Autobiographies Of Transformation

Autobiographies of Transformation is a completely unique history of sociology in Central and Eastern Europe in the post-Communist era. Through the autobiographies of ten key sociological witnesses from the region, the sociological imagination is turned upon itself, resulting in a compelling and revealing account of the struggles, triumphs, and continuing challenges faced. The sociologists examined fall into three cohorts: early, mid and late career. As participants, each of the sociologists included has witnessed the intersection of history and biography in Central and Eastern Europe. As sociologists, they have tried, and continue to try, to connect the two so that they and their fellow citizens may better understand their circumstances and the futures that may follow. This revealing book, ideal for students and researchers of sociology, and Central and Eastern Europe studies, provides powerful and compelling autobiographical accounts, relating them to the current interest in this area's transformation.

Autobiographies of Transformation is a completely unique history of sociology in Central and Eastern Europe in the post-Communist era. Through the autobiographies of ten key sociological witnesses from the region, the sociological imagination is turned upon itself, resulting in a compelling and revealing account of the struggles, triumphs, and continuing challenges faced. The sociologists examined fall into three cohorts: early, mid and late career. As participants, each of the sociologists included has witnessed the intersection of history and biography in Central and Eastern Europe. As sociologists, they have tried, and continue to try, to connect the two so that they and their fellow citizens may better understand their circumstances and the futures that may follow. This revealing book, ideal for students and researchers of sociology, and Central and Eastern Europe studies, provides powerful and compelling autobiographical accounts, relating them to the current interest in this area's transformation.

Provides a new perspective for thinking about and reading autobiographical writing

"At night, I was forced back into the house for dinner and then followed the routine bath and going to bed. I remember feeling so alone and disconnected from everyone there. I was an orphan amongst them all. I couldn't relate to them, their experience and their interaction they had with each other. I was blonde with green eyes while they had blue or brown eyes and dark hair. I figured I was probably adopted and that would explain why my mother was so spiteful towards me. Many a night, I would sit by the bedroom window, pull my blind over my head and look at the stars. I would talk to the stars knowing others were there, listening to me, those who really knew me, my real family, asking and begging them to let me go back home. I wanted nothing to do with this life, I couldn't understand what was expected of me. These strangers that kept me confused and scared. I wanted to feel whole and loved again, I knew that on the other side of this dimension, amongst the stars, where my soul would be reunited to my higher-self, I could feel loved in the presence of mother/father God."This excerpt from the book gives you an insight that I was not a child like any other. After a difficult childhood and a tumultuous adolescence, I try to escape but I am pursued by my demons, my fears and a belief system that continues to sabotage all my efforts for a balanced life. This book explains the journey of a human being who must forgive herself and continue to strive forward despite her missteps and failures. I share my story in order to inspire you so that you know that you are not alone in your quest and that there is hope. The book explains my journey, my learning and how you can do the same with your life. An honest book that allows you to be flawed and to love you fully. Each concept of learning is explained with concrete examples that facilitate the integration of the spiritual work accomplished.

In Red Autobiographies, Igal Halfin reads admission records to Soviet Communist party cells in the 1920s for what they reveal about the politics of self-representation in Bolshevik political culture. He identifies ways of speaking about oneself as a central arena of the Soviet revolution's drive for discovering, changing, and perfecting the self. The study is based on archival sources -- many of which are no longer as freely accessible as they were during the heydays of the Soviet "archival bonanza" -- in provincial party archives in Leningrad, Smolensk, and Tomsk. But the principle merit of this study is Halfin's masterful handling and interpretation of the sources. As such, the study serves as a popular "short course" on Halfin's seminal contributions to the historiographies of Russia, Communism, and modern subjectivity. Igal Halfin is a professor of modern history in Tel Aviv University.

This is a chronicle of someone who has had an exceptional personal transformation, a transformation that arches over very different times, as well as very different ways of life and cultures. A remarkable journey of self-realization, and memories of many interesting observation, encounters, anecdotes and stories along the path of a life journey.

Compelling exploration of how journeys to a Buddhist culture changed 30 Western writers as they explored the meaning of 'no-self'.

Writing as a medium of professional help and healing in the various interventional tiers of self-help, education, promotion, prevention, and psychotherapy, and rehabilitation has expanded exponentially since the introduction of computers and the Internet in the last generation. This volume does three things. Firstly, it brings together research on different types of writing and distance writing that have been, or need to be, used by mental health professionals. Secondly, it critically evaluates the therapeutic effectiveness of these writing practices, such as automatic writing, programmed writing poetry therapy, diaries, expressive writing and more. And thirdly, in addition to evaluating the effectiveness of various writing practices, the volume will examine how research-based writing approaches will influence the delivery of mental health services now and in the future, including the implications of these approaches.