theme 4: social developments 1917-85 Flashcards

1
Q

why did many women give up their jobs after there civil war

A

returning men were often better trained
seen as more important for men to provide for their family
discrimination in the workforce, 70% of those who were fired were female

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2
Q

perks of the end of the civil war on the workforce

A

NEP meant real wages started to rise for skilled workers

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3
Q

what are real wages

A

income expressed in terms of purchasing power as opposed to actual money received.
“what happens to real wages depends on changes in both money wages and prices”

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4
Q

features of the job market under the NEP

A

use of arteli in recruitment
growth in wage differentials (highest paid vs lowest paid)
“shock brigades” to work on construction projects

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5
Q

what were arteli

A

groups of workers, who offered their services as a group and were paid as a group.
Organised by older members and paid based off age or other random features
Government considered them a backward feature of the economy

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6
Q

number of hired workers in 1928 vs 1937

A

1928: 11.6 million
1937: 27 million

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7
Q

effects of the 5 year plans on the workforce

A

excessive targets meant factories had to employ extra workers
new factories and building works always opening -> lots of employment opportunities
because of high demand, by 1932 there were labour shortages

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8
Q

effects of full employment on the workers

A

swamping of old industrial workers by new peasant workers lead to divisions in the workplace

restrictions places on trade unions, no longer allowed to negotiate with managers –> poor working conditions

October 1930, unemployment benefit was cancelled -> trade unions left to provide social insurance such as compensation for injuries

low productivity, 1927 the average soviet worker produced 1/2 of what an average British worker produced

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9
Q

effects of labour shortages

A

workers who were unhappy with their jobs could easily find a new one, no one stayed in jobs long enough to properly learn the trade

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10
Q

how did the government combat labour shortages

A

1931: wage difference between skilled and unskilled workers increased
1932: internal passport introduced that was needed to change jobs, started distributing rations at the workplace so those in between jobs didn’t get them
1934: piecework introduced (paid by the amount you produce), however high wages were not a great incentive as there was little to buy in shops
1937: 30% of workers still changed jobs 4 times a year

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11
Q

bolshevik policy on housing in 1917

A

took big houses from rich people to partition and rent to the families of workers. meant to be assigned by need, rather they were mostly given to those higher up in the party.
not enough housing to meet the needs of all

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12
Q

effects of the 5 year plans on housing

A

enormous growth of towns put strain on housing. Housing given low priority whilst massive influx of workers meant demand was high

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13
Q

population of Moscow 1929 vs 1936

A

1929: 2.2 million
1936: 4.1 million

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14
Q

population of Magnitogorsk 1929 vs 1932

A

1929: 25
1932: 250,000

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15
Q

effects of housing not matching population growth during 5 year plans

A

workers slept in tents, makeshift huts, or in the factories they worked in

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16
Q

living conditions in 1936

A

only 6% of people rented units with more than 1 room
24% of workers only rented part of 1 room
5% lived in a kitchen or corridor
25% lived in dormitories

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17
Q

cost of renting

A

living costs were low, most families spent less than 8% of income on housing. however this did not make up for the fact that most lived without hot water or electricity

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18
Q

effects of WW2 on housing

A

Stalingrad lost 90% of housing

Leningrad lost 1/3 of housing during the siege of the city (1941-44)

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19
Q

who provided most social benefits for workers

A

trade unions
since they no longer had any real economic or political power they improved the lives of workers by organising sports facilities, meetings, and film shows

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20
Q

social benefits provided for workers by trade unions

A

given 2 weeks paid holiday, often taken on cheap subsidised vacations to state resorts
sick pay given

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21
Q

number of doctors 1929 vs 1940 + reason for change

A

1928: 70,000
1940: 155,000
many doctors had fled Russia soon after the revolution in 1917, weakening the healthcare that the government could provide so they increased the number of training

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22
Q

what was soviet healthcare like

A

lots of healthcare available, not always high quality
good sanitation, all sanitary inspectors were given the same status as doctors
patients had no choice in healthcare and all medications had to be paid for (at a low subsidised rate)

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23
Q

social services in cities vs rural areas by 1953

A

cities: soviet worker was likely to be employed, housed, and in receipt of basic social services
rural: services were primitive, if that area even had any

