The book series Changing Europe contains edited volumes dealing with current political
economic and social affairs in Eastern Europe and the enlarged EU. The core of the series is
formed by contributions to the Changing Europe Summer Schools which are being organised by the
Research Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen. The series is edited by
Dr. Sabine Fischer (EU Institute for Security Studies Paris) Dr. Heiko Pleines (Research
Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen) and Prof. Dr. Hans-Henning
Schröder (University of Bremen and German Institute for International and Security Affairs
Berlin).Post-socialist transformations in Central and Eastern Europe have been characterised by
historically shaped crises and conflicts on all levels of political economic and societal
life. Minority and ethno-political conflicts many of them currently at a stalemate have
severely hampered state-building and societal stability - and continue to do so. Contradictory
interpretations of history prevent societies from forging a common identity and thus impede
nation-building processes. Political and social identities exert an important influence on
democratic and socioeconomic transformation processes. Taken together the contributions in
this volume reflect the wide variety of challenges and conflicts linked to ethnic national
political social and gender identities in post-socialist societies in Central and Eastern
Europe. They not only serve to illustrate the significant differences among post-socialist
transformations but also highlight the variety of theoretical concepts and methodological
approaches that can be used to analyse identity its change and its impact on societal
developments.This book presents some of the best papers presented at the Changing Europe Summer
School on Crises and Conflicts in Eastern European States and Societies: Stumbling Blocks or
Stepping Stones for Democratisation? held in Warsaw in September 2007.
