SOCA02H3 Lecture Notes - Post-Materialism, Materialism, Military Dictatorship
Document Summary
Seminars held in moscow to acquaint some leading sociologists in the soviet union with. Russia will never be a capitalism and democracy: b/c freedom means the powerful are free to compete unfairly against the powerless, creating social inequality, nearly 40% of pop live below poverty line. Out of 38 countries, 97% viewed democracy as ideal form of gov"t. Russian citizens equated democracy with distress, not freedom. In russia, voting levels are low, minority grps treated cruelly, different thn western democracies. 1st wave: began when more than half the white adult males in u. s. became eligible to vote. 33 countries enjoyed at least minimally democratic institutions. A democratic reversal occurred b/w 1922 and 1942. During that period, fascist, communist, and militaristic movements caused 2/3rds of the world"s democracies to fall under authoritarian or totalitarian rule. T he allied victory in wwii returned democracy to many of the defeated powers, including west. 1/3rd of democracies were authoritarian regimes by 1970s.
