Simon Smith is a research lecturer in the Centre for Contemporary European Studies at the University of Paisley. His current research interests cover civil society, collective action, local culture, and local and regional government in Central and Eastern Europe.

'The book serves as a good introduction to Czech and Slovak sociology and presents an interesting account of the role of Czech and Slovak sociologists in the ongoing process of transformation, contrasting functional sociologies of an earlier era with activist sociologies of transition.' - Progress in Human Geography'Local Communities and Post-Communist Transformation represents a set of solid empirical research findings, enlivened by Simon Smith's more wide-ranging ideas, which will be of interest to specialists on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, local politics and micro-economic transformation.' - SEER

• 1. Simon Smith Transformation as Modernisation: Sociological Readings of Post-Communist Lifeworlds 2. Martin Myant Civil Society and Political Parties in the Czech Republic 3. Simon Smith Civic Forum and Public Against Violence: Agents for Community Self-Determination? Experiences of Local Actors 4. Mikulá Huba The Development of the Environmental Non-Governmental Movement in Slovakia: The Slovak Union of Nature and Landscape Conservationists 5. Monika Cambáliková Dual Identity and/or 'Bread and Butter': Electronics Industry Workers in Slovakia 1995-2000 6. Ale Kroupa and Zdenka Mansfeldová The Democratisation of Industrial Relations in the Czech Republic: Work Organisation and Employee Representation: Case Studies from the Electronics Industry 7. Zdenka Vajdová Local Community Transformation: The Czech Republic 1990-2000 8. Martin Slosiarik Civic Potential as a Differentiating Factor in the Development of Local Communities 9. Imrich Va ecka Group Strategies of Local Communities in Slovakia Facing Social Threats 10. Simon Smith Conclusion: The Narrativisation of Social Transformation

Simon Smith is a research lecturer in the Centre for Contemporary European Studies at the University of Paisley. His current research interests cover civil society, collective action, local culture, and local and regional government in Central and Eastern Europe.

'The book serves as a good introduction to Czech and Slovak sociology and presents an interesting account of the role of Czech and Slovak sociologists in the ongoing process of transformation, contrasting functional sociologies of an earlier era with activist sociologies of transition.' - Progress in Human Geography'Local Communities and Post-Communist Transformation represents a set of solid empirical research findings, enlivened by Simon Smith's more wide-ranging ideas, which will be of interest to specialists on the Czech Republic and Slovakia, local politics and micro-economic transformation.' - SEER

• 1. Simon Smith Transformation as Modernisation: Sociological Readings of Post-Communist Lifeworlds 2. Martin Myant Civil Society and Political Parties in the Czech Republic 3. Simon Smith Civic Forum and Public Against Violence: Agents for Community Self-Determination? Experiences of Local Actors 4. Mikulá Huba The Development of the Environmental Non-Governmental Movement in Slovakia: The Slovak Union of Nature and Landscape Conservationists 5. Monika Cambáliková Dual Identity and/or 'Bread and Butter': Electronics Industry Workers in Slovakia 1995-2000 6. Ale Kroupa and Zdenka Mansfeldová The Democratisation of Industrial Relations in the Czech Republic: Work Organisation and Employee Representation: Case Studies from the Electronics Industry 7. Zdenka Vajdová Local Community Transformation: The Czech Republic 1990-2000 8. Martin Slosiarik Civic Potential as a Differentiating Factor in the Development of Local Communities 9. Imrich Va ecka Group Strategies of Local Communities in Slovakia Facing Social Threats 10. Simon Smith Conclusion: The Narrativisation of Social Transformation