Russia's Factory Children: State, Society, and Law, 1800-1917 (Pitt Russian East European)
“Much more than a pathbreaking history of child labor in Russia, this book sheds new light on a stunning array of topics, from the pioneering medical studies that identified children's distinctive brain functions and physical capacities, to the radicalizing of a generation of young Russian factory workers. You need not be a Russian historian to benefit from this book's insights into the development of social welfare policy, the construction of age categories, and the roots of revolution.”—Steven Mintz, Columbia University“This balanced and judicious survey provides an overview of child labor practices and legislation in the century leading up to the Russian Revolution. Gorshkov argues that the relationship with the autocracy was more 'interactional' than confrontational, and that the Russian state was capable of responding positively to public pressure. Adopting a comparative framework in his investigation of child labor laws, he problematizes the notion of 'Russian backwardness' and seeks to normalize Russian history.”—Ben Eklof, Indiana University“Gorshkov's seminal study of child labor in late imperial Russia displays impeccable scholarship. After analyzing preindustrial child labor, he examines legislative and public debates which resulted in the 1882 Child Labor Law. Gorshkov concludes the work with analysis of the impact of the law and references to the question of child labor in our contemporary world.”—Alice K. Pate, Columbus State University