Dynamics of the educational level of Udmurt women in the 1920s–1980s: main trends and results

Abstract

The paper presents the study of the educational level of Udmurt women in the 1920s–1980s. The methodol-ogy of the study is based on the theory of modernisation. The transition from the traditional society to modern is considered through the prism of the cultural changes that took place in the Soviet society, the most important component of which was the increase of the level of education within the population. The authors used general scientific methods (analysis, generalisation, description, systematisation), special-historical methods (historical-chronological, historical-genetic and historical-systematic), as well as statistical methods used in demography. As the main sources, the study employed population census materials, including those unpublished (Russian Census of 1920 and Soviet Censuses of 1926, 1939, 1959, 1970, 1979, and 1989). Some of the documents containing information about the population are introduced into scientific discourse for the first time. The authors distinguish and characterise 3 stages. In the 1920s, the most important objective was to combat illiteracy and create national schools. It is concluded that the level of education of the Udmurt population, especially Udmurt village women, was significantly lower than that in the region and in the Russian Republic in general. This tendency would mani-fest itself throughout the entire study period. In the 1930s–1950s, there was a gradual change of the objectives of educating people of particular nationalities, among other, under the influence of the wartime factors. In the 1950s–1980s, there was a gradual increase in the level of education of Udmurt women, including professional education, and dilution of ethnic and gender differences, whilst the age differences in the level of education remained.