Historical Evolution of Classes and Class Policy in the U.S.S.R

Starting from the premise that the evolution of social forces is the most enduring facet of the historical process, the author reconstructs the social history of the U.S.S.R., eastern Europe, and China, concluding that the industrial worker of peasant origin became the ideal social base of the Communist Party. The scientific-technological revolution, however, diminished the number, social status, and prestige of the manual workers, while increasing those of the intellectuals. Instead of social homogenization, we witness social differentiation in Eastern societies and with the introduction of market mechanisms a large middle-class is in the making. Therefore, political pluralism is no longer an option, it is a must.