The Local Community of Neighbourhood in Modern Uzbek Cities
Ekaterina Makarova
The tradition of neighbourhood continues to be of great
importance. Currently the local neighbourhood community as a
social institution is not only a remnant of pre-industrial
urban forms but remains an intrinsic structural
component of many cities. It is argued that such a community acts as
a primary unit of social organisation, providing a framework for other types of
social relations, and that its analysis provides a better understanding of
Uzbek society as a whole.
This paper focuses on the reasons why Uzbek neighbourhood
communities continue to survive under modern conditions. The
contemporary functions of neighbourhood communities as well as
some trends for change are discussed. The reality of modern Uzbek life cannot
be understood without taking into
consideration the strong influence of Muslim traditions. This
influence is closely connected with customary law and related
to all spheres of people's activity.
It is suggested in the paper that the neighbourbood
community may
provide a base for Muslim revivalism in Uzbekistan. Some comparative
data concerning Third World cities are discussed.
The Karabakh Movement and the Development of Armenian Nationalism
Marina Shakinian
This paper discusses
the relationship between nationalism and communist ideology,
the obstacle that nationalism has presented to the development of
the new Soviet society in Armenia and the relationship between
attempts to exterminate the bearers of tradition and cultural revivalism.
The peculiarities of
Armenian national self-consciousness before the Karabakh
movement are examined through a brief historical review of
the creation and development of Armenian nationalism during the
19th and early 20th centuries. This history sets the
stage for the development of the current situation. Specific
conditions have created a special kind of loyalty to the Soviet
system, which was regarded as guarantor of the national
existence. The main events which have taken place during the
last two years in the Armenian national movement have parallels with the
development of nationalism prior to the establishment of the
Armenian Republic in 1919. Recent opinion surveys conducted among
the intelligentsia support the argument that nationalistic ideas flourish under
conditions that are perceived as a threat to the current state of
affairs. Peoples' disappointment with the Soviet system and their
attitudes to an independent Armenian state are also discussed, with an
emphasis on those factors which define such attitudes.
System as a Concept in Industrial Sociology: The Factory as a "Social System"
Nonna Barkhatova
Systems approaches in sociology have often been identified with functionalist
theory, which explores the role of each part of the social system in the
maintenance of the whole. Although this approach was developed to deal with
whole societies, it is possible to use it in industrial research. This paper
draws on the work of Parsons on "functional imperatives" and of the Tavistock
Institute, which stressed the importance of the environment in the factory and
of exchanges (wages etc.) taking place within it. It explores the main elements
of industrial production, including technology and worker organisation, and
considers their functioning and reproduction.
Leisure Activity: Social Similarities and Individual Variation
Elena Danilova
Theories of postmodernism suppose that in economically and
culturally advanced societies patterns of leisure activity
become more and more diversified, determined by individual
preferences. Preliminary findings of a survey conducted among
academics and working class people in Canterbury indicate that
on one level the structure of leisure activity differs due to
social class position, yet also reflects the existence of common
social values and norms spread within a society. These norms
contribute significantly to the similarities in patterns of
leisure between different social groups. Thus, these findings
indicate that social position and norms concerning leisure are
still strong and little support is generated for the concept of
increasing individualization.
The New Life of Stalin's Myth
Dina Khapayeva
One of the most important problems connected with the historical consciousness of the Soviet people is their mythological notion of history, which emerged during the period of the Soviet regime. The particular myth about Stalin permits us to investigate the context and the functions of this myth (as well as myths about Lenin, Kirov and others) and to show that deconstruction of this myth does not mean the liberation of mass historical consciousness from a mythological vision of history. The deconstructed myth about Stalin was not excluded from the mythological vision of history, but rather transformed into new functions. These functions can be seen as preserving other Soviet myths from destruction by placing all the responsibility for Soviet imperfections on Stalin alone. The data from a public opinion survey (devoted to the historical consciousness of Soviet people) of 1519 people in Leningrad in June of 1990 is used to support the conclusion that Soviet historical mythology is the fundamental basis for the totalitarian consciousness in general.
The Concept of Alienation: Various Sociological Approaches
Victoria Boiko
The word alienation continues to be advanced as a central
concept summarising salient features of life in contemporary
societies. Interest in alienation has blossomed in recent years
in the USSR not only among intellectuals but also among the general
public. A number of recent scholarly efforts
have been directed into clarifying and specifying the use of
the term alienation. These efforts suggest two branches of
inquiry. One focuses on the object from which people are
alienated and the second focuses upon the meaning of alienation. The
concept itself can be studied on these two levels, as a psychological
problem and as a sociological issue. This paper discusses these current
conceptualisations and suggests avenues for future research.
The Marxist Concept of Objectification and Its Application to Bureaucracy
Gregory Ditjatev
This paper uses the Marxist concept of objectification to analyse bureaucracy
as a social entity which arises as a result of the division of labour, and
which can also be seen as a form of social control. It considers the goals of
bureaucracy, bureaucratic behaviour, and the relationship between them,
together with ways in which bureaucratic efficiency may be improved.