Social Reform Of The USSR Flashcards
Priority 1918- 21
- winning the civil war
- social benefits secondary of importance
1921-28 priorities:
- economic development and social peace
- saw promotion of social benefits
1928-41 priotirtes
- economic development
- social benefits limited
- to ensure enough resources for industrial growth
1941-45 priorities
- winning WWII
- social benefits are secondary of importance
1945-53 priorities
- economic reconstruction (after WWII)
- social benefits were secondary of importance
1954-64
- reforming socialism to ensure that it guaranteed a good life for all
- all social benefits became central to the system
1964-85
- ensuring social stability
- Social benefits used to secure peace among the citizens
- catch up with the west
What were social reforms supported by?
- propaganda
- showing happy citizens with recent development
- showing modern and civilised society
Family under Lenin:
- Radical family policies suggested by Kollantai to encourage socialism - family unit seen as bourgeoise
- communal living and free love suggested (abandoned by mid-20s)
- Lenin recognised abuses in traditional marriages
- 1917/18 Abortion made legal/contraception
- Women considered equal to men under the new constitution
Family under Stalin:
Traditional views reinstates: The Great Retreat 36-53 (for war)
- aimed to increase birth rate for industrialisation/cut divorces - family = key to stability
- abortion criminalised/contraception banned
- 1930s offered money to have big families - 2000 roubles for 5 kids = PRONATALISM
- homosexuality criminalised 5 years labour/lesbianism as a disease - conversion measures
- premarital sex stigmatised
- divorce expensive, got more expensive after 1st
- BUT child support = 1/3 of pay
Family under Khrushchev:
Liberation of women on traditional assumptions: - family still key to social security
- abortion legalised 1955
- 1956 = longer maternity leave
- 6th 5YP -crèches and laundries expanded
- 7th 5YP- convenience foods and mass produce clothing to end double shift
- fridges made available (no need for daily shopping)
BUT:
- contraception hard to acquire
- crèches open for short hours - cant work full day
- lack of domestic appliances and didn’t work great
Family under Brezhnev:
- 1965 - divorces liberalised - 79 = 1/3 in divorce
- wanted to increase birth rate
- 1968 - illegal to divorce a pregnant lady
- prenatal campaigns emphasised natural differences in the sexes
- criticised women who neglected children by working (persisted to the 1980s - working women responsible for delinquency, alcoholism, drug taking and crime)
Social benefits under Lenin:
- 1918 - legal abortion
Under war communism:
- work cards gave those in work food/fuel rations by Prodraspred
- housing and transport free for workers
- laundries and crèches
- (however rations too little - malnourishment)
NEP:
- 1920s develop social benefit system:
- social insurance = maternity, medical, disability, unemployment
- invest in education for working families
- all provided by trade unions - 9 million urban workers covered
BUT PEASANTS HAVE NO ACCESS
Employment under Lenin:
Believed all able bodied men should work:
- between 16-50 all must work or fight:
- 1918 - labour exchanges set up
- 18-21 = conscription to the workplace under war communism
Under war communism:
- work cards gave those in work food/fuel rations by Prodraspred
- housing and transport free for workers
- laundries and crèches
- (however rations too little - malnourishment)
NEP:
- return of soldiers push women and others out of jobs - 18% unemployed
- 1920s develop social benefit system:
- social insurance = maternity, medical, disability, unemployment
- invest in education for working families
- all provided by trade unions - 9 million urban workers covered
BUT PEASANTS HAVE NO ACCESS
Good aspects of Work and social benefits under Stalin:
- full employment - 5YPs increased labour force
- 1930 = full employment
- social benefits include rations
- transport access - metro and 300,000 km of train
- 1941-5 female conscription into families
- two weeks holiday paid
- 1947 = typhus and malaria vaccines available
- sick pay organised by the unions