Russia Topic 4 Society

Question 1

What type of change to status happen throughout soviet society

Answer 1

the status of women changed throughout the soviet society, Government policy went through a series of phases. some of these changes liberated women while others did the opposite. All of which these changes can be scene through propaganda and changing legal rights

Question 2

what were women like in government propaganda

Answer 2

women featured in government iconography, the change on view of women can be seen through film, pictures, photographs and statues

Question 3

in what date and where did women tend to play a supporting role

Answer 3

in 1917-40 women tended to play a supporting role in art

Question 4

example of women statue

Answer 4

during stalin time one of the most famous status was called the “Worker and Kolkhoz woman” (1937) made, it was 25 meters high made of stainless steel which comprised of two figures, a male factory worker holding a hammer and female collective farm worker holding a sickle.

Question 5

what did Soviet propaganda posters of this period often contain

Answer 5

male industrial worker and a female peasant representing the nation. Distinction between the two different types of worker emphasised the difference in role between women and men.

Question 6

what did According to Lenin, industrial workers and peasant both played an important role in

Answer 6

the overthrowal of capitalism. However, industrial workers played the leading and decisive role, whereas peasants were only supporting roles. Therefore, by depicting men as industrial workers and women as peasants gave people the impression that men are the leading role in society.

Question 7

what changed during civil war propaganda

Answer 7

posters were dominated by male soldiers. And during the first FYP, male workers were the focus of posters. Women in posters of this period tended to be either mothers or children. Indicated that women were expected to be maternal figures rather than fighters or workers.

Question 8

what did Soviet Propaganda ridicule

Answer 8

women and femininity. Sergei Eisenstein’s film “October” in 1928, mocked female soldiers who fought against the Bolsheviks in the October Revolution. Contrasted the masculine and decisive Bolsheviks with their effeminate, dithering political opponents. Broadly, women who feature in Soviet art and propaganda from 1917-40 play similar roles in Russian religious art prior to the revolution, which also represents women as supportive mother figures or weaker than men.

Question 9

when did Women feature heavily in Soviet Propaganda

Answer 9

during the Second World War and the Cold War.

Question 10

what was one famous poster representing women, and what was still the problem with it

Answer 10

The poster, the motherland is calling, presented a woman as the symbol of the Russian Nation and celebrated the vital work of women during the war.
Still presented women as vulnerable and in need of male protection.

Question 11

what were women represented as after the war

Answer 11

After the war, heroic women were presented as symbols of the absolute sexual equality that the Soviet leaders claimed had been achieved following the revolution.
Devushkivoiny (girl-warriors) and Frontovishki, women who served on the front line, were a feature of top level speeches, such as Khrushchev’s Secret Speech and of Soviet War films all through till the 1980’s.

Question 12

what even happened in 1963 which helped equality between women and men in work

Answer 12

In 1963, Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space and the Soviet hero.
Educated through Soviet curriculum, she became an engineer and the first female cosmonaut.

Question 13

what was Valentina Tereshkova regarded as

Answer 13

She was less than “Yuri Gagarin in a skirt” claims the head of the Soviet Space Programme.

Question 14

under brehznev what direction did soviet propaganda take

Answer 14

Soviet propaganda took a direction of a traditional view of women,
Propaganda emphasised that a true Soviet woman should be an exemplary worker and caring wife and mother.

Question 15

what more happened to the tone of the status of women in propaganda in the 70’s

Answer 15

The tone of propaganda became even more conservative in the 70’s.
Falling birth rates led to a campaign encouraging women to have babies.

Question 16

what did brezhnevs prenatal campaign emphasize

Answer 16

natural difference between the genders.
Stressed the women’s abilities to nurture and “natural” need for a strong man.
By the late 1970’s, the prenatalist message was coupled with criticism of women who neglected their children by going to work.
Brezhnev’s campaigns, working women were responsible for juvenile, delinquency, rising crime and family breakups.
Campaign reaffirmed by the last three Soviet leaders.

Question 17

in conclusion did propaganda show consitentcy on the views of women

Answer 17

no Soviet Propaganda did not show consistency on the views of women, it did reflect the shifting of government policy regarding women’s roles.

It did however, reflect the concerns of the male-dominated leadership of the Soviet Union, who were suspicious of women and were therefore dedicated to keep female liberation within narrow bounds.

Question 18

who became a key feature for Soviet Society in the 1930’s.

Answer 18

working women

Question 19

what was the Zhenotdel

Answer 19

the women’s department of the Communist Party during the Civil War, who recruited women from towns to fill jobs in nursing and food distribution.

Question 20

who was the head of the Zhenotdel and what did she believe

Answer 20

believed that this reflected a natural division of labour whereby women should lead the way in nurturing roles and men should fight and rebuild industry once the war had finished.

