False Theoretical Synthesis – The Brake of Real Practice Methodological Notes on the Dissolution of the USSR)

Theoretical synthesis in scientific disciplines is when new doctrines, the necessary revision of basic premises and the renewal of methodology are integrated in already existing theoretical knowledge. The need for theoretical synthesis is determined by changes in real practice, which require adequate scientific analysis. From this point of view, the paper analyses the political economy of socialism and Soviet sociology, which (along with scientific communism) were the major elements of Marxist social science in the USSR. Accordingly, the common methodological basis of both the political economy of socialism and Soviet sociology were the ideas of Marxism-Leninism and the model of socialist society which was based on them. It is shown that, despite repeated attempts undertaken by representatives of both disciplines, to critically analyse the concepts used in this methodology and to introduce new categories and conceptual additions, there was no significant update of the methodology. Therefore, necessary theoretical synthesis, in the course of which a phased «reset» and adaptation of theoretical knowledge to changing social reality takes place, did not occur either in the political economy of socialism or in Soviet sociology. The hypothesis that the «frozen methodology» of these sciences became the main obstacle to the adequate performance of their social functions, primarily prognostic and transformative, is justified. Thus, we associate the dissolution of the USSR with, among other things, the lag of the Soviet social sciences to reflect the needs of the socio-economic development of the nation. This lag is based on failures in the development and application of an adequate integral methodology for analysing the problems which built up in the USSR and to identify solutions.

Keywords

Soviet sociology, theoretical synthesis, USSR, political economy of socialism

Received

18.12.2021

Publication date

24.12.2021

Number of characters

26460

Cite

GOST	Kirdina-Chandler S. False Theoretical Synthesis – The Brake of Real Practice Methodological Notes on the Dissolution of the USSR) // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2021. – Issue 12 C. 27-36 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250016308-1-1-en (circulation date: 01.05.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250016308-1
MLA	Kirdina-Chandler, Svetlana G "False Theoretical Synthesis – The Brake of Real Practice Methodological Notes on the Dissolution of the USSR)." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 12 (2021):27-36. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250016308-1
APA	Kirdina-Chandler S. (2021). False Theoretical Synthesis – The Brake of Real Practice Methodological Notes on the Dissolution of the USSR). Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (12), pp.27-36 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250016308-1

