Sociological research in the Soviet period in the Republic of Bashkortostan

Considering society–sociology relations, we should recognize that their interdependence is very close. Society can not exist without sociological study; sociological doctrines “live” as long as they find confirmation in public organizations. In this regard, it is not quite correct to say that the Soviet society stood aside from sociology – the latter was represented by Marxism. That is another matter that Marxism, aimed to “utterly destroy the whole world”, did not approve sociological, especially empirical, research, as their results could hinder construction of a new world”.

The stated socialism foundations presupposed its further development on the basis of improvement of vital processes. Unfortunately, in our country the party could not meet the challenge of real life. Experiencing “hunger” of ideas, adequate to life, it still blindly followed the theory, proposing new slogans on the construction of communism, causing the population’s skeptic attitude to the values of socialism.

Meanwhile, the importance of the study of life processes is becoming more and more urgent. The researchers from the Republic of Bashkortostan made a significant contribu- tion to the revival of social science in our country. One of the first pioneers is Fahim Beniyaminovich Sadykov (he was born in 1928, Novomuslimovo, Mechetlinsky District of the Republic of Bashkortostan, died in 1998), Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Head of the Department of the Bashkir State University in 1969–1990. In the early 1950s he paid great attention to the study of the problems of efficiency of social institutions functioning in the socialist society. In 1953 he defended his thesis on “The role of Soviet science in the cultural and technical enthusiasm of employees”. It was one of the first works written on the basis of concrete sociological studies [1].

Over the years F.B. Sadykov studies the socialist society in general. In 1968 he published the work “Unity of the people and contradictions of socialism”, revealing contradictions of socialism.

The work by F.B. Sadykov was criticized by the Ideological Commission headed by Secretary of the CPSU CC M.A. Suslov as anti-Soviet and revisionist. After a few decades F.B. Sadykov writes: “Many of the ideas, put forward by me in the 1950–1960s and then officially critisized, were brought to life with the beginning of perestroika... but it was too late, the rooted processes of decay of nomenklatura and the stagnation of the barrack-type socialism had already ruled out the possibility of radical positive changes in the Soviet society” [1].

Since the mid 1960s the development of sociological thought in the Republic of Bashkortostan has completely been on a scientific basis, that is, on the basis of research activities. Professor Nariman Abdrakhmanovich Aitov [2] is considered to be a pioneer. He headed the Department of Philosophy and Scientific Communism at the Ufa Aviation Institute in 1964–1988. On his initiative in 1965 the institute opened the first sociological laboratory in the republic.

The sociologists studied pressing social problems that require scientific understanding and development of practical measures for their resolution. One of the first areas of sociological research in the Republic of Bashkortostan is the development of scientific and practical issues of social planning. Social planning is a tool to solve problems of social development of labor collectives, communities and regions. It involves conducting research and making recommendations in all areas of their activity.

Thus, sociological research was not limited to one area, but had a complex character already at the initial stage of sociology development in the republic. For example, the plan of social development of the city stipulated activities in such areas as: optimization of the age and gender structure of the population; economic development of the city; welfare and improvement of life of the population; health promotion and development of physical culture and sports; development of education; regulation of the social structure of the urban population and social relations; growth of cultural and spiritual needs of the population; crime prevention; ideological work.

The results of the study were applied while preparing and implementing plans of social development of cities and agricultural districts of the Republic of Bashkortostan and other regions: Naberezhnye Chelny (the Republic of Tatarstan), Kamyshin (the Saratov Oblast), Magnitogorsk and Miass (the Chelyabinsk Oblast), Surgut (the Tyumen Oblast).

Then, a number of scientific studies, performed in the framework of social planning, were transformed into independent areas of sociological research.

In general, the Republic of Bashkortostan conducted large-scale sociological research in the 1960–1980s. It became an independent branch of scientific activity. The emerged Bashkir sociological school was recognized not only in our country but also abroad.

The new stage in the development of sociological science in the republic began, as in Russia as a whole, in the early 1990s.

Cited works

• 1.    Sadykov F.B. Specifics of Russian Civilization . Ufa: Gilem, 1998. P. 4.

• 2.    Aitov N.A. Social Development of the Regions . Moscow: Mysl’, 1985. 220 p.