Private and public ownership in Yugoslavia

Abstract

In western industrialized countries the increasing convergence of public and private ownership coincides with the growth of the welfare state. Similar trends can also be observed in eastern industrial countries.

Yugoslavia, by establishing a kind of symbiosis between public means of production and private ownership of labour force, is no exception but is merely an ideosyncratic case of such a convergence. Through this symbiosis, the equilibrium between liberalization and socialization of work in Yugoslav society is maintained.

On the other hand, such a symbiosis also represents an obstacle for the social transformation of:

• 1.

  a) acquisitive to non-acquisitive value orientation of manpower,

• 2.

  b) segmented and low integrated collectives to highly integrated communities,

• 3.

  c) contractually managed organisations to workers' self-regulation.

Through this symbiosis liberal socialism is maintained and regression toward a totalitarian society is prevented; at the same time it prevents the transformation from a meritocratic society to one of solidarity.