Culture and society Flashcards
church; women, young people and working men; urban and rural differences; 'socialist man' and the impact of cultural change; similarities and differences between Lenin's and Stalin's USSR
How did Lenin deal with the church
freedom of religious worship was allowed
power of church was reduced - lands seized, births marriages deaths and schools secularised
priests persecuted
what happened to religious teaching under Stalin
religious schools were closed down
teaching of religious creed was forbidden
who was religious worship restricted to
registered congregations
how did the attack on religion impact the working week
workers employed for 6 of the 7 days of the week with 1/6 of the workers having each day off
no specific day of rest for everyone
what did the Stalin constitution do for religion
criminalised the publication or organisation of religious propaganda
priests regained the right to vote which they had lost in 1918
how many priests were arrested or shot in the purges
around 168,000
How were Muslim people impacted
pilgrimages to Mecca forbidden 1935
frequency of prayers fasts and feasts reduced
How may churches and mosques had been shut down by 1941
40,000 Christian churches
25,000 Muslim mosques
Was the attack on religion successful
not really
1937 census over half a million citizens described themselves as religious believers
the number is likely much larger as people would have been scared to admit they were religious
Why did Stalin revert to more traditional policies around women
1930s fall in population growth
disruption caused by family break ups
fear of war
how did Stalin emphasise the importance of marriage
introduced wedding rings and issued new style wedding certificates
when was the family code made law
June 1936
what did the family code do
made abortion illegal
made it more difficult to get a divorce - large fees, attendance of both parties
contraception banned
child support payment for fathers fixed at 60%
How was female employment impacted
women were encouraged to give up employment after they for married
single and divorced women were more likely to be left unemployed so the number of prostitutes rose
what was the divorce rate in Moscow
37% in 1934
why did Stalin need to change Lenin’s school system
it was failing to produce the skilled workers, scientists and technicians the country needed
what organisation did the centralised control of education come under
Narkompros
what did Narkompros do
provided nursery to secondary school
parents expected to contribute towards the cost of secondary schooling
established many adult institutions
what was the quota system and why was it abolished in 1935
high proportion of working class children were given places in secondary schools
abandoned so selection reappeared for all so the able received strong academic education
what courses were emphasised in education and why
courses such as maths science and technology
emphasis of the higher training of specialists who could hep in the industrial drive
How were teachers impacted
given a higher status and were likely to be party members
closely watched and could be arrested if they failed to live up to the high standards
encouraged to set high standards for themselves and their students under the stakhanovite system
if students failed to do well teachers could be blamed and purged
how much did the literacy rate increase
before the revolution literacy was around 65%
by 1941 94% in towns and cities and 86% in the countryside
what were the main two youth organisations
Komsomol and the Young pioneers
How did Komsomol teach communist values
discouraged smoking drinking and religion
volunteer social work, sports, political and drama clubs encouraged to inspire socialist values
when did Komsomol become directly affiliated with the party
1939
what did komsomol members have to do
take an oath to live, study and fight for the fatherland
How did Komsomol help the party
helped carry out campaign
assisted the red army and police
many joined activist groups who helped in projects such as the building of magnitogorsk
How did Komsomol and the young pioneers help social and educational advancement
the uniforms singled out the young people who were involved and helped to ensure they were favoured within the soviet system
How did skilled workers benefit from stalinism
wage differential from 1931
stakhanovite system meant determined workers could do well
acute skills shortage in the 1930s meant those who could acquire expertise could raise their living standards
why did many unskilled workers move jobs often
many were former peasants who faced harsh conditions and were not used to the strict labour discipline so they would move around to not acquire a bad working record
how were living conditions
tough
overcrowding
strained family life
very little if any privacy
petty crime very common
how did life in the countryside improve
compulsory schooling
access to machinery like tractors made farming less intensive
villages had schools and clinics for the first time
How did countryside traditions change
basic certainties of rural life such as friendship, religion and tradition were questions
the regime and the terror induced lack of trust so traditions of openness and cooperation were strained
Why did conditions for workers improve from 1935
it became legal for some small trades to operate privately
e.g. shoe repair, hairdressing and plumbing
rationing system ended
how did workers benefit from their jobs
had regulated hours and wages and could benefit from workplace canteens and shops
how did party members benefit
had the right to more substantial and private accommodation
How did the famine impact towns and cities
many peasants fled to towns and cities
the rationing system (in place till 1935) often broke down from too many people
shortages of housing
how were apartments impacted by the terror
they were supervised by concierges whose task was partly to spy on individuals
how were basic necessities impacted by Stalinism
many cities were without sewage, street lighting and public transport
water was rationed
what were the levels of food consumption
1933 overall food consumption was lower than in 1900
meat consumption was 1/3 of 1928
what was the socialist man
a new type of citizen the regime wanted to create who was dedicated to the party and lived and worked for the community
well educated and intelligent but not an independent thinker - would willingly accept what the state said
How did the creation of the socialist man impact industrial complexes
they were influenced by the concept
environment where community took precedence over the individuals and behaviour was held up to the scrutiny of neighbours
how was komsomol impacted by socialist man
members were very enthusiastic about the mould of culture to the creation of the socialist man
led attacks on bourgeois values
criticised and sometimes burned or vandalised non-socialist books or artworks
helped to spread proletarian culture by participating in the shock brigade used in collectivisation and industrialisation
how were celebrations used to create the socialist man
events such as Stalin’s birthday were celebrated with processions and festivals glorifying the triumphs of socialism
impact of Stalinism on the arts
artistic brigades were organised that urged other to fight for socialist realism
many artists and writers were sent to work on industrial or agricultural sites either as punishment or a way to ensure socialist values
