The Privatisation of State Housing Stock in the Czech Republic – a Path Dependent Process?
The Privatisation of State Housing Stock in the Czech Republic – a Path Dependent Process?

Summary/Abstract: The Privatisation of State Housing Stock in the Czech Republic – a Path Dependent Process? This article aims at finding a theoretical and empirical explanation for the particular housing privatisation approach applied in the Czech Republic. The explanation pays special attention to inequalities in owner-occupied housing accessibility created by housing privatisation. In order to explain the process of housing privatisation, the article discusses theories of social change (transition, transformation and path dependence). The following qualitative empirical analysis of alternative theoretical explanations consists of thirteen semi-structured interviews with politicians, state officials, municipal experts and local citizen movements. In addition, the data from the interviews is commented with the use of data from public opinion about housing policy. In the conclusion, the author critically evaluates the usefulness of presented theories (especially path dependence) and states that the privatisation process should be explained as a transformation rather than a transition, with a specific role played by ideology. The analysis led to a conclusion that the consequences were unseen given the “ad-hoc” feature of policy decisions. Sociológia 2013, Vol. 45 (No. 3: 267-289)

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