Serbia between isolation and integration: "Economic culture" and action determined by interest

The basic goal of this paper is an attempt to offer relatively complete & rational sociological answer to the question of why the transition in Serbia has been so long, painful, unsuccessful & with an uncertain outcome, in other words, why Serbia has been hesitating between isolation from the rest of the world & integration with it. In order to achieve that, the first step is questioning the role of cultural factor, especially cultural dimension of economic life (Francis Fukuyama), or the so called "economic culture" (Peter Berger) in modern important social changes, such is transition. Transition is an important change of basic structural & functional aspects of the former "socialist society," in a relatively limited period of time, & it is directed towards permanent establishing of consolidated democracy & developed social agreement market. Not diminishing the value or the role of cultural factor, authors came to the conclusion that it is neither the only nor crucial for explaining poverty, instability, conflicts & transitional changes, slowdowns & wanderings through certain post socialist societies, just like the Serbian. Relying on the concept of "polyarchy" of Robert Dahl, as well as on the theory of collective action of Mancur Olson, they think that for that kind of outcome, what is far more important is the influence of inherited & newly created institutional frame & a set of real interests of social figures, both internal & external, as well as their fight for power determined by their interests, which always occurs under the veil of ideological confrontations & justifies itself by them. That is why on the surface we get the impression that in fact cultural-valuable confrontations are major cause of conflicts & blockades & that they created social disintegrations, social stagnation & social regression. References. Adapted from the source document.