Engineering and technical intelligence: definitions and historiography of research

Main Article Content

Т. Chubina
О. Spirkina
S. Korotiaiev

Abstract

Abstract. Introduction. The rapid development of the region’s industry has led to the expansion (and sometimes the emergence) of the region’s engineering and technical intelligentsia.


The study of the engineering and technical intelligentsia as a special socio-professional group of intellectuals in the light of the attention of modern domestic researchers to the so-called small social groups is of undoubted scientific interest. However, researchers face a methodological problem associated with insufficient development of the social and professional structure of the intelligentsia. In Ukrainian historiography, the criteria for belonging to the engineering and technical intelligentsia are not sufficiently developed and it also does not have a single term that would mean this social and professional group. In most cases, researchers use the terms «industrial and technical intelligentsia», «engineering and technical workers», «engineering and technical personnel», «technical intelligentsia», etc. We believe that this is not entirely true, although it is impossible not to agree with the opinion of one of the researchers of the Soviet technical intelligentsia – O. V. Struchenkov, who noted the stylistic convenience of using all these terms.


The purpose of the research is to study the history of the development of the concept of «engineering and technical intelligentsia» in Soviet and Ukrainian historiography and put forward its own interpretation of the definition.


Methods. The leading approach of this article is an interdisciplinary one. The conceptual apparatus of this scientific work is characterized by the usage of terms and categories both traditionally historical and borrowed from other contiguous sciences (sociology, culture study and others).


Results. Despite the large number of points of view in the definition of the concept of «intelligentsia», most of them are reduced to the two largest ones: ethical and sociological.


According to the first point of view, formed before the revolution, the intelligentsia is understood as the so-called spiritual elite of the nation, the «guardian» of universal and national values, which differs from the broad masses of specialists and from the ruling bureaucracy. According to the second one, the intelligentsia is considered as a mass social and professional stratum, the main criterion for belonging to which is the occupation of professional intellectual work. Most researchers consider the intelligentsia from a sociological perspective. This concept significantly reduces the level of subjectivism in determining the criteria for belonging to the category of intelligentsia.


Most definitions of the term «intelligentsia» are based on the category of «intellectual work», which is characteristic of this social group of society. According to a great number of researchers, the main criterion for belonging to the intelligentsia is the nature of work. However, the occupation of intellectual work is characteristic not only of the intelligentsia, but also of employees. Solving the issue of distinguishing these social groups of society, researchers made attempts to find professional features in the very nature of knowledge work, as a result of which the question of its criteria arose.


The authors of sociological works in relation to socialist society consider the concept of «employees» more broadly than «intellectuals», understanding by it people who are engaged not in physical, but in mental work, and are in the service of state organizations and institutions, as well as in the apparatus of public organizations. If the social boundaries of these two strata of society coincide, the intelligentsia acts as a kind of «top level» of employees. Thus, «employees», in the narrow sense of the word, are layers of people who are engaged in intellectual work, which remains minus the intelligentsia. This term is most often used in this sense. The differences between intellectuals and employees are determined by their level of qualification. Employees, unlike the intelligentsia, are engaged in less qualified intellectual work, which is less creative in nature. This type of work, according to some researchers, does not require long-term special training and special secondary education.


Thus, the educational qualification and qualification level become decisive, which is reflected in the definitions of the concept of «intelligentsia» that appear in the scientific literature. In the scientific works of historians, this approach has often been criticized, since it does not allow us to clearly distinguish the intelligentsia from employees.


Originality. The new definition of the concept «engineering and technical intelligentsia» was offered.


Conclusion. So, as a definition of engineering and technical intelligentsia, we offer the following: engineering and technical intelligentsia is a social and professional group engaged in qualified intellectual work in technical management, operation and scientific and technical preparation of production in the field of material production, which requires higher or secondary technical education.

Article Details

Section
Статті
Author Biographies

Т. Chubina

Chubina Tatiana – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Social Sciences of the Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety named after the Heroes of Chernobyl of the National University of Civil Defense of Ukraine

О. Spirkina

Spirkina Oksana – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of the Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety named after the Heroes of Chernobyl of the National University of Civil Defense of Ukraine

S. Korotiaiev

Korotiaiev Serhiy – Candidate of Historical Sciences, Lecturer-Methodist of Cherkasy Territorial Courses of Civil Defense and Life Safety of the 2nd category

References

Струченков О. В. Інженерно-технічна інтелігенція Донбасу (кінець 1920-х – 1930-і роки) : формування, умови життя, діяльність : дис. ... канд. іст. наук : спец. 07.00.01 «Історія України» / Струченков Олександр Вікторович ; Донецький національний ун-т. – Донецьк, 2008. – 277 с.

