This book presents a unique analysis of modern Russian provincial society. Based on detailed empirical evidence, it develops a theoretical model of Russian provincial society in the late 20th century and the early 21st century. The book explains how under the conditions of catastrophic changes, Russian provincial societies have undergone a structural transformation. It further sheds light on the transformation of the economic behavior of the population and households with regard to economic practices, crafts, and revived archaic forms of labor behavior.
Summarizing the extensive empirical evidence, the book puts forward the concept of complementarity of two social structures at the local level: a ground soft communal structure and a tightening with an iron hoop estate state structure. Next, it discusses the stability and resistance of the local social structure to external political disturbances. Based on the presented analysis, the book introduces several independent criteria on the basis of which it establishes the typology of all empirically observed forms of societies. Subsequently, the book identifies six main types of Russian provincial societies. It explains how depending on the type, the different societies either adapt to political and economic changes in different ways, stay unchanged or transform their structure.
The book will appeal to students, scholars, and researchers of economics, political science, sociology, and anthropology, interested in a better understanding of transformation studies, population and household economics, provincial societies, as well as Russian societal structures.
Author(s): Juri Plusnin
Series: Societies and Political Orders in Transition
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 373
Acknowledgments
Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Provincial Societies: Definitions and Conceptual Framework
2.1 Provincial Society
2.2 Local Society
2.2.1 Objectiveness: Community Sizes and Boundaries
2.2.1.1 Population Size
2.2.1.2 Territorial Boundaries and Density
2.2.2 Composition: Local Society and Communities, Provincial Town, and Its Rural District
2.2.3 Social Relations: Basic Institutions
2.2.4 Local Society: Definition
2.3 Conceptual Framework: Basic Hypotheses of Empirical Research
2.3.1 Complementarity of Social Structures
2.3.2 Territorial Structure
2.3.3 Triaxial Binary Opposition Structure
2.4 Summary
References
Chapter 3: Methodology
3.1 Methodology and Methods
3.1.1 Qualitative Methodology
3.1.2 Methods
3.1.2.1 Direct Observation
3.1.2.2 Interviews
3.2 Empirical Data
Appendix
References
Chapter 4: Typology
4.1 Geographical and Environmental Differences
4.2 Typology Principles
4.3 Age of the Community
4.4 Spatial Isolation
4.5 Natural or Coercive Manner of the Emergence and Development of the Community
4.6 Layout of the Administrative Center
4.6.1 Layout Types
4.6.2 Association Between the Center´s Layout and the Types of Communities Identified According to the Three Other Criteria
4.7 The Ambiguity of Typology Based on Several Principles
References
Chapter 5: Local Territorial Organization
5.1 Territorial Structure
5.2 Principles of a Local Community´s Spatial Organization
5.2.1 The Principle of the Structural Hierarchy of the Local Territory
5.2.2 Principle of the Temporal ``Wavelike´´ Organization of the Local Territory
5.2.3 Territorial Stability of the Population
5.3 Neighborhood and Connectedness: Grounds for the Typology of Territorial Structures
5.4 Features of the Territorial Structure of Communities with Different Levels of Spatial Isolation
5.4.1 Isolated Communities
5.4.2 ``Ordinary´´ and ``Turbulent´´ Communities
5.4.3 Dissimilarities in the Territorial Structure of Communities with Different Levels of Spatial Isolation
5.5 Features of the Territorial Structure of Coercively and Naturally Developed Communities
5.5.1 ``Coercively´´ Developed Communities
5.5.2 Naturally Developed Communities
5.5.3 Dissimilarities in the Territorial Structure of Coercively and Naturally Developed Communities
5.6 Types of Local Territories
5.6.1 The Territorial Structure of ``Isolated Natural´´ Communities
5.6.2 The Territorial Structure of ``Isolated Coercive´´ Communities
5.6.3 The Territorial Structure of ``Turbulent Natural´´ Communities
5.6.4 The Territorial Structure of ``Turbulent Coercive´´ Communities
5.6.5 The Territorial Structure of ``Ordinary Natural´´ Communities
5.6.6 The Territorial Structure of ``Ordinary Coercive´´ Communities
5.7 Significant Dissimilarities in the Structure of Different Types of Territories
References
Chapter 6: Local Economy
6.1 The Local Economy and Crafts: Two Types of Provincial Economy
6.2 The ``Visible´´ Local Economy
6.2.1 The Public Sector
6.2.2 Material Production
6.2.3 Services
6.2.4 Small Business
6.3 ``Garage Economy´´ and Shadow Self-Employment
6.4 Conclusion: Uniformity of the Formal Economy
References
Chapter 7: Archaic Economy: Wandering Workers and Scattered Manufactories
7.1 Otkhodnichestvo: Internal Circular Labor Migration
7.1.1 Otkhodnichestvo in Imperial Russia
7.1.2 A Brief History of Otkhodnichestvo in the Soviet Period
7.1.3 Two Stages in the Evolution of Contemporary Otkhodnichestvo
7.1.4 The Composition of Contemporary Otkhodniks
7.1.5 Typical Features of the Contemporary Otkhodnik
7.1.6 The Importance of Contemporary Otkhodnichestvo as a New Economic and Political Factor
7.2 ``Scattered Manufactories´´
7.2.1 History of the ``Scattered Manufactory´´
7.2.2 Features of Classical and Modern ``Scattered´´ Manufactories
7.2.3 Specific Operation Arrangements of Four ``Scattered Manufactories´´ of Uryupinsk/Novokhopyosk, Labinsk, Kimry, and Rosto...
