Everyday Life in the Soviet Union

Catalog description

This course is intended for students who have spoken Russian at home and seek to improve their capabilities in formal and professional uses of the Russian language. The course focuses on the history of everyday life in the Soviet Union during the twenty-year period before the collapse of the communist system (1960s-1980s). We will examine experiences, practices, and material culture related to various spheres of Soviet life, including living arrangements, food, housekeeping, work and leisure, education, and health. We will also study language policies and national tensions as they manifest in everyday practices and communications. Finally, we will explore how ideas and practices of socialist living continue to influence younger generations of former Soviet families who have never lived under socialism. Course readings include films, literary texts, memoirs, social journalism, and publications on statistics and social anthropology.