The destruction of the village commune, the massive social mobility of former
nizy into the verkhi, and a set of more long-term policies, particularly lifting the educational level of the masses, combined to lessen the differences between the Russians above and below.
Other categories are available but are not considered, such as
nizy or prostoliud'e.
He does not really show how the verbal consensus that both he and Melancon describe fits in with his earlier thesis of extreme alienation between
nizy and verkhi, because henever clearly sets out this thesis in the book under review (perhaps assuming, wrongly, that we have all read and accurately remember his 1964-65 articles).
At times, the
nizy, and their growing dissatisfaction with Khrushchev, are accorded real influence, but at others it is claimed--more convincingly--that the authorities ignored all but the most "anti-Soviet" opposition and pushed on regardless with their planned policies.
