Social Deviance in Hungary: The Case of the Private Economy

Abstract

The existence and operations of the private economy in socialist states has long been a matter of concern of social scientists interested in social deviance in Eastern Europe. The study of the private economy in the socialist states is hampered by two major considerations. First, there is a stunning absence of reliable data that would reveal the true extent of the influence of the private economy. Second, some aspects of a private economy clearly fall into areas that are beyond at least the letter of the law and thus the practitioners of this economic sector are quite reluctant to talk about their activities. Private enterprise activities generally can be subdivided into two main categories: legal and illegal activities. The chapter describes the illegal economic activities of Hungary are even harder to document than the legal enterprises. In 1972-1975, an individual had consistently visited a cherry canning factory in Hungary.