This thesis analyzes the work of Vasily Shuksin, an actor, director and writer in the Soviet Union during the Khrushchev and early Brezhnev eras, roughly 1958-1974. Shukshin's short stories, in particular, are of great value to anyone interested in Soviet attitudes during this period. The research suggests that Shukshin's work represents a sort of underground history. While the writer's stories are fictional, the issues are very real. Much of Shukshin's work provided the means for discussion on important topics such as gender relationships, alcohol use, and religious worship.Under Communism, nearly all sources of information were unable to tell the truth about Soviet society, but Shukshin's depictions of Soviet life appear to present a truer picture of the Khrushchev and Brezhnev eras. The author portrays women as "second class citizens" and often equates them with evil, while Shukshin's depictions of drunken males indicate that alcoholism was a serious problem in the Soviet Union. Finally, the author's religious symbolism provides evidence that Russian Orthodoxy was alive and well, despite a Communist government that continued to wage war against religion. / Department of History

Sociology has remained for years on the fringe of Sovietological pursuits, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Yet, few have made a serious effort to systematically examine sociological Sovietology. To partially compensate for such neglect, this study begins to explore the diversity of what sociology has studied and how it has gone about studying it. Of the fourteen topic areas pursued, only four inspired disagreement and variation. Most sociology has studied the Soviet Union non-comparatively. And the most common theoretical perspective used is the functional perspective. A large number of these functional analyses close upon elements of the political institution without taking full advantage of the various methods and approaches available, sociology's role in American Sovietology will likely remain limited.

This study focuses on a description of demographic trends in the Soviet Union since 1917: changes in the labor force, economic problems, social conditions, rapid urbanization, changes in education and the eudcational level of Soviet citizens. Data available are from secondary sources. This research concludes that the Soviet Union has changed from a rural agricultural to a major industrial power. The population of the Soviet Union has increased since 1917. The rapid change created shortages in housing that still have not been solved. The shortages in consumer goods and clothing are a result of insufficient planning by Soviet leaders. The political implications of all the changes in Sovet lifestyles have been fairly limited. Unless the government solves the problems of availability of housing, food, clothing, and consumer goods, political unrest is the likely outcome.