Contradictory Interpretations of the Iron Curtain Political Stereotype in Collective Memory (a Case Study of Tolyatti Student Youth)

Abstract

The history of the Soviet period at the present stage is an arena of political confrontation. This is reflected in the existence of contradictions in the interpretations of the Soviet era events and phenomena. The purpose of the study is to identify contradictions in the interpretations of the political stereotype of the Iron Curtain, which are manifested in young people’s judgments about the Soviet period of history and modern society. The methodology of the study is based on the concepts of constructivism used for studying collective memory. The empirical base of the study includes materials from four focus groups that were held among students of three universities in Tolyatti. The results of the study showed that contradictions in the interpretations of the Iron Curtain are manifested in young people’s assessments of the Soviet time ideology and culture. In the attitude of young people to generations brought up under the influence of Soviet ideology, contradictions are found due to interpretations of the stereotype. The social identity of young people includes contradictory assessments of the Soviet way of life, taking into account contemporary attitudes to the West. The study identified differences between the functions of the “liberal” and “historical” interpretations of the Iron Curtain stereotype.