Kupriianov Boris

Children’s and adults’ conventions of the soviet past (on materials of present-day memoirs about pioneer camps of the 1960–80s)

Abstract

In order to reconstruct children’s and adult’s conventions in prioneer camps of the 1960-80s, this article uses fi ndings of the economic theory of conventions, the theses of “modus vivendi” (temporary agreement), M. Foucault’s statements on “discursive ensembles”, on the range of roles of participants in certain relations, on the theoretical construction of “making disciplined”, as well as the concept of oral history. The study is aimed to characterise the process of conventionalisation of the child’s relationship with adults in the pioneer camp using present-day memories of events of the second half of the twentieth century. The main method involves structured interviews conducted in 2017–2019 in fi ve territories (North-West and Central Russia, Urals, Siberia). The respondents were born in 1953–1973; as a result, fragments of 139 interviews were processed. To reconstruct the parent-child conventions, we analysed the situation when a trip to the pioneer camp was undesirable for a child. As a result of processing the materials, two types of conventions were identifi ed (primary and secondary); the primary convention came to be a result of the parents’ concessions and could be maintained throughout the entire camp shift; the secondary convention was activated in circumstances where conditions of the primary convention were unacceptable for the child. The convention of children with camp group leaders in the pioneer camp was studied on the material of children’s pranks. Based on the results of the interview, it was possible to evaluate the strategies of camp leaders’ response to children’s pranks in the context of tactical results and possible consequences, from the point of view of ensuring the child’s safety, observing labour discipline and offi cial duties as a pioneer camp employee.

Keywords

history of Soviet childhood, pioneer camp, parent-child relations, relations of camp group leaders and children, theory of social conventions

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Information about the author

Kupriianov Boris

Academic Degree: Doctor of Sciences* in Education;
Academic Rank: Professor;
Place of work: Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology of Education, Moscow City Pedagogical University;
Post: Professor;
ORCID: 0000-0002-1041-6056;
Email: boriskuprianoff2012@yandex.ru.

*According to ISCED 2011, a post-doctoral degree called Doctor of Sciences (D.Sc.) is given to reflect second advanced research qualifications or higher doctorates.

Acknowledgments

The article was financially supported by RFFI, project No. 18-013-00890a. Thanks to I. Demakova and I. Kolesnikova for supporting the idea of studying children's pranks. Colleagues A. Kudryashov, R. Lebedev, I. Smirnova for their participation in the development of this idea.