Theme 4 - Social developments, 1917-85

How successful was the government in providing social security for the Soviet people between 1917 and 1985?

• It was a basic communist principle that everything was provided for by the state

Full employment, housing and social benefits, 1917-53

The labour market under Lenin

• Civil war led people to go to countryside where food was more reliable
• Meant that there wasn't enough workers so government issued a decree saying anyone unemployed should go to factories
• 1918 - Labour conscription introduced to make sure Red Army won civil war
• Labour exchanges established but were unpopular
• End of civil war meant soldiers were unemployed - however wage rise under NEP
• During NEP, Arteli's formed - groups of people who organised work and shared resources
• Wage gap rose during NEP - skilled workers demanded more

Industrialisation and full employment

• 1930 - first country to achieve full employment in peacetime
• Excessive targets meant a huge labour force was needed
• Lack of technology and collectivisation put strain on labour force - was labour shortages
• Impacts of full employment:
  • Divisions in the workplace - skilled and unskilled
  • Restrictions on trade unions - poor working conditions
  • October 1930 - unemployment benefit cancelled - left to the unions
  • Productivity low - hard, repetitive work
  • Internal passports to prevent workers switching jobs (due to poor conditions)
  • Wage gap increased - incentives offered for being high-skilled
  • Honours, medals, rewards given to model workers
  • Absenteeism - harsh punishments but not effective due to need for labour
  • Huge pressure on labour during WW2 - strain on women until men returned
• Despite full employment, average person had a poor quality of life

Housing

• 1917 - housing of rich redistributed to poor - however soon became corrupt. Also not enough housing to go around
• Industrialisation increased demand for workers housing - population growth
• Resources for housing non-existent - workers lived in tents, huts, or the factories
• 1930s - housing improved - drab, repetitive housing with communal features - however still not enough; only for very committted workers
• Strain on family life - communal living meant lack of privacy
• Improvements in rural housing slower to happen
• WW2 resulted in a destruction of housing in cities

Social benefits

• Food availible in workplace canteen
• Work clothes given free
• Trade unions organised most benefits - holidays, sports, films etc. Very important to stay in favour with unions
• Health care designed by government - effective in controlling epidemics
• Increase in training for doctors and a lot of women in health care workforce
• By 1953, employment, housing, social services all provided for but poor quality

Khrushchev, Brezhnev and the promotion of a stable society, 1953-85

• Khrushchev announced in 1961 that population would enjoy benefits of socialism
• Developed socialism was a society instilled with revolutionary values:collectivism, politcal conciousness, active participation. Lot of support for this

What were the key features of social stability under developed socialism?

• Full employment
  • Soviet constitution guarenteed employment
  • Some employment - seasons in farming and recent graduates
  • Lack of job satisfaction - undemanding, pointless, repetitive
  • Real wage rises…