Moldovan Post-socialist Transformation: The (Un)successfulness of Sociology

The redesign of the geographical boundaries in Eastern Europe triggered changes in the (newly) emerged countries. As a result, not only did authoritarian regimes transition to democracies, but there was also the need to embrace the market economy and adapt toward the new realities of the post-socialist transformations in Eastern Europe. Thus, the fall of the USSR entailed the emergence of 15 independent republics and started a transition process, not only in these newly established republics but also in the countries of the post-socialist block. This chapter will focus on analysing a practical case study concerning the role of sociology during the early stages of transition and developing a new political, social, and economic system in the Republic of Moldova. This research is the first attempt to understand the role of Moldovan sociology in the framework of the post-socialist transformation. Following the Cultural Political Economy model, the research will attempt to understand the role of the Moldovan sociology academic group during the post-socialist transition. The research focuses on analysing and comparing the perceptions of Moldovan sociologists, active or knowledgeable, of the volatile situation of Moldova in the early 1990s.