The Soviet Dream World of Retail Trade and Consumption in the 1930s

In the early 1930s Soviet authorities launched a campaign to create "socialist" retailing. They also endorsed Soviet consumerism. Paradoxically, Communist leaders promoted a new politics of retailing and consumption even as scarcity persisted and the economy continued to prioritize industrial produc [...]
Visa längre beskrivning

In the early 1930s Soviet authorities launched a campaign to create "socialist" retailing. They also endorsed Soviet consumerism. Paradoxically, Communist leaders promoted a new politics of retailing and consumption even as scarcity persisted and the economy continued to prioritize industrial production at the expense of daily necessities for consumers. How did the Stalinist regime reconcile retailing and consumption with socialism? In exploring this question, this book examines the discourses of trade and consumption, trade policies, social identities, gender roles, and consumer practices that the Stalinist regime's new approach to retailing and consumption engendered. By situating Soviet retailing and consumer culture in a broader comparative context, this book sheds light on how modern industrial states and societies in the interwar era responded to the challenges of mass distribution and consumption.