Work Flows: Stalinist Liquids in Russian Labor Culture

20 Cooper Sq 20 Cooper Square, New York

  Dive into the fascinating world of “Work Flows” during our upcoming book discussion, exploring the evolution of “flow” as a crucial metaphor in Russian labor culture since 1870. This thought-provoking book contends that the fascination with fluid channeling is deeply rooted in vertical power structures, whether embodied by the state in Stalin’s Soviet Union and present-day Russia or by corporate monopolies in the contemporary Anglo-American West. Originating in pre-revolutionary bio-utopianism, the Russian discourse on liquids and flow reached its zenith during Stalin’s First Five-Year Plan and resurfaced in post-Soviet “managed democracy” and Western neoliberalism. By unraveling the understudied theme…

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