Soviet science under control: The struggle for influence
Roberg, Jeffrey Lawrence
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/19182
Description
Title
Soviet science under control: The struggle for influence
Author(s)
Roberg, Jeffrey Lawrence
Issue Date
1996
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Kanet, Roger E.
Department of Study
Political Science
Discipline
Political Science
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
History, European
History of Science
Political Science, General
Language
eng
Abstract
This dissertation examines the relationship between the political leadership of the Soviet Union and Soviet science. The most frequent characterization of this relationship is dominant and submissive, respectively. Most authors have written that the Communist Party of the Soviet Union exerted influence on scientists' careers, access to foreign scientific publications, and interaction with their foreign colleagues in the Soviet Union and the ability of scientists to travel abroad. While this characterization is correct, it tends to be uni-directional. Furthermore, the literature usually ignores the relationship between science and the Party in the decision-making arena. In this dissertation, I argue that the relationship between science and the leadership is better viewed as bi-directional. Thus, I argue that science had an influence on policy-makers in the areas of nuclear policy and human rights although not to the same degree as the Party had on science. This dissertation also examines the relationship between the natural sciences and the political leadership in the post-Soviet context.
This dissertation makes two contributions to the existing literature. First, it examines the question of influence by documenting the influence certain Soviet scientists had on the Communist Party. Most of the current Soviet scientific literature uses the perspective of the Communist Party to examine how influence was applied to scientists. And second, I develop a new definition of influence challenging both Robert Dahl's outcome-oriented definition as well as the process-oriented definitions of Dean Schooler Jr. and William Gamson.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.
