Food, clothing and shelter are central elements in a life-style, but there are many others. Everybody has a wide variety of needs which, though less immediate, may be of considerable social importance. The nature of these needs depends on the individual's proclivities and the constraints which his various social roles impose on him. Participation in the educational process, access to medical and legal services, and certain time uses are what we have chosen for analysis here.

Once again we find great difficulty in mapping salient patterns. Most of the information available is even less specific than that considered in Chapter Three, so we must adjust our treatment accordingly. The educational and medical services provided by the state will be analysed in terms of their general accessibility to poor people and what, if anything, inhibits use. Some common activities may be best measured by the hours and minutes they require, so here we ask how poverty is likely to affect time inputs. In a few instances, when material is unavailable from official sources, we shall adduce relevant results from our emigre survey.

A ‘POVERTY-ORIENTATED’ SCHOOL?

The Soviet authorities have always attached considerable importance to education, and have constructed one of the most comprehensive educational systems in the world. Poverty in most capitalist states is usually coupled with an inability to take advantage of educational opportunity, even when it is offered. The more favoured social groups tend to procure the best facilities for themselves and their children, to the detriment of the underprivileged. Here we need to consider how successful the Soviet authorities have been in countering such propensities.