Russia's Economy of Favours: Blat, Networking and Informal Exchanges (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521627436)

This book examines the little-known phenomenon of blat--the use of informal contacts and personal networks to obtain goods and services under the rationing that pervaded Soviet Russia. Alena Ledeneva analyzes the historical, socioeconomic and cultural aspects of blat, and explores its implications for post-Soviet Russia. The political and economic reforms introduced since the collapse of the Soviet Union have radically affected everyday practices, but an understanding of blat remains crucial for interpreting the social, economic and criminal problems that affect the development of a market economy in post-Soviet Russia.

Author: Alena V. Ledeneva
ISBN-10: 0521627435
ISBN-13: 9780521627436
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 08/06/1998
Pages: 256
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.14h x 6.10w x 0.68d