HSE Book Series Published by Springer

Springer, one of the world's leading publishers of scientific literature, has launched a new book series, entitled ‘Societies and political orders in transition’. The series has been initiated by the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences, and three HSE representatives are members of the series International Advisory Board, with the other four members coming from universities in Germany, UK and the USA.

The first book of the series is ‘Non-Western Social Movements and Participatory Democracy: Protest in the Age of Transnationalism’ and is edited by Ekim Arbatli and Dina Rosenberg, Assistant Professors at the School of Political Science.  ‘Entrepreneurship in Transition Economies: Diversity, Trends, and Perspectives’ edited by Alexander Chepurenko (HSE) and Arnis Sauka (Stockholm School of Economics in Riga) will be the next volume published in the series.

This book series presents scientific and scholarly studies focusing on societies and political orders in transition, for example in Central and Eastern Europe but also elsewhere in the world. By comparing established societies, characterized by well-established market economies and well-functioning democracies, with post-socialist societies, often characterized by emerging markets and fragile political systems, the series identifies and analyzes factors influencing change and continuity in societies and political orders. These factors include the state capacity to establish formal and informal rules, democratic institutions, forms of social structuration, political regimes, levels of corruption,  and specificity of political cultures, as well as types and orientation of political and economic elites.

This series welcomes monographs and edited volumes from a variety of disciplines and approaches, such as political and social sciences and economics, which are accessible to both academics and interested general readers. Topics may include, but are not limited to, democratization, regime change, changing social norms, migration, etc.

Alexander Chepurenko, Series Editor, Head of the School of Sociology spoke about the series and what to expect from it.

— How did the idea of the series originate? Was it initiated by the faculty or by Springer publishing house?

— After the success of the first series 'Science, Technology and Innovation Studies' published by Springer in cooperation with HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), the HSE administration decided to create several HSE series issued by the publishing house. Faculties and institutes were invited to share their views and suggestions. Some of the most convincing suggestions were sent to the publisher, including the idea of the School of Political Science and School of Sociology.

— How important is this venture?

— Like any serial publication, the series ‘Societies and political orders in transition’ needs to find its readership. But the fact that a major international publishing house has signed an agreement with HSE means a lot.

— To what extent can the series be considered faculty-driven?

— It can be considered faculty-driven only by its origin. We are interested in including interesting monographs, conceived outside the faculty, in the series. Currently a monograph of this kind is being prepared for submission, and another one is under consideration.

— What makes participation in this series important for the faculty?

— This project is interesting and important for several reasons. First, it is an opportunity for a serious debut in submitting international monographs for many of our colleagues, who haven’t had international publications yet, such as graduate students and young lecturers. Secondly, preparing monographs, with rare exceptions, requires major international collaboration, which helps to develop and maintain contacts and reputation. Thirdly, in this series we largely tend to question or to complement theoretical approaches that dominate in the analysis of social and economic systems in transition in international literature, as they do not always show their efficiency.

— How is the editorial policy formed? Who makes the decisions about publication?

— There is a portfolio that includes about 20 submissions from various research teams from HSE and other universities, and Springer made a respective decision relying on its subject area and relevance. There is an International Advisory Board for the series, which acts as a representative body, as well as the team of editors, which decides on including a particular volume in the series in cooperation with the publishing house.

— What books are going to be published soon?

— In addition to the published monograph by Ekim Arbatli and Dina Rosenberg about non-western social movements and the book about entrepreneurship co-authored by me and Arnis Sauka which is about to be issued, this year the publisher plans to release two more volumes – ‘Changing values, identity and intercultural relations on post-Soviet space’ edited by Nadezhda Lebedeva (HSE), Radosveta Dimitrova (Sweden) and John Berry (Canada, HSE), and ‘Business Cycles in Emerging Economies: The case of the BRICS’, edited by Ataman Ozyildirim, Paulo Picchetti (Brazil) and Sergey Smirnov (HSE). Thus, the series is gaining pace; we plan to issue at least three volumes per year.