Recent Social Trends in Russia 1960-1995

Book excerpt: The newest volume in the Comparative Charting of Social Change Series, which documents patterns of social change in modernized societies, Recent Social Trends in Russia is a collection of statistical and sociological data on trends in Russian society that have never before been assembled in a comprehensive and systematic manner. It presents an extensive analysis of the major social transformations that took place in Russia both before and after the fall of the Communist system and dispels many illusions about Russian society in the twentieth century. Recent Social Trends in Russia reveals remarkable similarities between emerging trends in Russia and in Western countries during the last thirty-five years. Russian society shows a strong tendency toward modernization, although the speed of change is sometimes slower than in Western industrialized countries. Similar to Western societies, Russia's population is aging, unemployment prevails among the young, and a new class of young professionals is emerging. The institution of marriage is losing its significance, emotional disorders and consumption of mood-altering substances are increasing, and religious beliefs and habits are becoming more diversified. Political upheavals over the last ten or twelve years and the collapse of Communism have not had much effect on the social landscape in Russia. There has, however, been an increase in the influence of Western culture and a violent backlash in fields that underwent forceful modernization. The findings suggest that Russian and Western societies are more similar than one would imagine and contradict the popular conception that Communist Russia fell out of world history for seventy years.