Book Everyday stalinism vs

How was the Soviet Union like a soup kitchen In this important and highly revisionist work historian Sheila Fitzpatrick explains that a reimagining of the Communist state as a provider of goods for the deserving poor can be seen as a powerful metaphor for understanding Soviet life as a whole By positioning the state both as a provider and as a relief agency Fitzpatrick establishes it as not so much a prison the metaphor favoured by many of her predecessors but the agency that made possible a way of life. Everyday Stalinism epubs Fitzpatrick s real claim to originality however is to look at the relationship between the all powerful totalitarian government and its own people from both sides and to demonstrate that the Soviet people were not totally devoid of either agency or resources Rather they successfully developed practices that helped them to navigate everyday life at a time of considerable danger and multiple shortages For many Fitzpatrick shows becoming an informer and reporting fellow citizens even family and friends to the state was a successful survival strategy. Everyday Stalinism book Fitzpatrick s work is noted mainly as an example of the critical thinking skill of reasoning she marshals evidence and arguments to deliver a highly persuasive revisionist description of everyday life in Soviet time However her book has been criticized for the way in which it deals with possible counter arguments not least the charge that many of the interviewees on whose experiences she bases much of her analysis were not typical products of the Soviet system Everyday Stalinism The Macat Library Very repetative but that got the points across very clearly I guess English