Intergenerational Social Mobility in Communist Russia

Abstract

Little is known about patterns of intergenerational social mobility in the former Soviet Union. Extant studies are unrepresentative or methodologically problematic. Using a new national sample from Russia, this paper examines absolute mobility rates for each sex, and relative rates for Russia in relation to Britain. It argues that, contrary to the conclusions reached by many Soviet sociologists during the communist era, Russia was not a `remarkably open' society. Relative mobility rates were in fact rather similar to those found in Britain. This conclusion is little undermined when educational attainment is taken into account.