Gleaning for Communism: The Soviet Socialist Household in Theory and Practice

Name: Gleaning for Communism: The Soviet Socialist Household in Theory and Practice
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Book Synopsis: Gleaning for Communism is a historical ethnography of the property regime upon which Soviet legal scholars legislated a large modern state as a household, with guaranteed rights to a commons of socialist property, rather than private possessions. Starting with former Leningrad workers' everyday stories about smuggling industrial scrap home over factory fences, Xenia Cherkaev traces collectivist ethical logic that was central to this socialist household economy, in theory and practice: from its Stalin-era inception, through Khrushchev's major foregrounding of communist ethics, to Gorbachev's perestroika, which unfurled its grounding tension between the interests of any given collective and of the socialist household economy itself. A story of how the socialist household economy functioned, how it collapsed, and how it was remembered, this book is haunted throughout by a spectral image of the totalitarian state, whose jealous political control over the economy leads it to trample over all that which ought to be private. Underlying this image, and the neoliberal state phobia it justified, is the question of how individual interests ought to relate to the public good in a large modern society, which, it is assumed, cannot possibly function by the non-private logics of householding. This book tells the story of a large modern society that did.

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Are you fascinated by the history of the Soviet Union and its unique societal structure? Look no further than "Gleaning for Communism: The Soviet Socialist Household in Theory and Practice". This captivating historical ethnography dives deep into the property regime that governed the Soviet state like a household, with an emphasis on communal ownership of socialist property. Learn about the collectivist ethical logic that shaped this socialist economy, from its inception under Stalin to its collapse and subsequent remembrance.

Join author Xenia Cherkaev on a journey through the everyday stories of former Leningrad workers, who braved the challenges of smuggling industrial scrap home over factory fences. Discover the fundamental principles that guided the lives of Soviet citizens, as well as the tensions that arose between collective interests and the socialist household economy. Cherkaev's meticulous research sheds light on the delicate balance between individual desires and the greater good, exploring how a large modern society could successfully operate based on non-private logics.

Grounded in solid historical evidence and interwoven with haunting imagery, "Gleaning for Communism" unveils the true nature of the totalitarian state and its relentless control over the economy. Delve into the complex dynamics of a society where private possessions took a backseat to the common good. Challenge your preconceived notions about large modern societies and witness the triumphs and tragedies of a system that ultimately crumbled under its own weight.

If you're ready to embark on a thought-provoking journey through Soviet history, click here to order "Gleaning for Communism: The Soviet Socialist Household in Theory and Practice" now.

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