Introduction

  • Lynne Attwood
Chapter
Part of the Studies in Russian and East European History and Society book series (SREEHS)

Abstract

When the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in October 1917, they had the enormous task of turning (arguably) the most undeveloped capitalist country in Europe into the world’s first socialist state. They would only succeed in this goal if they could involve the population as a whole, if they could turn them into ‘organisers and builders of a new society… warriors for a new way of life’.1 The notion that it was possible to create a new type of person, fully committed to the socialist cause and willing to put the interests of society above his or her personal desires, was fundamental to the Bolshevik project. According to Marxist theory there was nothing innate about human personality and behaviour; these were social constructs, formed through interaction with the social environment. It must be possible, then, to reconstruct them.

Keywords

Short Story Social Production Woman Worker Domestic Service Female Identity 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

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Copyright information

© Lynne Attwood 1999

Authors and Affiliations

  • Lynne Attwood
    • 1
  1. 1.University of ManchesterUK

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