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24
Q

when did krushchev claim that the soviet society would begin to enjoy the benefits of socialism

A

1961

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25
Q

employment under developed socialism

A

1977 constitution guaranteed full employment. only temporary unemployment for seasonal workers and fresh graduates
employment does not equal job satisfaction, several pointless jobs invented to allow full employment
real wages rose 50% 1967-77, workers had more spending power

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26
Q

job security under developed socialism

A

1977 constitution made it difficult to fire someone for anything (laziness, incompetence, or alcoholism)
managers often ignored work discipline, many workers were absent or moonlighting
minimum wage introduced in 1956 to try stop moonlighting and keep everyone above the poverty line

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27
Q

improved material benefits under developed socialism

A

9th five year plan 1971-75 set a higher growth rate for consumer goods than heavy industry
targets were not met but they’re was still improvement

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28
Q

how did the nomenklatura system bring stability under developed socialism

A

in order to be promoted, you had to be recommended by a sponsor within the party. Workers had to show loyalty to the party.
party membership grew because of this

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29
Q

communist party membership 1953 vs 1980

A

1953: 6.9 million
1980: 17 million

30
Q

how did education under developed socialism

A

compulsory education age 7-15 meant literacy levels reached over 99% by the 1980s
compulsory school meant it was easy to get propaganda to the children

31
Q

what were the soviet youth groups

A

octoberists (5-9)
pioneers (10-14)
Komsomol (15-28)
you had to join a youth group if you wanted to be in favour with the party, also allowed children to escape crowded social living

32
Q

state welfare spending 1950 vs 1980

A

increased fivefold

pensions, maternity benefits, and housing all received more attention which helped relieve some poverty

33
Q

annual amount of housing space provided by the state 1951 vs 1961

A

1951: 178 million square meters
1961: 394 million square meters

34
Q

living conditions in the countryside under developed socialism

A

increased investment in agriculture started by krushchev was continued by Brezhnev
used to fund schools, housing, and healthcare in rural areas
1966, farmers got wages
by the mid 1970’s, wages of rural workers were only 10% less than those of agricultural workers

35
Q

proof that the soviet government feared social instability

A

nervous reactions to developments in its satellite states

1956: soviet tanks invade Hungary to crush uprising
1968: soviet military used to quell unrest in Czechoslovakia
1980: Poland forced to implement martial law when there are protests over food prices

36
Q

Zhenotdel

A

founded in 1917, this women’s department was lead by Alexandra Kollontai
closed in 1930 as the Party claimed women’s issues had been solved (shows male dominated view of the party)

37
Q

when was the 1st soviet constitution (+ effects on women)

A

1918

Gave men and women equality under the law

38
Q

when was the family code

A

1918

gives women greater right within marriage

39
Q

civil war effects on women

A

1918-21.
Millions of women conscripted into the workplace
over 70,000 women fought in the red army (few had high rank)
not enough resources for sufficient childcare / creches
disruption caused by war + famine 1921-22 left many women homeless and lead to a ruse in prostitution

40
Q

what are ‘postcard’ divorces and when were they made legal

A

they’re quick & cheap divorces designed to help women escape abusive husbands
made legal in 1926
Instead often used by men to leave wives who had fallen pregnant, 70% of all divorces were initiated by men

41
Q

campaign for the unveiling of women

A

1927
lead by radical young Communist women, encouraged muslim women to unveil themselves and be empowered.
lead to ‘honour’ killings -> by the 1930s the government took a softer approach

42
Q

Stalin’s great retreat

A

1936

traditional values restored e.g. abortion made illegal again (except where the mother’s life was in danger)

43
Q

WW2 effects on women

A

1941-45

women conscripted into factories

44
Q

when was the tax on single people established

A

1944

this was one of several measures put in place to further traditionalise family values

45
Q

abortion legalised (after great retreat)

A

1955

46
Q

first women to be a full member of the presidium (politburo)

A

Ekaterina Furtseva

1957

47
Q

family code places restrictions on divorce

A

1968

48
Q

old russian proverb that shows sexist mentality of the time

A

“The more you beat your wife the better the soup will taste”

