Adam Swain

State and Market in Eastern Europe: Regional Development and Workplace Implications of Direct Foreign Investment in the Automobile Industry in Hungary

Interactions between state and market in eastern Europe since 1989 are examined by focusing on inward investment in one sector the automobile industry which has been at the forefront in the development of new production strategies within the region, and one state Hungary where much foreign investment has been concentrated. The paper examines patterns of uneven development, the distinctive workplace organization and ownership form of state-planned economies, and their reconstitution as part of the process of transformation. The main direct foreign investment projects within the auto industry in eastern Europe are outlined to identify the global market context. The more detailed account of Hungary concentrates on the strategies of four leading companies: Ikarus, General Motors, Ford and Suzuki. The conclusion reconsiders the reconstitution of states and markets

Ukraine’s diverging space-economy: The Orange Revolution, post-soviet development models and regional trajectories:

This paper considers the evolution of Ukraine’s space-economy from 1990 to 2009, paying particular attention to comparative regional economic performance during the country’s expansionary phase from 1999 to 2008. This shows that Ukraine inherited from the Imperial and Soviet eras a space-economy that was amongst the most unbalanced in Europe. Furthermore post-Soviet regional trajectories intensified these territorial imbalances. The paper argues that these trajectories are linked to a wider political economy and especially to shifts in underlying development models and the characteristics of state power. The Orange Revolution marked a significant switch away from export-led industrial growth, which involved national accumulation towards a credit-fuelled consumption model that was reliant on importing foreign capital. The paper identifies three major types of specialized regional economy that persisted despite the change in development model. Nonetheless, their relative performance and contribution to national growth were affected by the shift in model. Centripetal tendencies were reinforced, which increased regional divergence. The paper argues that the Ukrainian space-economy is best understood as a series of historically rooted and relatively geographically bounded regional economies that are increasingly functionally integrated yet externally oriented.

Encountering soviet geography: oral histories of British geographical studies of the USSR and Eastern Europe 1945-1991

This paper considers the history of British geographical studies of the USSR and Eastern Europe 1945–1991, presenting material from a research project which has included thirty-two oral history interviews. Oral history is an especially fruitful research methodology in this context due to the distinct issues of formality and informality involved in researching the Soviet bloc. After discussing the nature of the subdiscipline and the Cold War context, including the role of the British state in shaping the field, the paper considers the role of formal academic meetings and exchanges, and the place of unofficial spaces of encounter in the formation of an intellectual culture. The paper concludes by reflecting on the merits of oral history in studies of the production of geographical knowledge.