The bakers of Bernburg and the logics of communism and capitalism

Hans Buechler, Judith Maria Buechler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Drawing on a study of small-and large-scale bakeries in the pre-and post-communist periods in a small city in eastern Germany, we analyze the ambiguous roles hegemonies - communism before 1990 and capitalism after the unification of the two Germanies - have played in the lives of artisans. We propose a model of hegemony that emphasizes the role of agents other than "organic intellectuals." We conclude that, in order to survive, a hegemony may adapt to competing ideologies and interests by attempting to incorporate aspects of previous traditions that manifest themselves in daily behavior even when these are antithetical to the basic tenets of the hegemony and may ultimately contribute to its demise.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)799-821
Number of pages23
JournalAmerican Ethnologist
Volume26
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1999

Keywords

  • Artisans
  • Eastern Germany
  • Economic change
  • Hegemony
  • Small-scale enterprises

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Anthropology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The bakers of Bernburg and the logics of communism and capitalism'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this