Классы, социальные слои и группы в СССР / АН СССР ; Ин-т философии ; [Отв. ред. Ц. А. Степанян, В. С. Семенов]. – Москва : Наука, 1968. – 163 c.

Карапетян О. Р. Интеллигенция в социальной структуре общества / О. Р. Карапетян. – Москва : [б. в.], 1974.

Лейкина-Свирская В. Р. Интеллигенция в России во второй половине XIX века / В. Р. Лейкина-Свирская. – Москва : Мысль, 1971. – 368 с.

Лейкина-Свирская В. Р. Русская интеллигенция в 1900–1917 годах. / В. Р. Лейкина-Свирская. – Москва : Мысль, 1981. – 285 с.

Ушаков А. В. Вопросы состава дореволюционной российской интеллигенции в отечественной историографии / А. В. Ушаков // Российская интеллигенция в отечественной и зарубежной историографии. – Иваново : [б. в.], 1995. – С. 122–124.

Олейник О. Ю. Советская интеллигенция в 30-е годы (теоретико-методологический и историографический аспекты) / О. Ю. Олейник. – Иваново : [б. в.], 1997. – С. 30–53.

Бессонов Б. Н. Интеллигенция и власть / Б. Н. Бессонов // Интеллигенция и власть. – Москва : [б. в.], 1992.

Наумова Т. Н. Интеллигенция и пути развития российского общества / Т. Н. Наумова // Социологические исследования. – 1995. – №3. – С. 39–46.

Ерман Л. К. Интеллигенция в первой русской революции / Л. К. Ерман. – Москва : Наука, 1966. – 373 с.

Руткевич М. Н. Интеллигенция в развитом социалистическом обществе / М. Н. Руткевич. – Москва : [б. в.], 1977. – С. 20–21.

Бейлин А. Е. Кадры специалистов в СССР / А. Е. Бейлин. – Москва : [б. в.], 1935. – 221 с.

Бармин И. П. Борьба партии Ленина-Сталина за подготовку инженерно-технических кадров для промышленности в первой сталинской пятилетке : дисс. … канд. ист. наук / И. П. Бармин. – Москва, 1950.

Лутченко А. И. Борьба партии и Советского государства за подготовку своей производственно-технической интеллигенции в первой пятилетке : дисс. …канд. ист. наук / А. И. Лутченко. – Л., 1950.

Сандин Г. А. Ленинградские большевики в борьбе за создание советской производственно-технической интеллигенции в годы первой сталинской пятилетки : дисс. … канд. ист. наук / Г. А. Сандин. – Л., 1952.

Федулов С. М. Борьба коммунистической партии Советского Союза за подготовку кадров советской технической интеллигенции и значение этой борьбы для выполнения первого пятилетнего плана и укрепления обороны страны : дисс. … канд. ист. наук / С. М. Федулов. – Москва, 1954.

Василевская Н. В. Формирование производственно-технической интеллигенции БССР. 1921–1941 / Н. В. Василевская ; АН БССР, Ин-т истории ; науч. ред. Е. И. Марченко. – Минск : Навука і тэхніка, 1986. – 157 с.

Волков В. С. Из опыта идейно-политической работы партии среди технической интеллигенции (1928–1937 гг.) / В. С. Волков // Учен. зап. Ленингр. гос. пед. ин-та им. А. И. Герцена. Общественные науки. – Великие Луки : [б. в.], 1969. – Т. 327. – С. 60–81.

Заузолков Ф. Н. Коммунистическая партия – организатор создания научной и производственно-технической интеллигенции СССР / Ф. Н. Заузолков. – Москва : изд-во Моск. ун-та, 1973. – 127 с.

Зелев М. В. Инженерно-техническая интеллигенция Среднего Поволжья в 1928–1941 гг. : дисс. … канд. ист. наук : спец. 07.00.02 «Отечественная история» / Зелев Михаил Владимирович ; Пензенский госуд. пед. ун-т им. В. Г. Белинского. – Пенза, 2001. – 282 с.

