Russia s Economy of Favours: Blat, Networking and Informal Exchange

Alena V. Ledeneva

ISBN 10: 0521627435 / ISBN 13: 9780521627436

Published by Cambridge University Press, 1998

About this Item

This book examines the little-known phenomenon of blat - the use of informal contacts and personal networks to obtain goods and services under the rationing which pervaded Soviet Russia. Series: Cambridge Russian, Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies. Num Pages: 256 pages, 19 b/w illus. 9 tables. BIC Classification: 1DVUA; JFF; KCP. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational; (U) Tertiary Education (US: College). Dimension: 230 x 152 x 15. Weight in Grams: 390. . 1998. Paperback. . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland.

Seller Inventory # V9780521627436

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Russia s Economy of Favours: Blat, Networking and Informal Exchange
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521627435
• ISBN 13: 9780521627436
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

This book examines the little-known phenomenon of blat--the use of informal contacts and personal networks to obtain goods and services under the rationing that pervaded Soviet Russia. Alena Ledeneva analyzes the historical, socioeconomic and cultural aspects of blat, and explores its implications for post-Soviet Russia. The political and economic reforms introduced since the collapse of the Soviet Union have radically affected everyday practices, but an understanding of blat remains crucial for interpreting the social, economic and criminal problems that affect the development of a market economy in post-Soviet Russia.

Review

"The book represents a significant new stage in research by scholars trained in Russia." Michael Paul Sacks, The Russian Review

"Ledeneva's analysis is careful, well-presented, subtle, and intelligent." Slavic Review

"Russia's Economy of Favours makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of the late Soviet period, of the informal side of Soviet society, and of the social effects of the collapse of the Soviet union." Journal of Modern History