Question 21

Under the NEP, what were women’s opportunities in factories like

Answer 21

women’s opportunities in factories were limited.
NEP led to widespread unemployment, Female prostitution was widespread, legal way of making money.
During the 1920’s, it is estimated that 39% of men used prostitutes, therefore a large market.
Women joined the industrial labour force in large numbers due to the demands of the FYP.
In 1928, the last year of the NEP, only 3 million women worked in Soviet industry.
By 1940 that figure leapt to 13 million.
By 1940, 41% of workers in heavy industry were women.

Question 22

what did Soviet authorities recognise

Answer 22

the importance of women in industry and therefore were allocated in an increasing number of places in higher or technical education to women:
From 20% in 1929, to 40% in 1940.

Question 23

though what inequality were shown in the industrial workplace

Answer 23

Still significant pay differentials.
Women doing the same jobs as men were only paid around 60% of men’s wages.
Inequalities.
Women were subjected to verbal and physical abuse in factories.
Men refused to work on teams with women.
Women brought bad luck.
Women’s participation in the FYP, laid the foundation for greater participation in the Second World War.

Question 24

after the new war what developed for women

Answer 24

trends developed in terms of women working in the cities.
During the 60’s, around 45% of industrial jobs went to women.
Women tended to be restricted to:
Production line in light industry, intensive but low levels of skill, like textile industry.
Heavy manual labour, low skilled.
Change from the period of 1928-41.
Under Stalin, women tended to do all kinds of factory work but paid less.

Question 25

what disadvantages did women face during work in stalin time

Answer 25

Women were paid less due to doing less skilled work. Senior jobs within light industry such as the job of foreman, went to men. From 1959-65, less than 1% of factory foreman went to women. During the 60’s, another form of employment opened up, such as clerical work. 74% of administrative jobs were women. (1960’s) In towns, around 50% of working women worked in clerical positions, the other in industry.

Question 26

During the mid 1970's what campaign was seen

Answer 26

another major female recruitment campaign. In 1974, Brezhnev created the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) A 4324-KM rail line across the north of the USSR. Brezhnev was aware of the fact that male workers and admins who staffed the project would want female workers as company. Therefore he initiated the campaign to recruit women from urban centres in their mid 20’s.

Question 27

what was BAM

Answer 27

Bam was an opportunity for women to gain liberations through work and building new homes in the north of the USSR. BAM stated that finding men would be easy. BAM construction was male dominated and therefore the females were publicity implied, have the pick of men. A contrast to a male minority in Soviet society. BAM publicity also emphasised other traditional aspects of womanhood.

Question 28

how available was education for women in cities

Answer 28

widely available

Question 29

by 1960's what percent of soviet graduates were women

Answer 29

women were 1/2 of the Soviet Union’s graduates. As a consequence of women’s education, by the 1970’s, professions were dominated by women, 75% of employees were women in universities. Pay scales in the feminine industries were less than in factories.

Question 30

what years were a high proportion of women workers in agriculture. in the countrysides

Answer 30

1920-40

Question 31

what type of work did women do in the countrysides

Answer 31

Women performed a “triple shift” in agriculture. Provided labour on farms. Responsible for household chores. Some women on collective farms got a high social status. Female tractor drivers earned a higher wage. During the NEP, there was only eight female tractor drivers in the whole of the Soviet Union. Figure increased to 50,000 by 1940. Female tractor drives made up less than 0.5% of the total rural female population.

Question 32

where were Women were targeted in the campaign to recruit volunteers to work on

Answer 32

virgin lands

Question 33

when did it start and finish and what did it involve

Answer 33

1954 - 1974 Focused on specific roles, women required to act as milkmaids, gardeners and start families. Not recruited to work with machinery or drive tractors, but be manual labourers.

Question 34

what type of pay did women get on the virgin lands

Answer 34

Tended to be the lowest paid, and do the most demanding jobs.

Question 35

difficulties women faced working in virgin lands

Answer 35

6400 recruited in August 1958, less than 450 found employment in well-paying jobs. Wage of haymakers and milkmaids were about 15% of male tractor operators. Women from Moscow were the most likely to complain about working conditions, used to a more comfortable life in the capital. Women horrified by the immorality of the women from Moscow who listened to Western songs.

Question 36

what type of problems were women subjected too in the virgin lands

Answer 36

Very few stayed in the Virgin Lands as they were often subjected to sexual abuse and rape. Sexual violence was common. Farm managers would blame women and force rapists to marry their victims. Mechanisation of farming, was an important goal of the Sixth Five Year Plan and the SYP was supposed to make life for women on farms easier, but the machinery was scarce on farms. Therefore, collective farms needed to give men more priority in terms of access to machines. Mechanisation failed to make a difference to the lives of women.

