Collective and Individual Responsibility -- Environment, Education, and Other Concerns in the Transition from Socialism in Russia

The strong movement in the West toward an increasingly lassez faire approach to the economy has led international agencies to urge countries in transition from state socialism to adopt free market approaches for both enterprises and labor. This greater reliance on the market in the West has resulted in increased privatization of social services and reductions in economic regulation. The appropriateness of this approach for countries in transition from state socialism is less clear than in the West. These countries have a history of substantial social welfare. In the former Soviet Union, there has been an ideological debate about the optimal pace of marketization and which areas of social welfare are suitable for privatization. Under state socialism the views of the public about governmental policies were of marginal importance. In the new democracies, elected officials need to be more aware of the views of the population. What kinds of policies do people see as cohering together and what are the characteristics of people who support particular policies?
Examination of the views of Russians in a survey in Estonia in 1991 before the coup indicated that the willingness of individuals to take risks and support lassez faire economic policies did not translate into thinking that the government did not need to support the elderly and the disabled or that there need be little concern about the environment. In 1996, Russian members of focus groups in Estonia showed a high degree of understanding of the tradeoffs between economic opportunities and increase in social inequality, impoverishment of the elderly, and increased costs of educational opportunities for the young. The results for Russians in Estonia may or may not parallel the views of people in Russia. Further research in Russia can reveal the extent to which views of personal action and of public policy in economic and social welfare areas do or do not cohere., which can throw light on likely public support for various initiatives in Russia in the future.

Dataset(s): Soviet Interview Project: 1983. Family Life in Estonia Survey: 1991. Identity Formation and Social Issues in Estonia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan: 1996-97.