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 606

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Abalkin L.I. (2000) Selected Works in Four Volumes. Vol. 1. Moscow: OAO «NPO “Ekonomika”». (In Russ.)
2. Bulygina T.A. (2000) Social Sciences in the USSR: 1945–1985. 2nd ed. Moscow: MADI: IGI. (In Russ.)
3. Carrigan M. (2014) Can We Have A ‘Turn’ to End All Turns? July 13, 2014. URL: https://markcarrigan.net/2014/07/13/can-we-have-a-turn-to-end-all-turns/  (accessed 09.07.2021).
4. Cronin B. (2008) The sociological turn in information science. Journal of Information Science. No. 4: 465–475.
5. Drobizheva L.M. (2021) 1990s’ experience and cultural diversity management. Sotsiologicheskiye issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 8: 36–47. (In Russ.)
6. Dzarasov S.S., Menshikov S.M., Popov G.Kh. (2004) The Fate of Political Economy and Its Soviet Classic. Moscow: Alpina Biznes Buks. (In Russ.)
7. Fedotov G.P. (1994) On Holiness, Intelligentsia and Bolshevism. St. Petersburg: SPbU. (In Russ.)
8. Glezerman G.E., Kelly V.J., Pilipenko N.V. (1971) Historical materialism –the theory and methodology of scientific cognition and revolutionary actions. Kommunist [Communist]. No. 4: 60–70. (In Russ.)
9. Kirdina S.G. (2006) «Shine and poverty» of the political economy of socialism (a hypothesis based on the institutional analysis of Russian society). Zhurnal ekonomicheskoy theorii [Journal of Economic Theory]. No. 2: 19–39. (In Russ.)
10. Kirdina S.G. (2014) Institutional Matrices and Development in Russia. An Introduction to X&Y Theory. 3rd ed. Moscow; St. Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriya. (In Russ.)
11. Kirdina S.G. (2015) Institutionalism in Russia in 1930-2010s: an Inversion Cycle? Journal of Institutional Studies. No. 2: 6–37. (In Russ.)
12. Kravchenko S.A. (2012) Complex socium: Need for the turns in sociology. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 5: 19–29. (In Russ.)
13. Kuznetsova T.E. (2005) On the History of the Institute of Economics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (USSR Academy of Sciences): Conjectures and Realities. Moscow: IE RAN. (In Russ.)
14. Lenin V.I. (1967) Full Composition of Writings. 5th ed. Vol. 4. Moscow: Polit. lit-ra. (In Russ.)
15. Mears D.P., Stafford M.C. (2002) Central analytical issues in the generation of cumulative sociological knowledge. Sociological Focus. No. 35: 5–24.
16. Menshikov S.M. (2007) About Time and Myself. Memories. Moscow: «Mezhdunarodnye otnocheniya». (In Russ.)
17. Nikiforov A.A. (2014) Problems of The Synthesis of Scientific Research Programs: A Conceptual Aspect. URL: https://www.econ.msu.ru/ext/lib/Article/x22/x6e/8814/file/Thesis_Nikiforov_Rudakova.doc  (accessed 12.02.2021). (In Russ.).
18. Nureev R.M., Orekhovsky P.A. (2021) Debates around the basic production relationship in political economy of socialism: The cognitive deadlock in the 1970s. Zhurnal Economicheskoj teorii [Russian Journal of Economic Theory]. No. 2: 185–196. (In Russ.).
19. Osipova N.G. (2015) Sociology in the USSR. 2015. URL: https://www.socio.msu.ru/index.php/%D0%BE-%D1%84%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B5/%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8/247-sr_04  (accessed 10.03.2021)
20. Ostrovityanov K.V. (1972) Development of the Economic Doctrine of Marx by Lenin. In: Selected Works in Two Volumes. Vol. 1. Moscow: Nauka. (In Russ.)
21. Paget H. (1995) Sociology: After the linguistic and multicultural turns. Sociological Forum. Vol. 10. No. 4: 633–652.
22. Pavlov A.V. (2021) Post-Marxism in sociology. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 4: 74–84. (In Russ.)
23. Political Economy. (1953) Textbook. Second, revised edition. Moscow: Gospolitizdat, AN: IE. (In Russ.)
24. Romanovsky N.V. (2009) Contemporary sociology: the determinants of changes. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 12: 26–35. (In Russ.)
25. Shabanova M.A. (1991) Seasonal and Permanent Migration of the Population in the Rural Area: A Comprehensive Sociological and Statistical Study. Novosibirsk: Nauka, Sibirsk. otd. (In Russ.)
26. Shapiro N.A. (2015) The values and meanings of the scientific school of N.A. Tsagolov. Problemy sovremennoy ekonomiki [Problems of Modern Economy]. Vol. 55. No. 3: 78–83. (In Russ.)
27. Simonyan R.H. (2021) Нow the Soviet Union could be preserved (Baltic angle). Sotsiologicheskiye issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 8: 64–73. (In Russ.)
28. Szelenyi I. (2015) The triple Crisis of Sociology. April 20, 2015. URL: https://contexts.org/blog/the-triple-crisis-of-sociology  (accessed 09.07.2021).
29. The Sociological Turn in Translation and Interpreting Studies. (2014) Claudia V. Angelelli (Ed.) Benjamins Current Topics. No. 66. E-Book.
30. Toshchenko Zh.T. (2021) Was the geopolitical catastrophe of the USSR man-made? Sotsiologicheskiye issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 8: 3–13. (In Russ.)
31. Urry J. (2005) The complexity turn. Theory, Culture & Society. 2005. Vol. 22. No. 5: 1–14.
32. Voeikov M.I. (2012) Soviet Political Economy: Estimates and Reassessments. Moscow: IE RAN. (In Russ.)
33. Walby S. (2021) Developing the concept of society: Institutional domains, regimes of inequalities and complex systems in a global era. Current Sociology. Vol. 69. No. 3: 315–332.
34. Woodford M. (2010) Convergence in macroeconomics: Elements of the new synthesis. Voprosy Ekonomiki [Economic Issues]. No. 10: 17–30. (In Russ.)
35. Zaslavskaya T.I. (2007) Selected Works: in 3 volumes. Vol. 3. My Life: Recollections and Reflections. Moscow: ZAO «Ekonomika». (In Russ.)