Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights
<p>The focus of the article is construction of old age and gender in the late Soviet sociology. The author is engaged in secondary analysis of the texts based on the empirical research conducted in the 1970s-1980s. The author argues that Soviet sociologists produced empirically based knowledge...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology
2021-09-01
|
| Series: | Интеракция. Интервью. Интерпретация |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.inter-fnisc.ru/index.php/inter/article/view/5936/5756 |
| _version_ | 1818909147695939584 |
|---|---|
| author | Elena Andreevna Zdravomyslova |
| author_facet | Elena Andreevna Zdravomyslova |
| author_sort | Elena Andreevna Zdravomyslova |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The focus of the article is construction of old age and gender in the late Soviet sociology. The author is engaged in secondary analysis of the texts based on the empirical research conducted in the 1970s-1980s. The author argues that Soviet sociologists produced empirically based knowledge about Soviet elderly, which contradicted with ideological claims of the party state. Their texts were balancing between ideological loyalty and positivist knowledge. Researchers were well informed about international sociological discussion of the time: they criticized ‘bourgeois’ disengagement theory of ageing and hailed active ageing paradigm. Empirical studies confirmed however that the life of Soviet elderly was very different from the normative model of active ageing Soviet style. Not many aged citizens were engaged in social activities, most of them experienced shortage of contacts, loneliness and social exclusion. Biographical passage to retirement has been fearful and traumatic experience with lack of institutional help and family care as the preferred option. Men showed more vulnerability to the losses of retirement than women did who are claimed to be better adapted to the life outside paid job due to the Soviet gender contract. Thus, Soviet sociologists in fact were critical to the elderly care regime of the late-Soviet period, though expressed their criticisms in the veiled way under the disguise of the ideological clich?s. Though Soviet sociological research was mostly policy oriented and is criticized for its ‘theoretical poverty’, the author argues that certain theoretical insights are fruitful and relevant for the current research on ageing in Russian society.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:22:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d8baa9bccec143a88c79da0385be6d4d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2307-2075 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T22:22:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Russian Academy of Sciences, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Интеракция. Интервью. Интерпретация |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8baa9bccec143a88c79da0385be6d4d2022-12-21T20:03:36ZengRussian Academy of Sciences, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied SociologyИнтеракция. Интервью. Интерпретация2307-20752021-09-01133659110.19181/inter.2021.13.3.35936Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical InsightsElena Andreevna Zdravomyslova0Russia<p>The focus of the article is construction of old age and gender in the late Soviet sociology. The author is engaged in secondary analysis of the texts based on the empirical research conducted in the 1970s-1980s. The author argues that Soviet sociologists produced empirically based knowledge about Soviet elderly, which contradicted with ideological claims of the party state. Their texts were balancing between ideological loyalty and positivist knowledge. Researchers were well informed about international sociological discussion of the time: they criticized ‘bourgeois’ disengagement theory of ageing and hailed active ageing paradigm. Empirical studies confirmed however that the life of Soviet elderly was very different from the normative model of active ageing Soviet style. Not many aged citizens were engaged in social activities, most of them experienced shortage of contacts, loneliness and social exclusion. Biographical passage to retirement has been fearful and traumatic experience with lack of institutional help and family care as the preferred option. Men showed more vulnerability to the losses of retirement than women did who are claimed to be better adapted to the life outside paid job due to the Soviet gender contract. Thus, Soviet sociologists in fact were critical to the elderly care regime of the late-Soviet period, though expressed their criticisms in the veiled way under the disguise of the ideological clich?s. Though Soviet sociological research was mostly policy oriented and is criticized for its ‘theoretical poverty’, the author argues that certain theoretical insights are fruitful and relevant for the current research on ageing in Russian society.</p>https://www.inter-fnisc.ru/index.php/inter/article/view/5936/5756soviet sociologyelderlygenderagingsocial constructivismpensioners |
| spellingShingle | Elena Andreevna Zdravomyslova Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights Интеракция. Интервью. Интерпретация soviet sociology elderly gender aging social constructivism pensioners |
| title | Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights |
| title_full | Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights |
| title_fullStr | Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights |
| title_full_unstemmed | Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights |
| title_short | Late Soviet Sociology about Old Age and Gender: There Were Theoretical Insights |
| title_sort | late soviet sociology about old age and gender there were theoretical insights |
| topic | soviet sociology elderly gender aging social constructivism pensioners |
| url | https://www.inter-fnisc.ru/index.php/inter/article/view/5936/5756 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elenaandreevnazdravomyslova latesovietsociologyaboutoldageandgenderthereweretheoreticalinsights |