We are seeking submissions for a collection of research articles and essays on contemporary cultural issues in East Central Europe. We welcome submissions from any disciplinary perspective related to the issues being considered (arts, literature, political sciences, social sciences, cultural studies...) as well as submissions from cultural actors outside of academia.

The purpose of this volume is to provide a forum for analysts of cultural issues in East Central Europe (defined as the countries in Europe which had Communist regimes after World War II and were not part of the former Soviet Union: Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Macedonia, SRJ, East Germany, Albania), as well as to offer materials for scholars and students of culture who wish to expand the scope of cultural studies beyond the boundaries of Western Europe and North America. It is intended to serve as a resource for researchers in this area, and as a source for educators offering courses on issues in contemporary "post-Communist" East Central Europe. In that spirit, works on cultural issues in any country, town, city or region of East Central Europe will be considered. The volume will be organized around issues rather than around countries or regions. The topics listed below represent the initial concerns of the editors.

Submissions which do not relate specifically to any of the topics listed below, but which relate to the general theme of the volume, will be considered. Please direct any inquiries to the editors.

1.Cultural Policies --Cultural funding and sponsorship --The changing roles of ministries of culture --Cultural actors in politics; political interventions in culture 2.Culture and Power --Where has the "Communist underground" gone? --The development of cultural alternatives --Censorship and obstacles to cultural production 3."High" and "Low" Culture --The evolution of "elite" and "popular" institutions --"Street" art, theatre, music, grafitti, etc. --New developments in underground culture --"High" and "low" as political categories 4.Inclusions and Exclusions --Inventions and deployments of tradition --Nationalisms --Minorities --Women 5.Culture and Globalisation --Who are the "cosmopolitans," what do they do? --The position of ECE in global cultural markets --"Global" culture in "local" contexts --The local and the global in art and culture; translocal and intercultural forms 6.Democratisation of Culture? --Influence of markets on cultural production --Independent publishing, recording, distribution --Possibilities and constraints in the development of democratic culture 7."Backwardness" and Culture --Urban/rural issues in culture --Culture and technology --The reception of new technologies

Direct submissions (2 copies)and inquiries
by 30 SEPTEMBER 1998 to:
Eric Gordy Department of Sociology
Clark University
950 Main Street Worcester,
Massachusetts 01610
e-mail:egordy@clarku.edu

Anna Szemere
Department of Sociology
University of California--
San Diego 9500 Gilman Drive,
California 92093
e-mail: aszemere@ucsd.edu