East Germany from 1980 until the End - Essay Example

East Germany from 1980 until the end Introduction Many studies have been carried out to investigate the main differences between East and West Germany (Klusener and Goldstein 2). Mortality rates and levels of fertility are the same in the two regions; however, births out of wedlock are common in the Eastern region. The East was a communist region and the west was a capitalist region (Blum 1). German Democratic Republic was created in the Eastern region. The article discusses the history of East Germany from 1980. East Germany started facing structural problems in the fifties. The policies made to overcome structural problems led to the collapse of the economy. The policies aimed at centralizing the economy did not have a positive impact. This made the problems harder to solve, making it necessary for West Germany to bail out the economy. Market orientation problems were solved but the original structural problems were not. This has made it difficult for East Germany to match output levels in West Germany. The stagnation in East Germany began when the monetary union overvalued the East German mark, leading to the decrease of the price of capital stock and the increase in labor cost per unit. Competition also faced a serious downfall. Funds that were given to alleviate private households and to heighten the investment sector were channeled to many other sectors, hence economic expansion became difficult. The public was given ill advice on areas of investment, and, therefore, production levels were reduced. Unemployment increased, leading to high public budgets. The Federal Government spent on arrears to unify finance, thus increasing inflation tendencies. The Bundesbank tried to reduce inflation by raising interest rates. There was a negative impact on international competition, which slowed down the process of adaptation. Transparency in the East German was lost due to linguistic deceit (Markovits 189). Regulations that were set to cover up legal realities by the use of words became a recognized practice. East Germany has not yet found a solution to the problems brought by the communist system. Many people who lived around the Berlin area were affected by the division of the economy. Most of them worked in the West but resided in the East. Social control became low among these people, leading to the increase in the nonstandard behaviors. Antisocial behaviors caused violence even on football grounds (Dennis and LaPorte 137). Mortality rates were increasing at a steady pace, leading to an increase in life expectancy (Kronenberg 14). In the past, many people died in road accidents due to the social changes. Restrictions concerning personal freedoms were made to solve the problem. Local regulations were the basis of the foundation of civil legislation. The regulations in the set code books only applied to the region which did not have local regulations. East Germany also had policies that tried to break the link between marriage and childbirth. Single mothers were paid when they were on a one year leave, but this only applied to the first child. The leave scheme only applied to the single mothers. There was a rise in nonmarital births, because the policy encouraged many to push their marriage programs forward. Many women opted to bear their first children out of wedlock to enjoy the leave scheme. It was in 1986 that the scheme also applied to mothers who bore their first children after marriage. In the Eastern region, rates of nonmarital fertility were higher than in the Western region (Knapp, Madden, and Fowler-Kerry 210). The average age of women by the time they gave birth was lower in East Germany. The region did not have strict restrictions concerning marriage. Regulations that were made were inspired by the needs of children. A man who made a woman pregnant had the responsibility of giving the woman compensation and taking care the child. The constitution of the region also stated that it was not wrong to be born by a nonmarried couple. The Church in Europe tried to inform people of the value of the institution of marriage. An extensive number of churches were against premarital sex – they considered such laws as manifestations of secularization. The secularization process weakened the marriage institution. Attitudes regarding premarital sex depended on religious beliefs. East Germany is the region with the highest number of secular people in today’s world. The protestant churches in the Eastern region failed to inform the people of the better side of religion, and this encouraged high numbers of secular people. Most people in the Eastern region did not reside in the village; they lived in the estates where they worked. This factor made it difficult for the Church to reach and organize the people. In the Western region, everyone settled in the rural areas. This made it easier for the Church to penetrate and take charge. The different modes of settlement led to the unequal numbers of secular people in the two regions. The religious denomination of the mother played a vital role in deciding whether to give birth in or out of wedlock. In the Eastern region, many were secular. There were no restrictions that governed marriage in the secular world. This led to an economic decline, because only statistics of the weight and length at birth were taken on an individual level. Statistics concerning the levels of unemployment and earnings were taken at the district level. The statistics, at the district level, were totals of the mean values. In the 1980s, urbanization was low in East Germany, and social inequalities continued to