49
Q

why were the bolsheviks insistent on gender equality

A

marxism says all should be equal no matter if they are male or female

50
Q

early decrees (bolsheviks) that helped women

A

abortion legalised
divorce made simple
laws that forced a woman to obey her husband were abolished
women no longer needed their husband’s permission to take a job or enter higher education

51
Q

effects of forced collectivisation on women

A

many men left the countryside to find work in the cities (some sent money to wives, others abandoned)
agricultural work left to women: low status, low pay
made worse by WW2 since most able bodied men were conscripted -> imbalance of the sexes

52
Q

effects of the Khrushchev and Brezhnev years on women in the countryside

A

improved
health and maternity care was extended to the countryside
status of agriculture raised
internal passport system extended to countryside in 1974 allowed women to move into the towns in search of better paid work (however this opportunity was normally taken by young men)

53
Q

impact of industrialisation on women in towns

A

pressure for labour in industry (five year plans) gave women little choice but to work
work was no longer a symbol of female liberation but of socialist duty
economic struggles of the 30s forced many women into work
women dominated light industry (especially textiles)

54
Q

number of female industrial workers 1928 vs 1940

A

1928: 3 million
1940: 13 million

55
Q

expansion of education for women

A

1929: government reserves 20% of higher education places for women (rose from 14% to 20%)
1940: 40% of those studying engineering were women

56
Q

the socially active woman

A

this was a magazine that targeted the female social elite (1930s onwards). Those married to industrial managers or party officials did not have to work and were instead encouraged to do ‘social work’ (eg hanging up curtains in workers dorms or holding cooking classes). The magazine was a subtle way of enforcing social divisions among women

57
Q

how many soviet women served in the armed forces WW2

A

80,000

most in medical but some as pilots, machine gunners, and tank crews

58
Q

when did women get the vote

A

1917

59
Q

women in the party statistics

A

1932: women only made up 16% of party membership
1939: female delegates only just exceed 10%

60
Q

first woman in space

A

Valentina Tereshkova, 1963

she was massively publicised (space race with America) and became a soviet hero

61
Q

statistic to show women didn’t really have equality in the work place

A

70% of all dismissals were women

62
Q

new marriage law

A

1927

weakened traditional marriage by giving equal status under the law of registered and unregistered marriages

63
Q

divorce rates after postcard divorces came in

A

1926: 50% of marriages end in divorce

64
Q

1926 abortion rates

A

for every 4 pregnancies, 3 were aborted
due to the poor quality of soviet condoms (‘condoms have more rubber in than the tyres ‘), now-legal abortion became used as contraception

65
Q

main changes of the great retreat of 1936

A

divorce made more expensive (4 roubles to 50 roubles)
free marriages lost their legal status
male homosexuality made illegal
abortion outlawed (except where the mothers life was at risk)
pregnant women allowed more maternity leave (16 weeks), given job security, and given lighter work when pregnant (to encourage working women to have kids)
gold wedding rings start to reappear
more money put towards creches
2-year prison sentence for men who did not pay towards the upkeep of their family (often low priority)

66
Q

childcare expansion 1928 onwards

A

number of nursery places doubled 1928 to 1930, and continued to grow under the second five year plan

67
Q

further strengthening of traditional family values after the great retreat

A

1944
government introduced awards “mother heroines” who had 10 or more children
tax on single people to encourage marriage
divorce made more complicated and couples could be forced to visit a District Court to attempt reconciliation

68
Q

how did Krushchev’s focus on traditional family values effect working women?

A

1936: 49% workforce women

Khrushchev stresses that women should be the main source of childcare (double burden)

69
Q

statistics to show which fields were female dominated by 1985

A

70% of medical doctors were women
75% of university employees were women
65% of art and culture employees were women
pay in female dominated fields was lower

70
Q

what were women targeted to do in the virgin lands scheme

A

milkmaids, gardeners, and start families

men left to use heavy machinery

71
Q

statistic to show that women were only targeted for low paying jobs in late 50s/early 60s

A

August 1958
6400 women recruited
only 450 had well paid professional jobs

72
Q

statistics to show low status of women in agriculture in 70s/80s

A

1970: 72% of the Soviet union’s lowest-paid farmers were women
1980: only 2% of farm managers were women