Differenzierung und Eliten im Staatssozialismus

Der Beitrag geht von der modernisierungstheoretischen Annahme aus, dass die Konzepte der funktionalen Differenzierung und der sozialen Ungleichheit die beiden grundlegenden Perspektiven darstellen, unter denen die Strukturen moderner Gesellschaften analysiert werden können. Ein Systemvergleich zeigt für die Umbruchsphase 1989-1992, dass im Falle der Gesellschaften sowjetischen Typs für beide Strukturdimensionen keine eindeutige Diskussionslage zu registrieren ist. Die vorliegende Analyse der herrschenden Eliten zeigt weiterhin, dass die Zusammenbruchsdynamik staatssozialistischer Gesellschaften herrschaftssoziologisch zwei grundlegende Wandlungsprozesse beinhaltet: Den wachsenden Verlust der Fähigkeit des Parteistaates, bei den eigenen Funktionären Legitimitätsglauben, Gehorsam und Disziplin durchsetzen zu können. Und den Niedergang der Fähigkeit der Funktionäre des Parteistaates, von den machtunterworfenen Bevölkerungen in allen Bereichen des gesellschaftlichen Lebens Motivation und Disziplin beim lange zur Phrase degenerierten 'sozialistischen Aufbau' zu verlangen. Weiterhin wird deutlich, warum die Ereignisse 1989-91 nicht das Schicksal der Ereignisse von 1953 (DDR), 1956 (Ungarn, Polen), 1968 (Tschechoslowakei) oder 1980 (Polen) teilten. Erst wenn sich die herrschenden Strukturen einer Gesellschaft in einem klaren Stadium des Niedergangs oder Zerfalls befinden, können politische Mobilisierungsprozesse wie die von 1989 in den Zusammenbruch ganzer gesellschaftlicher Systeme einmünden. (ICA2)'This article draws on some central theoretical aspects of contemporary historical and sociological research on the elite structures of Sowjet type societies. Firstly, specific features of the constitution and the recruitment of political and functionary elites in the political and civil system of the collapsed state socialist societies are investigated. In this context the concept of organisations elites will be emphasized. Secondly, the problem of the relationship between differentiation processes in society and social inequality is discussed by means of focussing on the 'elite problem'. Finally, this article reconstructs in broad contours the debates concerning processes of informalization and hybridization in state socialist societies in the light of the elite aspect.' (author's abstract

Neotraditionalistischer Staatssozialismus: Zur Diskussion eines Forschungskonzeptes

By discussing the theoretical concepts of »totalitarianism« and »pluralism«, a frame of reference for analysing state-socialist societies is presented which determines the latter as »neo-traditionalist«. Within this context, which analyses real-socialist countries as politically constituted labour societies, great significance is attached to social mechanisms of integration beyond force and violence. Peaceful agreements and willingness to consent were secured within labour and authority structures by, particularly, institutionalised clienteleism

Zwischen den Stühlen. Das Berliner Journal für Soziologie in der gesellschaftlichen Transformation und Refiguration

Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (1010)Peer Reviewe

Clinical manifestations and immunomodulatory treatment experiences in psychiatric patients with suspected autoimmune encephalitis: a case series of 91 patients from Germany

Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) can rarely manifest as a predominantly psychiatric syndrome without overt neurological symptoms. This study’s aim was to characterize psychiatric patients with AE; therefore, anonymized data on patients with suspected AE with predominantly or isolated psychiatric syndromes were retrospectively collected. Patients with readily detectable neurological symptoms suggestive of AE (e.g., epileptic seizures) were excluded. Patients were classified as “probable psychiatric AE (pAE),” if well-characterized neuronal IgG autoantibodies were detected or “possible pAE” (e.g., with detection of nonclassical neuronal autoantibodies or compatible cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes). Of the 91 patients included, 21 (23%) fulfilled our criteria for probable (autoantibody-defined) pAE and 70 (77%) those for possible pAE. Among patients with probable pAE, 90% had anti-NMDA receptor (NMDA-R) autoantibodies. Overall, most patients suffered from paranoid-hallucinatory syndromes (53%). Patients with probable pAE suffered more often from disorientation (p < 0.001) and impaired memory (p = 0.001) than patients with possible pAE. Immunotherapies were performed in 69% of all cases, mostly with high-dose corticosteroids. Altogether, 93% of the patients with probable pAE and 80% of patients with possible pAE reportedly benefited from immunotherapies (p = 0.251). In summary, this explorative, cross-sectional evaluation confirms that autoantibody-associated AE syndromes can predominantly manifest as psychiatric syndromes, especially in anti-NMDA-R encephalitis. However, in three out of four patients, diagnosis of possible pAE was based on nonspecific findings (e.g., slight CSF pleocytosis), and well-characterized neuronal autoantibodies were absent. As such, the spectrum of psychiatric syndromes potentially responding to immunotherapies seems not to be limited to currently known autoantibody-associated AE. Further trials are needed

Contrasting disease patterns in seropositive and seronegative neuromyelitis optica: A multicentre study of 175 patients

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic and pathophysiological relevance of antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-Ab) in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) has been intensively studied. However, little is known so far about the clinical impact of AQP4-Ab seropositivity. OBJECTIVE: To analyse systematically the clinical and paraclinical features associated with NMO spectrum disorders in Caucasians in a stratified fashion according to the patients' AQP4-Ab serostatus. METHODS: Retrospective study of 175 Caucasian patients (AQP4-Ab positive in 78.3%). RESULTS: Seropositive patients were found to be predominantly female (p 1 myelitis attacks in the first year were identified as possible predictors of a worse outcome. CONCLUSION: This study provides an overview of the clinical and paraclinical features of NMOSD in Caucasians and demonstrates a number of distinct disease characteristics in seropositive and seronegative patients