The Soviet Youth Program: Regimentation and Rebellion (Russian Research Center Studies, 49)

More than 53 million children and young men and women, at the time of publication, were members of the soviet youth organizations, the komsomol (young communist league) and the pioneers. These agencies, supported by the full power of the communist party, were responsible not only for political indoctrination but for molding the psychological make-up and social behavior of each new generation. Allen kassof, using direct and indirect sources and drawing on firsthand observation, presents the first sociological study of these organizations, analyzing their formal structure and political role and the actual techniques employed at the membership level in the effort to produce the ・€・new soviet man.・€・ although remarkably successful in many respects, the monolithic soviet youth program was confronted by a number of grave problems.