rise. Some people were treated in more respectable ways, had more privileges, and also received higher income because of their social status. These behaviors were encouraged in the Eastern region. In the East, fewer people had high income. Social chain of command and inequality was high in East Germany. The selected few who took part in politics had a large number of privileges. They enjoyed luxurious facilities and had savings in Western currency. Those who did not conform to the government politics had a lower opportunity of advancement. It was necessary for one to conform to politics so as to get promotion, but that alone was not enough. Educational credentials were also essential for promotion in the political chain of command. Those who had negative political backgrounds were not able to access universities or even choose their courses, no matter how excellent their performance was. East Germany was seen as a society of the working-class. Many people in East Germany belonged to the middle class. Business entrepreneurs and aristocrats were not able to survive in this region, because life was based on politics. Those who worked in the factories were not satisfied with their jobs and also felt powerless. Many people in the region became envious of those who had a large number of privileges. Workers were also accorded the high social status. This had a positive impact, since many were willing to be a part of the working class. East Germany had an industrial economy, which was extremely productive. It depended on the importation and exportation of goods. Workers in this region were not allowed to strike. On the other hand, no one was afraid of unemployment, everyone was guaranteed a job (Berdahl and Bunzl 118). Jobs were available regardless of abilities, skills, and aspirations. There were many women in the working class, so the number of families with two sources of income increased. Money was not a problem to many. Washing machines, fridges, cars, and telephones were found in many households. Foods stuffs were affordable; therefore, more calories were consumed. The consumption of meat and eggs was high. Fresh fruits and vegetables were ignored. There was a complication in the economy, because some products could only be bought by the privileged. Goods that were desired were put on waiting lists. Those who were able to acquire western money were able to shop in areas that sold western goods. East German currency could also be used to buy luxurious items in certain shops. Health care and social welfare was funded by the state. This was a way of offsetting poor incomes. The state also provided maternity and childcare reimbursements. Pensions were substantial, because the cost of living was low. The state improved the state of health facilities to offer satisfactory health services. Rents were low, but the quality of the houses was not guaranteed. Housing providence became a priority. Old houses located in the city centre were renovated. High-rise buildings were quickly built. The state tried to abolish inequality in various ways. Special schools enrolled students in terms of abilities and the unique things one was able to do. Social background was no longer a basis for recruitment. Universities were open to anyone who wanted to be educated. Faculties set aside for workers and peasants were removed. The state also extended the higher education system. The number of those with higher education was high. There was a reduction in university places, because qualified graduates were in excess and had to work in areas that did not correspond to their education level. The reduction made it difficult for people to choose their field of study. Inherited status reemerged. Relative fairness of opportunity in the universities in terms of money was maintained. Parental income was considered as students were enrolled. There was an emphasis on vocational training. Practical training was not ignored. In East Germany students, did not have the freedom to offer new intellectual opinions. They were supposed to conform to what had already been approved. Conclusion East Germany faced much competition from West Germany. Policies made in the Eastern region led to the increase in fertility rates. Single mothers had privileges that encouraged births out of wedlock. The social status of individuals had an immense impact on their lives. Education was essential in raising the economy of the Eastern region. Health care was given priority, so that the poverty rates could be reduced. Maternal care was improved for the purpose of reducing infant mortality rates. Works Cited  Berdahl, Daphne, and Matti Bunzl. On the Social Life of Postsocialism: Memory, Consumption, Germany. Indiana University Press, 2010. Print. Blum, Ulrich. An Economic Life in Vain? Path Dependence and East Germany’s Pre- and Post- Unification Economic Stagnation. Halle Institute for Economic Research – Iwh 10: 1-31. July. 2011. Web. 9 June 2012. Dennis, Mike, and Norman LaPorte. State and Minorities in Communist East Germany. Berghahn Books, 2011. Print. Markovits, Inga. Justice in Luritz: Experiencing Socialist Law in East Germany. Princeton University Press, 2010. Print.  Klusener, Sebastian, and Joshua R. Goldstein. The Long-Standing Demographic East-West-Divide in Germany. Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research: 1- 32. February 2012. Web. 9 June 2012. Knapp, Caprice, Vanessa Madden, and Susan Fowler-Kerry. Pediatric Palliative Care: Global Perspectives. Springer, 2012. Print. Kronenberg, Tobias. Demography and Infrastructure: National and Regional Aspects of Demographic Change. Springer, 2011. Print. Read More