Veljko Rus
Encyclopedia
Veljko Rus is a Slovenia
n sociologist, writer and academic.
He was born in Ljubljana
, Slovenia (then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
) to a prominent upper middle class family. His father, Josip, was a left-liberal political activist, prominent leader of the Sokol
movement in the Drava Banovina
, and one of the founding members of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
. After finishing high school in Ljubljana, he enrolled the University of Belgrade
Faculty of Philosophy
. He obtained a PhD in sociology at the University of Zagreb
with a thesis on Power and Responsibility in Working Processes.
In the late 1950s, he was part of the so-called "critical generation", a group of young Slovenian intellectuals who followed a critical attitude towards the Communist
system in the former Yugoslavia
, challenging the cultural policies of the Titoist regime. He wrote in alternative journals Revija 57 and Perspektive.
He was visiting fellow at several western universities, including Poitiers
in France
(1957/58), Columbia
(1968/69), and Berkeley
. In 1958, he started working as an assistant professor at Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana
; in 1960, he was removed from universeity together with Taras Kermauner
because their friendly relations with the dissident Jože Pučnik
He then worked as a professor at the School of Organizational Sciences in Kranj
, and at the Faculty of Sociology, Political Science and Journalism in Ljubljana (later renamed to Faculty of Social Sciences).
In the early 1970s, after the removal of the Reformist Communist leadership of Stane Kavčič, Rus was again dismissed from the University. He worked at the Institute for Sociology and Philosophy until the early 1990s, when he was readmitted at the Faculty for Social Sciences.
He has been a visiting professor at Columbia University
, the University of Uppsala, the University of Stockholm, the
University of Copenhagen
and the Free University of Berlin
. Since 1995, he has been member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
. He resides in Ljubljana.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n sociologist, writer and academic.
He was born in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Slovenia (then part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
) to a prominent upper middle class family. His father, Josip, was a left-liberal political activist, prominent leader of the Sokol
Sokol
The Sokol movement is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Czech region of Austria-Hungary, Prague, in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner...
movement in the Drava Banovina
Drava Banovina
The Drava Banovina or Drava Banate was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1929 and 1941. This province consisted of most of present-day Slovenia and was named for the Drava River...
, and one of the founding members of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
On 26 April 1941 in Ljubljana the Anti-Imperialist Front was established. It was to promote "an international massive movement" to "liberate the Slovenian nation" whose "hope and example was the Soviet Union"...
. After finishing high school in Ljubljana, he enrolled the University of Belgrade
University of Belgrade
The University of Belgrade is the oldest and largest university of Serbia.Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-based departments into a single university...
Faculty of Philosophy
University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy
The University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Serbia, founded in the early 19th century within the Belgrade Higher School...
. He obtained a PhD in sociology at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
with a thesis on Power and Responsibility in Working Processes.
In the late 1950s, he was part of the so-called "critical generation", a group of young Slovenian intellectuals who followed a critical attitude towards the Communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
system in the former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
, challenging the cultural policies of the Titoist regime. He wrote in alternative journals Revija 57 and Perspektive.
He was visiting fellow at several western universities, including Poitiers
University of Poitiers
The University of Poitiers is a university in Poitiers, France. It is a member of the Coimbra Group.-History:Founded in 1431 by Pope Eugene IV and chartered by King Charles VII, the University of Poitiers was originally composed of five faculties: theology, canon law, civil law, medicine, and...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(1957/58), Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
(1968/69), and Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. In 1958, he started working as an assistant professor at Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
; in 1960, he was removed from universeity together with Taras Kermauner
Taras Kermauner
Taras Kermauner was a Slovenian literary historian, critic, philosopher, essayist, playwright and translator.- Life :...
because their friendly relations with the dissident Jože Pučnik
Jože Pucnik
Jože Pučnik was a Slovenian public intellectual, sociologist and politician. During the Communist regime of Josip Broz Tito, Pučnik was one of the most outspoken Slovenian critics of dictatorship and lack of civil liberties in former Yugoslavia. He was imprisoned for a total of 7 years, and later...
He then worked as a professor at the School of Organizational Sciences in Kranj
Kranj
' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana...
, and at the Faculty of Sociology, Political Science and Journalism in Ljubljana (later renamed to Faculty of Social Sciences).
In the early 1970s, after the removal of the Reformist Communist leadership of Stane Kavčič, Rus was again dismissed from the University. He worked at the Institute for Sociology and Philosophy until the early 1990s, when he was readmitted at the Faculty for Social Sciences.
He has been a visiting professor at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the University of Uppsala, the University of Stockholm, the
University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
and the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
. Since 1995, he has been member of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Slovenia, which encompasses science and the arts and brings together the top Slovene researchers and artists as members of the academy....
. He resides in Ljubljana.
Work
Rus has authored 31 monographs and more than 190 scientific articles. Among his most important works are:- Man, Work, and Structures (Človek, delo in strukture, 1970)
- Work and Power, his first major monograph in English, an enquiry in the sociology of work
- Welfare State and Welfare Society (Socialna država in družba blaginje, 1990), an anticipation of the problem of welfare policies in post-socialist societies
- Ownership and Participation (1992), a study on the sociological problems of economic privatization
- The Enterprisation and Socialization of the State' (Podjetizacija in socializacija države, 2001), a critical evaluation of the modernization of power structures brought by the new social management