SUBJECTIVE INEQUALITY, SOCIAL COHESION AND POLITICAL REFORMS: AN EXAMPLE OF THE RISE OF LIFE EXPECTANCY IN SOVIET UNION IN 1985–1987

Authors

  • Виктория Ивановна Дудина St. Petersburg State University, 7–9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation

Abstract

The article states that the explanation of increased life expectancy in the Soviet Union in 1985–87 only by the influence of anti-alcohol campaign cannot reveal the other important factors that could contribute to mortality reduction in this period. The article substantiates the assumption that the reduction of mortality was infl uenced not only by decrease in the consumption of alcohol during anti-alcohol campaign, but by short-term reduction of subjective inequality and recovery of social cohesion in the beginning of perestroika.
The hypothesis of infl uence of subjective inequality on life expectancy in the early years of Perestroika is supported by the fact that life expectancy changed simultaneously not only with the level of alcohol consumption, but also with the changes in public attitudes. Three stages of Perestroika corresponding to well-marked differences in some demographics are distinguished. In the first stage of Perestroika (1985–1987) characterized by positive expectations, life expectancy increased most notably. In the second stage (1988–1989) growth of life expectancy was slower, expansion of the public sphere and growth of institutional trust were accompanied by gradual deterioration of economic situation and general instability contributed to the rise of both objective and subjective inequality. The third stage (1990–1991) was characterized by the deterioration of economic situation and further increase in objective and subjective inequality. It is concluded that reduction of subjective inequality positively impact on social well-being, level
of social stress and, ultimately, on the health and life expectancy. Refs 21.

Keywords:

subjective inequality, social cohesion, life expectancy, political reforms, health, Аntialcohol campaign, perestroika

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Литература

Economic change, crime, and mortality crisis in Russia: regional analysis / Walberg P., McKee M., Shkolnikov V., Chenet L., Leon D. A. // British Medical Journal. 1998. N 317. P. 312–318.

Bhattacharya J., Gathmann C., Miller G. The Gorbachev anti-alcohol campaign and Russia’s mortality crisis // American Economic Journal: Applied Economics. 2013. N 5(2). P. 232–260.

Kennedy B. P., Kawachi I., Brainerd E. The role of social capital in the Russian mortality crisis // World Development. 1998. N 26. P. 2029–2043.

Вишневский А. Г., Школьников В. М. Смертность в России: главные группы «риска» и приоритеты действия. Научные доклады. Вып. 19. М.: Московский Центр Карнеги, 1997. 87 c.

Немцов А. В. Алкогольная ситуация в России. М.: Ассоциация общественного здоровья, 1995. 134 c.

Shkolnikov V. M., Nemtsov A. The Anti-Alcohol Campaign and Variations in Russian Mortality // Premature Death in the Newly Independent States / eds J. L. Bobadila, C. A. Costello, F. Mitchell. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997. P. 239–261.

Treml V. G. Soviet and Russian statistics on alcohol consumption and abuse // Premature Death in the Newly Independent States / eds J. L. Bobadila, C. A. Costello, F. Mitchell. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997. P. 220–238.

White S. Russia Goes Dry: Alcohol, State and Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. 251 p.

Пашин В. П., Богданов С. В., Богданова Ю. С. Антиалкогольная кампания 1985–1987 гг. в СССР: По советским архивным документам и рассекреченным материалам ЦРУ // Вестник архивиста. 2011. № 4. С. 182–194.

Treml V. G. Problems with Soviet Statistics: Past and Present // Defense convention, economics reforms and the outlook for the Russian and Ukrainian economies / eds C. J. Wolf, H. S. Rowen. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. P. 19–37.

Милле Ф., Школьников В. М., Эртриш В., Валлен Ж. Современные тенденции смертности по причинам смерти в России 1965–1994. Paris: INED, 1996. 140 c.

Huge variation in Russian mortality rates 1984–94: artifact, alcohol, or what? / Leon D., Chenet L., Shkolnikov V., Zakharov S., Shapiro J., Rakhmanova G., Vassin S., McKee M. // Lancet. 1997. Vol. 350. P. 383–388.

Немцов А. В. Как оценить скрытые потери от алкогольно-зависимой смертности? // Демоскоп. 2006. № 263–264. 30 октября — 12 ноября. URL: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2006/0263/tema04.php (дата обращения: 07.06.2015).

Андреев Е. М. Существует такой фактор — сволочизм жизни // Химия и жизнь. 1995. № 1. С. 51–56.

Немцов А. В., Школьников В. М. Потери в связи с алкогольной смертностью в России в 1980–1990-х годах // Новости науки и техники. Сер. Мед. Вып. Алкогольная болезнь / ВИНИТИ. 1999. № 5. С. 1–15.

Wilkinson R. Unhealthy Societies: the Affliction of Inequality. London: Routledge, 1996. 272 р.

Kawachi I., Kennedy B. P., Lochner K., Prothrow-Stith D. Social capital, income inequality, and mortality // American Journal of Public Health. 1997. N 87. P. 1491–1498.

Niehues J. Subjektive Ungleichheitswahrnehmung und Umverteilungspräferenzen — Ein internationaler Vergleich // IW-Trends. 2014. N 41. S. 75–91.

Watson P. Explaining rising mortality among men in Eastern Europe // Social Science and Medicine. 1995. № 41. P. 923–934.

Watson P. Stress and social change in Poland // Health & Place. 2006. N 12. P. 372–382.

Tarkowska E., Tarkowski J. Social disintegration in Poland: civil society or amoral familism? // Telos. 1991. N 89. P. 103–109.