Question 37

what was farming like in 1970-80's

Answer 37

Continued to work in Law-Status/Pay jobs in the 1970’s-80’s. By 1983, 65% of work on farms still non-mechanised. As industry expanded, men left collective farms for factory jobs. By 1970, 72% of the lowest paid Soviet Farmers were women. Majority of women in Soviet agriculture worked in low paid jobs. Professional opportunities were very limited. Rape was common amongst women in farms.

Question 38

what roles did women play in WW2

Answer 38

Women played a central role in the Soviet armed forces during WW2, in 1941, fighting was still a man’s job and women who tried to enlist were refused. By 1945, 800,000 women served in combat roles. Female fighters joined the three female flying regiments. Regarded with disdain by male pilots initially, however, as the war progressed, achievements of women were considerable. Lydia Litvyak shot down 12 German planes before being killed in combat. According to female accounts, soldiers and pilots enjoyed the respect of their male colleagues, sexual harassment was rare. Women were demobilized following the War. Wartime sexual equality was short-lived.

Question 39

what were female equality like within party

Answer 39

Consistently under represented in highest levels of the Party. Women tended to get jobs in government that reflected traditional stereotypes of their role.

Question 40

what were female party member likes during the civil war

Answer 40

During Civil War, female party members worked in the Commissariat of Social Welfare, health or education, whereas male Party members worked in government departments who dealt with the economy or military. Female Communists did not play a role in the Party’s most senior committees. Only 5% of delegates in the Party Congress in 1918, were women. In the first ten years of the revolution, female participation stagnated. 10% women were party members. By 1928, that was 12%.

Question 41

what were female party members expected to behave like during the 30's

Answer 41

Female party members expected to play a homemaking role in the 1930’s. Male party members encourage to no longer employee nannies. Female Party members who married were expected to be wives and mothers, and join the Wife Activists.

Question 42

by 1953 how had the views changed for female party members

Answer 42

From 1953, women played a larger role in Soviet Politics. As in 1920’s, women were expected to contribute to politics that concerned health, social services, education. Natural roles as nurturers. Women played big roles in the local soviets. Soviets themselves played a very minor role. Large numbers of women joined the Part after 1953, from 1956-83, the proportion of women in the Party increased from 19.7% to 26%. An increase in participation of women in the workforce and even a more educated population did not lead to a rise in the proportion of women in government.

Question 43

what were lenins goverments views of soviet family

Answer 43

Lenin’s government did not have a consistent view on the family. They believed that the family was an oppressive social organisation. Believed that replacing the family with communal living and monogamous marriage with free love was the right way to go. Family encouraged selfishness and individualism.

Question 44

how was lenin more conservative on his views to family

Answer 44

Lenin and Trotsky were more conservative. Lenin was critical of free love. Lenin recognized the abuses that existed in traditional marriage and the need for reform to marriage and divorce laws. Immediately following the revolution, steps were taken to reform family and liberate women.

Question 45

what was Zhenotdel and how did it work with the goverment

Answer 45

its the women's department of the Central Committee of the All-Russian Communist Party, t departments to advance women’s rights: Education: Zhenotdel worked with the Commissariat of Education to introduce co-education. Also established women’s reading rooms in urban centres where women could study. Established educational schemes for women in factories and set quotas to ensure that women were represented at all levels of education. By 1930, 28% of university students were women, compared to 12% in Germany. Legal rights: Zhenotdel collaborated with the commissariat of Justice to enshrine women’s rights in law. Women were given a legal right to equal for pay for work, and equal voting rights. Reproductive rights: Soviet Union was the first country to legalise abortion on demand. Contraception was also legal during the 1920’s. Marital lights: During the 1920’s, “postcard divorce” was legal: This was where one partner was allowed to end a marriage by simply sending a letter. Government looked at marriage as a simply contract easily dissolved by either husband or wife. Sexual rights: Lesbianism was not criminalised before, and never regarded as a crime. Prostitution was legalised. Zhenotdel worked with the Commissariat of health to offer medical support to prostitute

Question 46

what were some negatives which came with the family policies introduced during lenins era

Answer 46

Some of these policies quickly became irrelevant or counterproductive. Legal and political equality was meaningless because democracy was suspended in mid-1918 and abolished in 1921. Legal rights were difficult to uphold because Soviet law courts had very little authority. Men made the use of the new divorce rights to divorce women soon after they became pregnant. From 1917-28, 70% of divorces were initiated by men. Left women without a home, unable to work and therefore no income.

