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In the period of State Socialism in Eastern Europe (1945- 1989) Social Welfare was exercised on two levels: The dominant level was the system of governmental Social Policy, because individual and private structures of so - cial help were considered as a dispensable bourgeois tradition. According to this perception, social welfare should include an extensive system of support and social services, although, in reality, special groups of ´´asocials´´ and ´´parasites´´ were excluded. Although - except for Yugoslavia - social work as a profession was nearly totally eliminated, modulated forms of social care had to be provided, because people like handicapped, elderly or mentally disabled still were in need. There - fore, Social Care was realised on a subordinated level - mostly allocated to proximate vocations or organisations like teachers, nurses and mass organisations. Experts from the respective countries explain what it was like.

Countries under scrutiny:
Bulgaria, Czechoslowakia, GDR, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Soviet Union, Yugoslavia

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... bietet viele anregende Einsichten in Strukturen und Praktiken sozialer Arbeit unter sozialistischer Herrschaft, das heißt in einem Sozialstaat, der auf Arbeit und Arbeitsfähige konzentriert war.
Archiv für Sozialgeschichte 54/2014
Bemerkenswert ist die Differenziertheit des Buches. Im umkämpften Terrain der Historiografie über den Staatssozialismus werden hier keine pauschalen Urteile verkündet, sondern soziale Errungenschaften der betreffenden Länder anerkannt, aber ebenso ihre Widersprüchlichkeit und die generellen Defizite in diesem Bereich im Einzelnen benannt. Facette um Facette wird Historisches frei gelegt.
Zeitschrift für Ostmitteleuropa-Forschung 4/2010
Because of its comprehensive examinationby the twenty contributors from these eight countries, the study provides a detailedoverview of the main issues of social care in the former Eastern Bloc, while at the sametime it allows for comparison, evaluation and critical investigation of the realities of socialcare during the years 1945 - 1989 under state socialism.
Journal of Contemporary European Studies Vol. 18, No. 2, 271-298, June 2010

This collection offers new terrains of historical comparisons to students of social policy and security.
Choice May 2010
The book shows that it is wrong simply to assume there was no social work in socialist countries. Much help did exist but it is also obvious, from the material presented, that the structures and the practice found there were often not in line with what Western social work regards as respecting human dignity. [...] What is clear from reading this book, however, is that there is much that we would not wish to espouse, not least the incredibly inhumane residential institutions of Eastern Bloc countries.
Professional Social Work October 2009
Die relativ kurzen Beiträge bieten - informative, mit kontroversen Thesen zur Diskussion anregend [...] - einen guten Zugang zum Themenkreis der sozialen Arbeit und Fürsorge in Mittel- und Osteuropa zwischen 1944/45 und 1989.
Deutschland Archiv 6/2009
Ein umfassende Geschichte der Sozialarbeit, der staatlichen wie privaten Daseinsvorsorge und der Gesundheitspolitik (mit ihren eugenischen Abwegen) für das östliche und südöstliche Europa wird noch länger nicht geschrieben werden können, da es dazu noch an Forschungen mangelt; solide Anfänge sind mit den beiden von Hering und Hering/ Waaldijk herausgegebenen Werken, erschienen im Verlag Barbara Budrich, allerdings getan. Sie stellen zweifellos Pionierarbeiten dar.
Redaktion "Südost-Forschungen" 68/2009

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