Радченко А. Н. Формирование и развитие технической интеллигенции Чувашской АССР в 1920–1991 гг.: автореф. дисс. на соискание науч. степени канд. ист. наук / А. Н. Радченко. – Чебоксары, 2000. – 19 с.

Федюкин С. А. Привлечение буржуазной технической интеллигенции к социалистическому строительству в СССР / С. А. Федюкин ; Акад. обществ. наук при ЦК КПСС ; кафедра истории советского об-ва. – Москва : изд-во ВПШ и АОН, 1960. – 87 с.

Федюкин С. А. Советская власть и буржуазные специалисты / С. А. Федюкин. – Москва : Мысль, 1965. – 255 с.

Гербач В. В. КПСС – организатор сотрудничества рабочего класса со старой технической интеллигенцией / В. В. Гербач. – Москва : изд-во МГУ, 1980. – 124 с.

Халиулин Г. Г. Производственно-техническая интеллигенция и рабочие : проблема социально-классовых отношений / Г. Г. Халиулин // Интеллигенция в советском обществе. – Кемерово : [б. в.], 1993. – С. 130–137.

Киселев Л. И. Деятельность партийных организаций Западной Сибири по укреплению высшей технической школы и совершенствованию системы подготовки инженерных кадров (1966–1970 гг.) : автореф. дисс. на соискание учен. степени канд. ист. наук / Л. И. Киселев. – Томск, 1974. – 23 с.

Куманев В. А. 30-е годы в судьбах отечественной интеллигенции / В. А. Куманев. – Москва : Наука, 1991. – 295 с.

Гараевская И. А. Российская инженерно-техническая интеллигенция (конец XIX – 30-е годы XX века) : краткий исторический очерк / И. А. Гараевская. – Москва : [б. в.], 1992.

Знаменский О. Н. Интеллигенция накануне Великого Октября (февраль – октябрь 1917 г.) / О. Н. Знаменский. – Л. : Наука, Ленингр. отд-ние, 1988. – 349 с.

Кугель С. А. Место и роль производственно-технической интеллигенции в социальной структуре советского обществ / С. А. Кугель, В. А. Устинова // Профессиональные отряды интеллигенции. – Москва [б. в.], 1985. – С. 14–21.

Кугель С. А. Техническая интеллигенция и тенденции ее развития / С. А. Кугель // Классы, социальные слои и группы в СССР. – Москва : [б. в.], 1968. – С. 172–173.

References

Struchenkov, O. V. (2008) Engineering and Technical Intelligentsia of Donbas (late 1920s–1930s): Formation, Living Conditions, Activities. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Donetskyi natsionalnyi un-t, Donetsk (in Ukr.).

Stepanyan, Tc. A., Semenov, V. S. (Eds.). (1968). Classes, Social Strata and Groups in the USSR. USSR Academy of Sciences; Institute of Philosophy; Moscow: Nauka. (in Russ.).

Karapetyan, O. R. (1974). Intelligentsia in the Social Structure of Society. Moscow (in Russ.).

Leikina-Svirskaya, V. R. (1971). Intelligentsia in Russia in the Second Half of the XIX Century. Moscow: Mysl. (in Russ.).

Leikina-Svirskaya, V. R. (1981). Russian Intelligentsia in the 1900s–1917s. Moscow (in Russ.).

Ushakov, A. V. (1995). Questions of the Composition of the Pre-Revolutionary Russian Intelligentsia in Russian Historiography. Rossijskaya intelligenciya v otechestvennoj i zarubezhnoj istoriografii (Russian Intelligentsia in Russian and Foreign historiography). Ivanovo: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Oleinik, O. Ju. (1997). Soviet Intelligentsia in the 30s (Theoretical, Methodological and Historiographical Aspects). Ivanovo: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Bessonov, B. N. (1992). Intelligentsia and Power. Moscow: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Naumova, T. N. (1995). Intelligentsia and Ways of Development of Russian Society. Sociologicheskie issledovaniya (Sociological research), №3. (in Russ.).

Yerman, L. K. (1966). Intelligentsia in the First Russian Revolution. Moscow: Nauka. (in Russ.).

