Fears in Post-Communist Society

This volume is a cross-national and comparative analysis of how fear shapes and dominates political, social, and economic life in post-Communist countries. Each chapter analyses economic fears, fears of catastrophes, worries about internal and foreign enemies, health concerns, and environmental uncertainties and their connection to political, social, and economic life. Chapters also explore rational and irrational elements of the individual's fears and examines the influence of political and social factors. The contributors were able to consolidate results of public opinion polls with other sources of empirical information, such as small surveys, case studies, and focus group methologies in Russia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, and among Russian immigrants in the US and Israel.