Russian Youth

The true value of this work, it is firmly believed, rests in its 'firstness,' and in its heuristic effects. Thus, the ultimate conclusions and implications are yet to be drawn. It was with these words that I concluded my book Russian Youth - Law, Deviance, and the Pursuit of Freedom in 1995. So, here we are now, some 20+ years hence. What can be said -- what can I say -- about any further and "ultimate" conclusions and implications? In the generation that has passed, what have we learned about the ruleof law, legality, legal reasoning, and deviance in Russia? And what about the general subject of legal socialization - how young people learn about rules, norms and laws; what their attitudes about rules and laws are; and, if and whether this knowledge and these attitudes shape their behavior? These were all areas that were the subjects of Russian Youth. Before venturing into what can now be said about these various topics - which is a fair amount - let me mention at the outset what I cannot say. RussianYouth was built around two empirical studies - surveys of youth - conducted first in the period 1987-1990, and then subsequently in 1992. Both American and Russian young persons were included in these surveys"--