Question 47

how did the zhenotdale fail

Answer 47

By 1925, experiments in communal living had ended. Kollontai’s vision of the “withering away of the family” had been abandoned. The 1926 Marriage code reflected the official belief in traditional family. Made adoption easier. (Civil War) Zhenotdel was unwilling to help women who were victims of sexual harassment. Soviet law did not recognise sexual harassment as a crime Women organised themselves to protest against sexual abuse. In Leningrad in walkouts. Male party officials viewed striking women as troublemakers and complains from women as anti-Soviet activity. No changes were made and sexual-harassment continued. Under the NEP, the government did not fund crèches or day care facilities. Money was used to modernise industry, not to help women.

Question 48

what was stalins key aim with women and family

Answer 48

Stalin’s key aim was to increase birth rates and cut divorce rates, he initiated legal changes:

Question 49

what legal changes did stalin make to laws on family

Answer 49

Abortion was criminalised unless the life of the pregnant woman was in danger. Contraception was banned. Male homosexuality was criminalised. Punishable by five years in a labour camp. Lesbianism treated as a disease, lesbian women could be subjected to hypnotherapy in an attempt to “cure” them. Sex outside marriage was made as a social stigma. Farm managers would to “medical virginity checks” on women to enforce sexual abstinence. Divorce was made expensive and difficult to obtain. A first divorce cost one week’s wages. Fathers were required to pay a minimum of 1/3 of their income to pay for their former wives to support their children. Men would pay 60% of their income if they left three or more children.

Question 50

what type of policy did stalin introduce for familys and what did this lead to

Answer 50

Stalin adopted a pronatalist policy of offering financial incentives for women to have children. Women with 7 children could receive 7000 roubles a year for 5 years. Figure increased to 5000 for 11 children. Policies were backed by the media which exposes unfaithful men. In addition to working on collective farms, or in Soviet industry, women were expected to perform essential family labour. Stalin emphasised the importance of stable families, and heterosexual relationships. These grounds formed the basis of a successful socialist society.

Question 51

what changes were made to women and family in the years 53-85

Answer 51

Women’s rights were re-emphasised in the years following Stalin’s death. Khrushchev focused on women’s rights in the context of traditional families. Generally Khrushchev wanted women to continue to perform their traditional roles as wives and mothers. Wanted to make these roles easier. Khrushchev’s government made attempts to address the problems facing women in the Soviet Union. By 1956, several national women’s magazines including Woman Worker, Peasant Woman, Women of the World, and Soviet Woman. These magazines showed lives and exposed inequalities that continued in Soviet Society. Poorly paid jobs and the “double shift” and the government’s failure to support women with families. Khrushchev also aware of the impact that the Second World War had on women. War led to the death of over 10 million men. As a result, the proportion of men in the Soviet society grew from 52% in 1939, to 55% in 1959. War led many lone-parent families

Question 52

what policies kruschev introduce to for women and familys do

Answer 52

Khrushchev introduced a series of policies to change the legal status of women and make family life easier for married and unmarried women: In 1955, abortion was legalised. In 1956 state paid maternity leave increased from 77 days to 112 days. The Sixth FYP stated in 1956, containing a commitment to improve in every way the working and living conditions of women workers, expansion of crèches and childcare facilities. SYP aimed to eliminate the “double shift” by bringing in convenience food and mass-produced clothing and ended the need for women to cook and sew. The SYP aimed to make refrigerators more widely available, ending the need for daily shopping trips.

Question 53

what problems came with kruschevs policies to change the legal status of women

Answer 53

In spite of these changes, problems continued, contraception remained hard to acquire. Letters to women’s magazines showed that crèches opened late and closed early so that women were still unable to work full days. Some employers refused to recognise the new legal entitlements with maternity leave. Domestic supplies were less helpful than anticipated and less widely available. Surveys continued to show that women spent more time doing household chores than men and therefore had less access to leisure and education than men

Question 54

what did brezhnev continue to do with women and family

Answer 54

Brezhnev continued to stress the centrality of the family to Soviet life. Under Brezhnev much less focus was devoted to improving the status of women. Officially, the government proclaimed that sexual equality had been achieved. The lack of women in the most senior jobs in industry, agriculture and government was explained by the women’s natural desire to focus on family. Government banned information about women’s campaigns in the West being reported in the Soviet press to suppress debates about women’s roles and sexual dominance. Brezhnev thought of women as unskilled workers whose main goal was to have kids. Male homosexuality was a crime, lesbianism was still a mental disorder, and sex was for reproduction not pleasure. Government did nothing to address sexual inequality in domestic labour. Brezhnev did introduce some reforms to make women’s lives easier, by lowering the pension age for women from 60-55.