Selected aspects of modernization in CEE Region

Modernization processes in Central and Eastern Europe played a key role in shaping the region's social, political and cultural structures. Their significance goes far beyond simply imitating Western models, as modernization in this part of the continent was a complex process, often taking place at the intersection of local traditions and international influences. The aim of this publication is to analyze selected aspects of modernization in the Central and Eastern European region from a historical, media and cultural perspective. The articles in this volume present, on the one hand, the theoretical contexts of modernization and, on the other hand, specific case studies that show how modernization processes have affected local communities, institutions and historical narratives. The first text, by Carolina Ferarro, is devoted to the analysis of Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thoughts on modernization and its reception in the Polish context. The author points to his reflections on the unique political character of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the ways in which classical models could have provided an alternative to Western modernization paths. Another text, by Radu Romînăşu and Laura Ardelean, discusses the main channels of modernization in the Romanian territories in the 18th and 19th centuries, analyzing how Enlightenment ideas and the influence of European powers affected social and political change in the region. In the context of 19th -century health crises, Laura Ardelean and Cristian Apati examine the state’s response to the cholera epidemic in 1873 in the Bihor district. The authors point to changes in the approach to public health and the impact of the modernization of the medical system on the state’s response. Zenonas Norkus and Aelita Ambrulevičiūtė, on the other hand, analyze Lithuania’s economic development during the Great Depression of the 1930s and compare it with other countries in the region. In the section on media and culture, Pavel Mücke analyzes the transformation of tourism between Czechoslovakia and Poland from the 1970s to the 1990s, showing how travel patterns and their significance changed in the context of post-socialist transformation. Lenka Kratka, on the other hand, examines the functioning of the command economy in Czechoslovakia, focusing on the specific nature of the art market as an area of non-standard approaches to entrepreneurship. Other articles deal with the topics of historical memory and national identity. Sorin Șipoş, Cosmin Patca, Mircea Matei and Laura Ardelean analyze the cultivation of memory of Avram Iancu through public monuments in Bihor County, showing how historical narratives influence the contemporary perception of national heroes. Iulia Vaisărhofer describes the publishing activities of the Romanian historian Nicolae Bălcescu, pointing out their significance in shaping national identity. Also noteworthy is the text by Andrei Di Carlo, who analyzes the relationship between Richard Hofstadter and American-Polish debates on modernization and the disenchantment of the world, and the article by Anna Adamus-Matuszyńska and Piotr Dzik on local particularism in the visual identification of cities and municipalities in Poland. The last two texts are devoted to contemporary issues: Csilla Mile considers the problem of sustainable development in the context of economic competitiveness, while Kinga Lechwar analyzes the challenges of information security in Central and Eastern Europe in the 21st century. The book ends with an article by Agata Krzywdzińska on Russia’s influence on the media in Kazakhstan. The presented volume shows a wide spectrum of topics related to modernization in Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing both historical and contemporary contexts of these processes. We hope that the presented research will enrich the debate on modernization and its significance for the shaping of societies in Central and Eastern Europe.