Communists and Their Victims

"A major contribution to the research on transitional justice. It is exemplary for its nuanced perspective and detail, and this is exactly the quality that makes it myth shattering." —Susanne Karstedt, Griffith University, American Journal of Sociology

"Utilizing an effective and critical combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, Roman David presents the first comprehensive case study of a postconflict or postrepression country that goes beyond description and platitudes."—Harvey M. Weinstein, University of California, Berkeley

"Professor David’s conclusions are logical, theoretically sound and compelling, in part because of the enormous amount of research that went into the work, and in part because of his ability to analyze and convey his results to the reader." —Christopher Roederer, Human Rights Quarterly

"David’s findings should be required reading for everyone interested in post-conflict and post-repression justice, and his methodology supplies a template that could and should be replicated elsewhere." —Kieran Williams, Drake University, The Times Literary Supplement

"The research is remarkable in that it is truly multimethodological, inspiring confidence in the postulated relationships between justice measures and their effects on relevant populations." —Sara J. Tomczuk, Leuphana University, Humanity and Society

"His analysis and conclusions constitute a masterpiece of interdisciplinary and integrated social science. There is no doubt that this book is one of the very best in the field of transitional justice that I came across in 2018 and is a fantastic read for all." —Stephan Parmentier, KU Leuven, Transitional Justice Blog

Complementing his original research with analysis of legal judgments, governmental reports, and historical records, David finds that some justice measures were effective in overcoming material and ideological divides while others obstructed victims' healing and inhibited the transformation of communists. Identifying "justice without reconciliation" as the primary factor hampering the process of overcoming the past in the Czech Republic, Communists and Their Victims promotes a transformative theory of justice that demonstrates that justice measures, in order to be successful, require a degree of reconciliation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

List of Acronyms

Introduction

PART I. HISTORICAL AND SOCIOLEGAL CONTEXT

Chapter 1. The Communist Regime in Czechoslovakia: Were People Coerced?

Chapter 2. Justice After Transition: Retributive, Revelatory, Reparatory, and Reconciliatory Measures

PART II. JUSTICE AT THE POLES OF SOCIETY

Chapter 3. Did Justice Measures Heal Victims? Compensation, Truth, and Reconciliation in the Lives of Political Prisoners

Chapter 4. Did Justice Measures Transform Communists? Personal and Intergenerational Transformation

PART III. JUSTICE IN A POLARIZED SOCIETY

Chapter 5. Could Justice Measures Transform the Divided Society? Experimental Evidence About Justice and Reconciliation

Chapter 6. Did Justice Measures Transform the Divided Society? Class and Ideological Divides

Conclusion: From Observations to the Transformative Theory of Justice

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Acknowledgments

280 pages | 6 x 9 | 26 illus.

Cloth 2018 | ISBN 9780812250145 | Add to cart $79.95s | Outside N. America £61.00

Ebook 2018 | ISBN 9780812294989 | Add to cart $79.95s | £52.00 | About

A volume in the series Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights

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