Man, State, and Society in the Soviet Union

Man, State, and Society in the Soviet Union PDF Author: Joseph L. Nogee
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 616

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Man, State, and Society in the Soviet Union

Man, State, and Society in the Soviet Union PDF Author: Joseph L. Nogee
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 616

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Book Description


How the Soviet Man Was Unmade

How the Soviet Man Was Unmade PDF Author: Lilya Kaganovsky
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Pre
ISBN: 9780822973430
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
In Stalinist Russia, the idealized Soviet man projected an image of strength, virility, and unyielding drive in his desire to build a powerful socialist state. In monuments, posters, and other tools of cultural production, he became the demigod of Communist ideology. But beneath the surface of this fantasy, between the lines of texts and in film, lurked another figure: the wounded body of the heroic invalid, the second version of Stalin's New Man. In How the Soviet Man Was Unmade, Lilya Kaganovsky exposes the paradox behind the myth of the indestructible Stalinist-era male. In her analysis of social-realist literature and cinema, she examines the recurring theme of the mutilated male body, which appears with startling frequency. Kaganovsky views this representation as a thinly veiled statement about the emasculated male condition during the Stalinist era. Because the communist state was "full of heroes," a man could only truly distinguish himself and attain hero status through bodily sacrifice-yet in his wounding, he was forever reminded that he would be limited in what he could achieve, and was expected to remain in a state of continued subservience to Stalin and the party.Kaganovsky provides an insightful reevaluation of classic works of the period, including the novels of Nikolai Ostrovskii (How Steel Was Tempered) and Boris Polevoi (A Story About a Real Man), and films such as Ivan Pyr'ev's The Party Card, Eduard Pentslin's The Fighter Pilots, and Mikhail Chiaureli's The Fall of Berlin, among others. The symbolism of wounding and dismemberment in these works acts as a fissure in the facade of Stalinist cultural production through which we can view the consequences of historic and political trauma.

A Short History of Soviet Society

A Short History of Soviet Society PDF Author: V. Lelchuk
Publisher: University Press of the Pacific
ISBN: 9780898757613
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 452

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Book Description
When originally published in the Soviet Union in 1971, the publishers advertising read: In October 1917 the working people of Russia, guided by Lenin, accomplished a socialist revolution. The peoples of economically backward Russia where, before the revolution, all power had belonged to the tsar, the bourgeoisie and the landowners, and where the downtrodden and illiterate peasants constituted the bulk of the population, overthrew the power of the oppressors and started building their own state - the Soviet Union. Over fifty years have passed since then. In this short period the Soviet Union has become a powerful socialist country with an up-to-date industry and conquests in outer space to its credit; it has become a country that knows no class antagonisms, no exploitation of man, racial hatred or social inequality. This book abounds in facts, names and figures. But it is not intended as a textbook or reference book. It is a narrative about the Soviet people, their life, work and struggles, a narrative about the people who carried out the revolution and built a socialist society, who upheld their freedom and independence in the Second World War and are now building communism confident in their ultimate success.

Soviet State and Society Between Revolutions, 1918-1929

Soviet State and Society Between Revolutions, 1918-1929 PDF Author: Lewis H. Siegelbaum
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521369879
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 302

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Book Description
The evolution of the ruling Communist Party and its New Economic Policy is explored in the first book to analyze the relationship between the Soviet state and society from 1917 through the early 1930s through the changing fortunes of its peoples.

The Politics of Developed Socialism

The Politics of Developed Socialism PDF Author: Donald Kelley
Publisher: Praeger
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 232

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Book Description
In his new study, Kelley looks at the emergence of what Soviet theorists call a developed socialist society and at the recent political, economic, and social developments, up to and including those of the early days of the Gorbachev administration, that are contributing to this newest adaptation of Marxism-Leninism. His central premise is that the Soviet leadership, having arrived at a turning point created by the impact of the scientific and technological revolution, has recognized the inability of existing policies and institutions to meet the needs of a rapidly maturing system. Kelley finds that, both as a theoretical stage in the evolution toward communism and as a reflection of changes in Soviet society, the concept of developed socialism presents a picture of political and social modernization that is in many ways the counterpart of the Western theory of post-industrial society. He also notes a new, seemingly more flexible Soviet approach to ideology as such. The Soviets, he observes, look upon the theory of developed socialism itself as being in an evolving state, treating it as an open-ended model of future economic and social transformation whose outlines are only gradually becoming discernable.

The Soviet System

The Soviet System PDF Author: George Fischer
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 9781138538733
Category : Civilization, Modern
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Many things make up a modern society: its history, culture, natural setting, wealth, classes, and peoples. For some, the power structure, the political system, lies at the heart of the social order. Russia has long been a "political society" and its future may also be decided in large part by the power structure. A good way to understand Russia and other modern societies is to examine the ties between the "Soviet system" and the rest of the country's life. George Fischer argues that it is these ties that explain much about the consequences of a communist state. The Soviet System, originally published in 1968, presents a provocative challenge to prevailing theories of modernization throughout the world. In this book Fischer takes issue with current assumptions that societies developing an advanced, fully modern economy and culture must inevitably adopt Western-type social and political institutions. The author holds that our understanding of contemporary nations is impeded by assessing them in terms of the prevailing American theory of "pluralism." The notion that a "pluralist" division of labor pervades all of modern society is challenged and tested in the context of the former Soviet Union as a modern society. The emergence of the dual executive, a leader with a special mixture of political and economic know-how, is emphasized as a trend toward a "monist" model of society. Fischer demonstrates how this model, in which all power is public and both industry and culture remain part of a non-capitalist, non-liberal state structure, can prove useful in studying social change today. The result is a book of value to all scholars and students dealing with the social and political systems of both developing and advanced societies�long after the Soviet system of rule dissolved.

The Russians

The Russians PDF Author: Hedrick Smith
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780722179529
Category : Soviet Union
Languages : en
Pages : 639

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A Normal Totalitarian Society

A Normal Totalitarian Society PDF Author: Vladimir Shlapentokh
Publisher: M.E. Sharpe
ISBN: 9781563244728
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 362

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Book Description
This study analyzes the ordinary functioning of the Soviet system from Stalin's death through the Soviet collapse and Russia's first post-Soviet decade. Without overlooking the USSR's repressive character, the author treats it as a "normal" system that employed socialist and nationalist ideologies.

Soviet Union

Soviet Union PDF Author: Raymond E. Zickel
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Russia
Languages : en
Pages : 1182

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Quality Of Life In The Soviet Union

Quality Of Life In The Soviet Union PDF Author: Horst Herlemann
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000308812
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 175

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Book Description
"Quality of life" is a difficult concept to define, and particularly so when referring to the Soviet Union because Westerners have many preconceptions about Soviet living conditions. This volume goes a long way toward illuminating the realities of daily Soviet life and stands as an important contribution to our understanding of the Soviet Union. Contributors focus primarily on the relation of quality of life to living conditions but also discuss the quality and availability of state-provided services such as education, health care, and housing. Of special interest is their coverage of problems in Soviet society, including working conditions in factories, living conditions in rural areas, alcohol abuse, and the status of the elderly. Together these essays show that although the Soviet government has made great strides in improving the living conditions of its citizens, Soviet living standards and services are relatively poor by Western standards and several important social problems continue to burden the Soviet people.