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Russian patience : a reasonable behavior and a social strategy*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Vladimir Shlapentokh
Vladimir Shlapentokh
Affiliation:
Michigan State University(East Lansing).
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Abstract

In 1992–1994 the Russian people met with a drop in their standard of living and suffered from a rapid deterioration of public services. Yet their dissatisfaction did not manifest itself in collective protest actions. Their patience can be explained as a consequence of their desire for order, their pessimism, their capacity to adapt to difficult situations and, above all, by their evaluation of virtual outcomes. Convinced that protests would not lead to any positive results, the Russian people preferred to rely on patience rather than action. A rejoinder, by Marie Mendras, traces this discussion back to its Western antecedents.

En 1992–1994, les Russes ont connu une chute de niveau de vie et subi la détérioration rapide des services publics. Pourtant, leur insatisfaction ne s'est pas traduite en actions collectives de protestation. Leur patience s'explique par le désir d'ordre, le pessimisme, la capacité d'adaptation aux conditions difficiles et, surtout, l'évaluation du résultat virtuel [en anglais : evaluation of virtual outcome]. Convaincu que la protestation n'apportera aucun résultat positif, le Russe préfere la patience à l'action. Une note critique par Marie Mendras rappelle les cheminements de cette discussion en Occident.

Zwischen 1992 und 1994 haben die Russen einen Rückgang ihres Lebensstandards und eine schnelle Verschlechterung des öffentlichen Dienstes hinnehmen müssen. Ihrer Unzufriedenheit verliehen sie aber nicht durch allgemeine Protestaktionen Ausdruck; ihre Geduld erklärt sich durch ihren Wunsch nach Ordnung, ihren Pessismus, ihre Anpassungsfahigkeit in schwierigen Situationen und vor alien Dingen die Einschätzung dessen, was dabei herauskommen könnte (auf Englisch: evaluation of virtual outcome). Überzeugt, daß eine Protestaktion kein positives Ergebnis bringen würde, zieht der Russe die Geduld der Tat vor. Dr. Marie Mendras erläutert den Urspung dieser Diskussion in der wissenschaflicher Literatur.

Type
L'âme russe
Information
European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , November 1995 , pp. 247 - 280
Copyright
Copyright © Archives Européenes de Sociology 1995

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