CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN EAST GERMANY SINCE 1990

Abstract

Among the Eastern European nations East Germany occupies both a typical and a unique position. It is typical in the sense that it was part of the Soviet-dominated Eastern Bloc, and as such its political, social and economic structure resembled that of other state socialist countries. Nevertheless, due to its geographical, cultural and socio-historical proximity to West Germany, the GDR evolved into the most advanced Eastern European socialist state, and served as model for the rest of the region. This special status also entailed numerous problems, such as the high social and economic cost associated with maintaining the East-West German border, preventing the intrusion of capitalist cultural (media) influences from the West, and counteracting differences in living standards to the West and other Eastern bloc nations.

Citation

Adler, M.A. (2004), "CONTINUITY AND CHANGE IN FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS IN EAST GERMANY SINCE 1990", Robila, M. (Ed.) Families in Eastern Europe (Contemporary Perspectives in Family Research, Vol. 5), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 15-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1530-3535(04)05002-2