ABSTRACT
Developed socialism has both "orthodox" and "reformist" implications; and political factions and groups in the various bloc nations have appealed to the ones most consonant with their own interests. The acquisition of income to purchase various goods and services is the first step in consumption. Income itself can be a complex concept in that it is possible to distinguish among several types of income accruing to individuals. Rising incomes in bloc countries led to a massive upsurge in consumption that was only slightly tarnished by the continuing low quality of many consumer goods and by the large gap that existed between Eastern and Western consumption. The chapter considers the development of social consumption in the Soviet bloc. Poland during the 1960s forms an exception to this generalization about the comparative growth rates of real income and consumption since consumption growth rates are about double the minuscule gains in real income.