References

Walberg P., McKee M., Shkolnikov V., Chenet L., Leon D. A. Economic change, crime, and mortality crisis in Russia: regional analysis. British Medical Journal. 1998, no. 317, pp. 312–318.

Bhattacharya J., Gathmann C., Miller G. The Gorbachev anti-alcohol campaign and Russia’s mortality crisis. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2013, no. 5(2), pp. 232–260.

Kennedy B. P., Kawachi I., Brainerd E. The role of social capital in the Russian mortality crisis. World Development, 1998, no. 26, pp. 2029–2043.

Vishnevskii A. G., Shkol’nikov V. M. Smertnost’ v Rossii: glavnye gruppy riska i prioritety deistviia. Nauchnye doklady. Vyp. 19 [Mortality in Russia: main risk groups and priorities of action. Scientific reports. Issue 19]. Moscow, Moskovskii Tsentr Karnegi Publ., 1997. 87 p. (In Russian)

Nemtsov A. V. Alkogol’naia situatsiia v Rossii [Alcohol situation in Russia]. Moscow, Assotsiatsiia obshchestvennogo zdorov’ia Publ., 1995. 134 p. (In Russian)

Shkolnikov V. M., Nemtsov A. The Anti-Alcohol Campaign and Variations in Russian Mortality. Premature Death in the Newly Independent States. Eds. J. L. Bobadila, C. A. Costello, F. Mitchell. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1997, pp. 239–261.

Treml V. G. Soviet and Russian statistics on alcohol consumption and abuse. Premature Death in the Newly Independent States. Eds. J. L. Bobadila, C. A. Costello, F. Mitchell. Washington, DC, National Academy Press, 1997, pp. 220–238.

White S. Russia Goes Dry: Alcohol, State and Society. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1996. 251 p.

Pashin V. P., Bogdanov S. V., Bogdanova Iu. S. Antialkogol’naia kampaniia 1985–1987 gg. v SSSR: Po sovetskim arkhivnym dokumentam i rassekrechennym materialam TsRU [Alcohol campaign 1985-1987 in USSR: secret archive documents and declassified materials of CIA]. Vestnik arkhivista [Herald of an archivist], 2011, no. 4, pp. 182–194. (In Russian)

Treml V. G. Problems with Soviet Statistics: Past and Present. Defense convention, economics reforms and the outlook for the Russian and Ukrainian economies. Eds. C. J. Wolf, H. S. Rowen. N.Y., St. Martin’s Press, 1994, pp. 19–37.

Mille F., Shkol’nikov V. M., Ertrish V., Vallen Zh. Sovremennye tendentsii smertnosti po prichinam smerti v Rossii. 1965-1994 [Modern trends in mortality by causes of death in Russia. 1965-1994]. Paris, INED, 1996. 140 p. (In Russian)

Leon D., Chenet L., Shkolnikov V., Zakharov S., Shapiro J., Rakhmanova G., Vassin S., McKee M. Huge variation in Russian mortality rates 1984-94: artifact, alcohol, or what? Lancet, 1997, vol. 350, pp. 383–388.

Nemtsov A. V. [How to evaluate the hidden losses from alcohol-associated mortality?]. Demoskop, 2006, no. 263-264. 30 oktiabria — 12 noiabria. Available at: http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2006/0263/tema04.php (accessed: 07.06.2015). (In Russian)

Andreev E. M. Sushchestvuet takoi faktor — svolochizm zhizni [There is such a factor as a bad life]. Khimiia i zhizn’ [Chemistry anf Life], 1995, no. 1, pp. 51–56. (In Russian)

Nemtsov A. V., Shkol’nikov V. M. Poteri v sviazi s alkogol’noi smertnost’iu v Rossii v 1980-1990-kh godakh [Losses connected with alcohol mortality in Russia in 1980–1990]. Novosti nauki i tekhniki. Ser. Med. Vyp. Alkogol’naia bolezn’ [News of Science and Technique. Issue Alcohol illness], VINITI, 1999, no. 5, pp. 1–15.(In Russian)

Wilkinson R. Unhealthy Societies: the Affliction of Inequality. London, Routledge, 1996. 272 р.

Kawachi I., Kennedy B. P., Lochner K., Prothrow-Stith D. Social capital, income inequality, and mortality. American Journal of Public Health, 1997, no. 87, pp. 1491–1498.

Niehues J. Subjektive Ungleichheitswahrnehmung und Umverteilungspräferenzen — Ein internationaler Vergleich. IW-Trends, 2014, no. 41, SS. 75–91.

Watson P. Explaining rising mortality among men in Eastern Europe. Social Science and Medicine, 1995, no. 41, pp. 923–934.

Watson P. Stress and social change in Poland. Health and Place, 2006, no. 12, pp. 372–382.

Tarkowska E., Tarkowski J. Social disintegration in Poland: civil society or amoral familism? Telos, 1991, no. 89, pp. 103–109.

Downloads

Published

2015-11-06

How to Cite

Дудина, В. И. (2015). SUBJECTIVE INEQUALITY, SOCIAL COHESION AND POLITICAL REFORMS: AN EXAMPLE OF THE RISE OF LIFE EXPECTANCY IN SOVIET UNION IN 1985–1987. Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Sociology, (3), 110–118. Retrieved from https://sociologyjournal.spbu.ru/article/view/1398

Issue

No. 3 (2015): VESTNIK OF SAINT PETERSBURG UNIVERSITY. Series 12 PSYCHOLOGY. SOCIOLOGY. EDUCATION

Section

SOCIAL STRUCTURE, SOCIAL INSTITUTES AND PROCESSES

License

Articles of "Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Sociology" are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.