. Overall, though, Saxonberg deserves much credit and applause for seeking to push the boundaries on women and feminist based-research. Saxonberg recognizes that feminism will take center-stage in the years to come and not much has been written about such a topic in the academic world around Central and Eastern Europe. Thus, after spending numerous weeks thoroughly reading this book, I would encourage anyone to read it and get a better understanding of the complex issues facing that corner of the world. This book would be valuable to inspiring feminist and non-feminist political scientists, sociologists, and historians interested in Eastern European politics.

Notes:
Weber, Max (1978) Economy and Society Vol 1. Berkley/London: University of California Press,1978.

Comments or Feedback can be directed to me at:
Michael Buhl
Criticalthinker68@yahoo.com
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A land of almost fairy-tale beauty in the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic is a new nation with a rich and vivid past. They have fought over a thousand years of bloody battles against wave after wave of conquering oppressors to maintain their unique cultural identity. (20000101) ... Read more

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A comprehensive analysis of where politics, culture, and art merge, The Great Country Houses of the Czech Republic and Slovakia is a captivating read for anyone curious about the history and architecture of these two countries. Gerhard Trumler’s striking photographs allow readers entrance, for example, to the Liechtensteins’ twin chateaux of Valtice and Lednice in the Czech Republic. The lords of these castles established one of the greatest art collections in the world and played a major role in the diplomatic and military lives of the nation; they still remain as the ruling house of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Pratt’s new chapter speaks of the difficulties of restoration and problems concerning modern-day ownership. Though many estates were lost or damaged during the World Wars, the houses as they stand today—some restored, some languishing in disrepair—present a rich cultural heritage of two fascinating countries. ... Read more

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