Social Change and Education Flashcards
1
Q
How did the total Russian population and the population living in towns change?
A
- In 1858, there was a total population of 78 million and by 1960 there was a population of 212 million.
- In 1858, 6% of the population lived in towns, whereas by 1960, 49% lived in towns.
2
Q
Why does official census data need to be handled with caution?
A
- Due to the inconsistent methods used in collecting data.
3
Q
What period experienced the most population growth?
A
- From 1870 to 1914 and during the inter-war period.
- This was due to rising birth rates stimulated by industrialisation (Witte’s Great Spurt and the Five Year Plans.)
- Industrial work gave the prospect of more regular employment and therefore higher levels of income. Therefore there was a tendency for people to marry earlier and have more children, as it was affordable.
4
Q
How did industrialisation lead to urbanisation?
A
- Increasing numbers of people moved to St Petersburg and Moscow in search of work, which had serious implications on the availability of housing.
5
Q
What were the three main government policies which affected demographics the most?
A
- 1861 Emancipation Edict - This gave peasants freedom to marry anyone they wanted. However civil marriage between peasants was not introduced until 1917.
- 1944 Distinctions to Mother Heroin’s scheme was introduced whereby women who had more than 10 children were awarded financial rewards.
- 1926 Abortion was legalised. This led to a fall in the birth rates, however the law was later changed which led to the birth rate rising again.
6
Q
What was the structure of Russian society from 1855 to 1917?
A
- The Tsar and Nobility accounted for around 2% of the population.
- The Clergy and the Middle Class were composed from Christian Priests, non noble bureaucrats and honoured citizens.
- The Lower Class consisted mainly of peasants(80% of the population at the start of WW1). Different categories of peasant include; Cossacks, settlers, foreigners, others, and peasants living in towns.
7
Q
What percentage of the population were peasants by the time of WW1?
A
- Around 80% were still dependant on agriculture, which meant that the Russian economy was still underdeveloped and backwards; the other European powers had a larger proportion of their population engaged in industrial activity.
8
Q
Did the Middle Class propose a threat to the upper nobility?
A
- Although small and undivided(between the professional and commercial classes), this group proposed an increasing threat to the power of the upper nobility and aristocracy.
9
Q
How was the Social Structure of Russia different under Communist Rule?
A
- Under the communists, by definition, there was no class based society. The reality was different.
- Communism was characterised by a hierarchical bureaucracy led by a small elite.
- Even among workers there were status rankings eg - some were considered technical experts and were often given privileges.
10
Q
How were the Tsars and Communists similar in implementation of education?
A
- Both attempted to expand the provision of education at all levels.
- Throughout the period, schooling was available at primary and secondary school, however it was not until Khrushchev when secondary education was free.
11
Q
What was primary education like before Alexander II?
A
- Before 1864, provision of schools was through wealthy individuals of the church.
- Parents paid fees for their children to attend the curriculum centred around the 3 R’s; reading, writing and arithmetic.
- Pupil attendance was erratic and literacy skills were poor.
12
Q
How did Alexander II reform primary education? What impact did this have?
A
- He placed the responsibility for the administration and expansion of elementary education with school boards, which in turn were run by the Zemstva.
- There was an increase in the number of available school places, especially in more isolated places.
- Quantity and variety of provision also improved.
13
Q
What was the drawback of Alexander II’s reform?
A
- The composition of school boards was dominated by the clergy, nobility and government officials, thus creating concern over what kind of education would be provided and if it would be available to the poor.
- Also there was something of a dual system as the church still provided some schools.
14
Q
What changed primary education in 1870?
A
- Some of the Zemstvo’s authority was taken away by the minister of education, Dmitri Tolstoy. By 1877, the ministry had almost total control over what the Zemstvo could do.
15
Q
What did Nicholas II do to change primary education?
A
- The first Duma announced a plan for ‘universal primary education’ to be achieved by 1922(although WW1 and the 1917 revolutions put a stop to the plan).
- Nevertheless, expansion in the number of schools and pupils attended continued.
