Image and Experience of Law: Legal Socialization in Russia'S Transition

By Marina Arutiunian, Olga Zdravomyslova, Shantal' Kuril'ski-Ozhven October 2008, 208 pp. (145х215 mm) Hardcover ISBN: 978-5-7777-0422-1 Original title: Образ и опыт права: Правовая социализация в изменяющейся России Category: Legal Sciences / Social Sciences / Politics / History Readership: Scholars, policymakers, lawyers, students of history, legal, political and social sciences, general public Rights: Worldwide

Authors analyze the results of comparative studies which took place in 1993 and in early 2000s. They focus on transformation of teenagers’ and adults’ images and perceptions on law as reflection of values’ and life strategies’ changes in the post-Soviet period. Authors come to conclusion that this transformation has gone too rapid. Previous attitudes toward law in general and repressive concept of law in particular are replacing by perceptions on individual rights and civil liberties. These processes spread first of all in the capital and among the youth, including those who live in the capital and province as well.

Besides, authors find that in everyday living Russians continue to prefer “traditional”, historically deep-rooted attitudes which were widely spread in the Soviet times. They argue that it is the result of stable images of corruption among judges, state officials, policemen often based on the respondents’ experience.

Authors show that the long-termed fundamental transformation should be the result of deep socio-political reforms including formation of the state based on law, trust to legal institutions, public discussion, creation of new traditions, etc.

Marina Arutiunian
Senior researcher of Gender Studies Laboratory of the Institute of Population of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Olga Zdravomyslova
Executive Director of the International Foundation for Social-Economic and Political Studies (Gorbachev Foundation)

Shantal’ Kuril’ski-Ozhven
Professor of Law Sociology, University Paris-10 Nanter (France)