Perestroyka and the problems of social‐differentiation

The following article traces the way in which the communist party in the ex‐Soviet Union came progressively to betray the principle of social justice that was the driving force behind the October Revolution. The gradual erosion of the social policy of the country has created a diverse and complex social stratification structure which is bound to worsen with the introduction of economic reforms. The author argues that unless the process of economic transformation is corrected by a strong social policy, not only is economic reform likely to be impeded, but the political stability of the country is also likely to deteriorate.