Behavior practices of a “new woman” in the conditions of mass famine in early 1920s

Abstract

The article discusses the behavioral practices of a "new woman" in the conditions of mass famine in the early 1920s. It is noted that this social group was inconsiderable in number, but its influence in public life was very high. The author draws attention to the social origin of the representatives of this social group, the level of their education, the specifics of the worldview formation based on the ideals of universal equality and justice. It was noted that the behavior of the “new women” in conditions of mass starvation significantly differed from the generally accepted patterns, such as seeking help from the authorities, migrating to other regions, selling property, begging and other social deviations. The desire to contribute to the construction of a socialist society led to the ignorance of the problem of hunger and a reorientation from their daily life to social life. This was manifested in the behavior of the “new woman” in the form of collecting funds for the needs of the hungry, selfless work, refusal to relocate to prosperous areas. Social class background – origin from peasants and workers, high involvement in social activities, young age, membership in the Komsomol organisation were the factors that formed non-standard options for survival in the situation of mass famine among the “new women”. It is concluded that the conditions of hunger contributed to the strengthening of the social positions of the “new women”, their further advancement on the social ladder. The downside of strengthening the social position of the “new women” was the further erosion of the foundations of their traditional perception of the world based on family and motherhood.