ABSTRACT
One of the key purposes of this book is to show how the diverse experiences of Russian economic sectors and regions throw up several challenges for the concept of globalization. On the one hand, much of the evidence confirms the picture of a society rapidly transformed by internationally connected processes of development. On the surface many of the economic and political changes taking place in Russia reflect some sense of global convergence around market democratic norms. Many other Russian features, however, are entirely at odds with this picture. The next step is to attempt to understand why and how these complicated and nonconformist Russian features can be understood in a more general manner. It is not sufficient to say simply that Russia is unique, or that different regions have specific processes and outcomes. This would be an unacceptable slide into subjectivism and description, making further analysis impossible. We need to be able to explain and predict change as well. Instead, it is crucial that divergence is thought about within an overarching framework of postsocialist socio-economics. By examining one region in detail and then attempting to contextualize this region’s experiences within a broader context of postsocialist organizational change, some general principles about Russian post-Soviet states and markets can be uncovered.