7.2.3.1 Raw Materials and Primary Processing
7.2.3.2 Production of Workpieces: The Simplest and Most Labor-Intensive Stages of Manufacturing
7.2.3.3 Manufacturing Stages that Require High Proficiency and Unique Professionals
7.2.3.4 Sales, Retail and Wholesale Trade of Scattered Manufactories
7.2.3.5 Participation of the Population
7.2.4 Common Features of Modern ``Scattered Manufactories´´
7.2.4.1 Traditional Production
7.2.4.2 Unique Resources/Practices
7.2.4.3 Simplicity and Labor Intensity of Individual Production Operations
7.2.4.4 Combination of Simple and Complex Operations
7.2.4.5 Co-Operation of Autonomous Laborers
7.2.4.6 Widespread Market and Long-Distance Trading
7.2.5 The Concept of Craft and Technological Uniqueness
7.3 Summary. Likely Reasons for the Renewal of Archaic Economic Institutions
References
Chapter 8: Crafts
8.1 Household Crafts: Types of Attracted Resources and Practices Duration
8.1.1 ``Resource´´ as a Criterion for Classifying Crafts and Trades
8.1.2 Diversity of Household Crafts
8.1.3 Archaic and Modern Crafts
8.1.4 Crafts and Trades in Different Local Societies
8.1.5 Trades and Crafts in Selected Settlements
8.1.6 The ``Commercial Evolution´´ Model
8.2 Types of Communities and Kinds of Crafts
8.2.1 Isolated Communities of Natural Development
8.2.2 Isolated Communities of Coercive Development
8.2.3 ``Ordinary´´ Communities of Natural Development and ``Ordinary´´ Communities of Coercive Development
8.2.4 Turbulent Communities of Natural Development
8.2.5 Turbulent Communities of Coercive Development
8.3 Summary: Community Types and Features of the Economy
Appendices
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
References
Chapter 9: Kinship and Neighborship
9.1 ``Us´´ and ``Them´´ in the Provincial Society
9.1.1 ``One of Us´´ Attributes
9.1.2 ``One of Them´´ Attributes
9.2 Family Ties and Neighborhood Relations
9.2.1 Analytical Assessment of Family Ties: Genealogical and Surname Analysis Findings
9.2.2 Analytical Assessment of Neighborly Relations: Residents and Migrants
9.3 A Two-Component Model of the ``Us´´/``Them´´ Structure
9.4 ``Us´´ and ``Them´´ in Isolated Communities
9.4.1 Different Ethno-Religious Substrate
9.4.2 Homogeneous Non-Russian Substrate
9.4.3 Homogeneous Russian Substrate
9.4.4 The Main Features of ``Us´´/``Them´´ Structure in Isolated Communities
9.5 ``Us´´ and ``Them´´ in ``Turbulent´´ and ``Ordinary´´ Communities
9.5.1 The Composition and Structure of ``Us´´
9.5.2 The Composition and Structure of ``Them´´
9.6 Summary. ``Agglomerated´´ and/or ``Layered´´ Structure of the ``Us-Them´´ in Different Types of Communities
References
Chapter 10: Status and Authority
10.1 Personal Status in Provincial Society and Its Criteria
10.1.1 Influence
10.1.2 Clan
10.1.3 Power
10.1.4 Income
10.2 Provincial Authority and Its Types
10.2.1 Municipalities with True Local Self-Government
10.2.2 Landlord Municipalities
10.2.3 ``Soviet-Type´´ Municipalities
10.2.4 ``Politicized´´ Municipalities
10.3 Summary. The Configuration of Status and Authority in Different Types of Local Societies
References
Chapter 11: Conclusion
