Exit-Voice Dynamics and the Collapse of East Germany

“. . . a very engaging book. . .” - Feiwel Kupferberg, Slavic Review

“[A]n important and impressive contribution to the analysis of the crisis and transformation processes in East Germany. . . . By combining the skeleton of a "social mechanism" with the flesh of "event history" it provides a "dense description" of post-totalitarian state crises, popular protest movement and "revolution" following the best traditions in historical sociology. In doing so, the study is also worth reading for students who do not favour the collective action theory or related Rational Choice approaches. It transcends the single case of East Germany and will stimulate broader debate in the field.” - Raj Kollmorgen, Canadian Journal of Sociology

“[T]his is a fine study that breaks new empirical and theoretical grounds in political science. It shines illuminating light on the continuing problem of racial inequality. In a sharp manner, it raises the thorny question of whether political equality is possible without economic parity. This book shows that rhetorical tricks claiming colorblindness dry up like a raisin in the sun when confronted with historical and structural realities.” - Jamie K. McCallum, Mobilization

“Pfaff has produced a vital and important work, impressively underscoring, above all, the key role played by the flight and emigration movement in the decline of the GDR . . . . [A] masterpiece of historical sociology and the study of communism.” - Jens Gieseke, Central European History

“Pfaff’s theoretical synthesis is both ingenious and intuitively plausible. . . . Exit-Voice Dynamics is essential reading for anyone who wants to know how emigration and protest can conspire to undo tyranny just when it seems most stable.” - Jeremy Staughn, American Journal of Sociology

“Pfaff’s work contributes to our understanding of both exit-voice dynamics and the complexities of that revolution.” - Michael L. Hughes, German Studies Review

“The book should be read closely by students of Germany for its fine grained analysis and by those interested in methodological insights into the application of quantitative and qualitative approaches.” - John K. Glenn, Contemporary Sociology

“This is an excellent study is several respects: it provides a very rich and vivid account of the German revolution. It sometimes reads like a suspenseful thriller. The mixture of statistical analysis and narrative evidence from a great variety of sources . . . is rarely found in literature. . . . My recommendation is: if you want to read a fascinating narrative of a unique revolution with a sound empirical and theoretical underpinning, then Steven Pfaff’s book is a ‘must’.” - Karl-Dieter Opp, Social Forces

“This work of sociology by Steven Pfaff adds to our understanding of why East Germans became so suddenly, so forcefully, and so effectively oppositionist in the autumn of 1989. . . . Readers will revel in the detailed descriptions of political and social phenomena.” - John K. Cox Ph.D., International Social Science Review

“Exit-Voice Dynamics and the Collapse of East Germany is a highly original contribution to the study of Communism’s collapse and the role of collective action in political change. Its mixture of quantitative and qualitative evidence is unprecedented.” - Jeffrey Kopstein, author of The Politics of Economic Decline in East Germany, 1945–1989

“Steven Pfaff offers a bold sociological explanation of the collapse of Communism in East Germany. On the basis of detailed protest data, he explores the dynamics of ‘exit’ and ‘voice’ in eroding popular ‘loyalty’ to the Marxist dictatorship.” - Konrad H. Jarausch, editor of Dictatorship as Experience: Towards a Socio-Cultural History of the GDR

“With a simple yet incisive theoretical perspective, Steven Pfaff casts a bright light on the crisis of East German Communism, the ‘exiting crisis’ and popular rebellion of 1989, the marginalization of leftist activists, and the turn to nationalism and German reunification. This is the best theoretical analysis of the East German revolution that I have read. Pfaff’s model of exit-voice dynamics is also a major contribution to the literature on collective action and revolutions.” - Jeff Goodwin, author of No Other Way Out: States and Revolutionary Movements, 1945–1991