Research
The three research sub-groups in Central and Eastern European Economics and Politics, European Regional Development and Identity, Culture and the Politics of Language provide the focus for our research in European studies.
Dynamics of the New Europe: Central and Eastern European Economics and Politics
The presence in our research team both of area and policy specialists allowed us to make a distinctive contribution to the research on economic and political developments within Central and Eastern Europe. Through the recent years the Centre has conducted research projects investigating social aspects of economic changes through case studies of trade union / civil society developments in Poland, Czech and Slovak republics, issues related with EU enlargement as well as various aspects of regional development in the New Europe.
Current research projects carried out within this group include studies on varieties of capitalism within Central and Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union (Myant, Drahokoupil), right wing extremism in Europe, Roma rights in the EU, and the political history of Romanian communism (Adamson). Further studies focus on regional strategies of FDI attraction and regional business service economies in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic (Capik), Europeanisation of regional policy actors and sub-national governance in the new member states of the EU (Dabrowski), socio-cultural attitudes and their impact on entrepreneurship development in Central-Eastern Europe (Skowron) and the activity of Polish entrepreneurs in Scotland (Lassalle).
European Regional Development
Originally, the main foci of this research group were projects that explored the impact of post-communist transition to a more market orientated economy on the countries of Central and East Europe (C&EE). Major themes were the problems of de-industrialisation in areas that had depended upon heavy industry, and regional restructuring and regeneration where had been significant concentrations of heavy industry. This is of course something that many western countries have experienced but surprisingly little attention seems to have been devoted to identifying any lessons for post-communist transformation. Therefore, the Centre for Contemporary European Studies conducted a range of comparative research projects with Scotland, given that Scotland had also been subject to the process of de-industrialisation. Scotland’s economic strategy was initially based on the attraction of direct foreign investment and other mobile capital in an attempt to counter the process of de-industrialisation. Latterly, the Centre’s research has focused increasingly upon current initiatives which are of a more endogenous nature such as the promotion of regional development through the establishment of new growth businesses.
Given that job creation is a major element of economic policy and is firmly linked to the success of new business ventures and their survival, researchers in the Centre have undertaken a number of studies relating to this issue. The first strand of research focussed on the role of the informal investment market in supporting the establishment of SMEs in C&EE, (Paul, Danson, Helinska-Hughes and Whittam). The second one concentrated on the process of internationalisation and export behaviour of SMEs (Danson, Helinska-Hughes and Whittam). The third, and ongoing research project, investigates the role migrant workers play in labour markets across Scotland by looking primarily at Polish nationals. It explores their motivation and reasons to seek employment in Scotland, and whether they intend to stay or move back to Poland (Helinska-Hughes).
The most recent research programme launched in the Centre aims to identify the effects of Community Land Buy-Outs in the Highlands and Islands, and the impact of micro-finance for supporting the SME sector in these remote communities (Danson and Whittam).
Identity, Culture and the Politics of Language
The Centre excels in the multidisciplinary, innovative research on aspects of identity and culture in the New Europe and their socio-economic, political and organisational implications as well as in language-based studies and critical art writing, carried out by the international team of scholars. The research also investigates the new media art scenes in different geo-locations of Europe.
Ongoing research projects include studies on construction and representation of gendered identity in contemporary (visual) culture and in creative contexts in the New Europe (Kosmala). The research is also conducted on aspects of gender in lexicography (Campbell).
Other projects include examination of meanings of artistic work and aspects of creative careers such as creativity as a resource and its aesthetic value; ways of functioning in creative contexts, employability strategies, leadership and enterprise development, including access to work, capital and information (Kosmala, Burnett, Spaeth).
Further studies carried out within the group examine the importance of location and cultural milieu, the impact of geo-location and its politics for facilitation of creative practice and professional work, including areas such as dynamics of the global economy and the post-Communist legacy (Kosmala). The Spanish sub-group specialises in research the politics of identity and language in Spain (León-Solís) and Latin American literature and cinema (Dominguez).
Finally, research conducted within the Centre focuses also on pedagogical aspects of language teaching including the impact of learning support environments (Giraud-Johnstone) and on foreign language use in government organisations in the EU context (Pilger).