Rutkevich, M. N. (1977). Intelligentsia in a Developed Socialist Society. Moscow: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Beilin, A. Je. (1935). Personnel of Specialists in the USSR. Moscow: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Barmin, I. P. (1950). The Struggle of the Lenin-Stalin Party for the Training of Engineering and Technical Personnel for Industry in the First Stalinist Five-Year Plan. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Мoscow. (in Russ.).

Lutchenko, A. I. (1950). The Struggle of the Party and the Soviet State for the Training of their Industrial and Technical Intelligentsia in the First Five-Year Plan. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Leningrad. (in Russ.).

Sandin, G. A. (1952). The Leningrad Bolsheviks in the Struggle for the Creation of the Soviet Industrial and Technical Intelligentsia during the First Stalinist Five-Year Plan. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Leningrad. (in Russ.).

Fedulov, S. M. (1954). The struggle of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union for the Training of Personnel of the Soviet Technical Intelligentsia and the Significance of this Struggle for the Implementation of the First Five-Year Plan and the Strengthening of the Country’s Defense. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Moscow. (in Russ.).

Vasilevskaya, N. V. (1986). Formation of the Industrial and Technical Intelligentsia of the BSSR. 1921–1941. Minsk: Navuka i tehnika; AN BSSR, In-t istorii. (in Russ.).

Volkov, V. S. (1969). From the Experience of the Ideological and Political Work of the Party among the Technical Intelligentsia (1928–1937 гг.). Uchen. zap. Leningr. gos. ped. in-ta im. A. I. Gercena. Obshestvennye nauki. (Scientific notes of the Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute named after A. I. Herzen. Social Sciences). Velikiye Luki: [b. v.], Т. 327. (in Russ.).

Zauzolkov, F. N. (1973). The Communist Party – the Organizer of the Creation of the Scientific and Industrial and Technical Intelligentsia of the USSR. Moscow: izd-vo Моsk. un-ta. (in Russ.).

Zelev, M. V. (2001). The Engineering and Technical Intelligentsia of the Middle Volga Region in 1928–1941 years. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Penza: Penzenskij gosud. ped. un-t im. V. G. Belinskogo. (in Russ.).

Radchenko, A. N. (2000). Formation and Development of the Technical Intelligentsia of the Chuvash ASSR in 1920–1991 years. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Cheboksary. (in Russ.).

Fedyukin, S. A. (1960). Involvement of the Bourgeois Technical Intelligentsia in Socialist Construction in the USSR. Moscow: izd-vo VPSh i AON. (in Russ.).

Fedyukin, S. A. (1960). Soviet Power and Bourgeois Specialists. Moscow: Мysl. (in Russ.).

Gerbach, V. V. (1980). The CPSU is the Organizer of Cooperation between the Working Class and the Old Technical Intelligentsia. Moscow: izd-vо МGU. (in Russ.).

Khaliulin, G. G. (1993). Industrial and Technical Intelligentsia and Workers: the Problem of Social and Class Relations. Intelligenciya v sovetskom obshestve (Intelligentsia in the Soviet Society). Kemerovo. (in Russ.).

Kiselev, L. I. (1974). Activities of Party Organizations in Western Siberia to Strengthen the Higher Technical School and Improve the System of Training Engineering Personnel (1966–1970). (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.). Tomsk. (in Russ.).

Kumanev, V. A. (1991). The 30s in the Fate of the Intelligentsia in the USSR. Moscow (in Russ.).

Garayevskaya I. A. (1992). Russian Engineering and Technical Intelligentsia (late XIX Century – the 30s of the XX Century): a Brief Historical Sketch. Moscow: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Znamenskii, O. N. (1988). The Intelligentsia on the Eve of the Great October (February – October 1917). L.: Nauka, Leningrad. otd-niie. (in Russ.).

Kugel, S. A., Ustinova, V. A. (1985). The Place and Role of the Industrial and Technical Intelligentsia in the Social Structure of Soviet Society. Professionalnye otryady intelligencii (Professional detachments of the intelligentsia). Moscow: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).

Kugel, S. A. (1968). Technical Intelligentsia and its Development Trends. Klassy, socialnye sloi i gruppy v SSSR (Classes, social strata and groups in the USSR). Moscow: [b. v.]. (in Russ.).