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This paper examines contemporary Russian social and economic developments from a historical perspective. It looks at transition developments as emerging both from macroeconomic policies and initial, or historically evolved, conditions. The paper will emphasise readings for the Soviet and tsarist periods to help explain the shaping of post-Communist economy and society. The continuities examined range from economic and social structures and perceptions to patterns of economic reform.  Although these continuities are explored broadly, initially, much of the paper will be concerned with particular areas of interest, where the historical determinants of modern behaviour have particular impact. These topics may include (and are not limited to) rural collectivism; rural markets; poverty; the role of the state in economic development, interest groups and social/economic reform; corporate structure and enterprise development; patterns of trade; the state and economic growth; competitiveness; gender and the work force; migration; and social benefits in a planned and post-planning regime.

The paper will be offered as a seminar or tutorial with 8 meetings in Hilary and Trinity Terms. Four essays in alternate weeks are required, and all sessions will be devoted to a discussion of the reading.  There will be a single lecture in the third week of Hilary term, Russian Society and Economic Transitions.

The paper will begin with reading for a general background on the transition in Russia, with emphasis on the evolution and outcome of liberalisation and de-statisation. This background will cover both the politics of reform and the economic objectives of reformers, and will also embrace the economic outcomes in Russia in a larger comparative perspective. The introductory sessions will also emphasise analytic methods that have drawn attention to the importance of initial conditions, including both country-specific planning structures and the nature of the political and social regime, as it had evolved by the 1980s.

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