Higher education is an essential element in developing a country's innovative potential, and this has been recognised as such by politicians and those who work in the industry. However, one of the blights of contemporary Russian society, corruption threatens the potential of the next generation. Corruption has permeated all levels of society,…

Social systems, like biological systems, sometimes manifest dysfunctions that could be considered forms of "social disease." The author interprets the term "social diseases" as "persistent dysfunctions of social relations" that disrupt the normal functioning of particular elements of society or the entire social…

This paper considers corruption in higher education in Russia as reflected in the national media, including such aspects as corruption in admissions to higher education institutions and corruption in administering the newly introduced standardized test. The major focus is on the opinions of the leading figures of the education reform as related to…

What is man? How do people differ in terms of their biological and psychological characteristics? What determines their thoughts, desires, and actions? These eternal questions, which have confronted thinkers and scientists since antiquity, relate directly to problems of upbringing. Under current conditions, it is increasingly obvious that to…

Reports on a 1993 study of the social attitudes and life plans of Russian high school graduates in 21 urban areas. Finds that students are concerned about unemployment, the future, and the declining state of their families' financial position. Includes eight tables of statistical data. (CFR)

Profiles current Russian research on political culture and values. Reports on a study of the spread of materialist and postmaterialist values among nearly 6,000 Russians between 1984 and 1993. Discusses the social and demographic variables that exert the greatest influence on the spread of values. (CFR)

Presents an example of current Russian cultural criticism. Articulates a diatribe against the current state of Russian culture and its influence on that country's youth. Condemns the influx of Western influences, sex and violence in the media, and the glorification of a drug culture through popular music. (MJP)

Reports on the social orientation and educational plans of 1,630 Russian ninth-graders in 21 urban areas. Asserts that family differences have a significant influence on students' future educational plans. Students hold knowledge and science in less esteem because of the recent declining income of college graduates. (CFR)