Strategizing Success: Organizational Innovation and Literary Prominence in the Soviet Union (A Case Study of Journal Yunost)

• In Event: Periodicals Unbound II: Beyond the Printed Word: Interdisciplinary Methods in Studying Periodical Press

Abstract

This paper examines the organizational dynamics underlying the success of the Soviet journal Yunost within the restrictive confines of the Soviet literary field. Utilizing a comprehensive dataset comprising contents from Yunost and other Soviet literary journals spanning the period from the 1950s to 1990, the study employs a two-mode network analysis to unravel the intricacies of Yunost's strategic success. Rather than viewing Yunost solely through the lenses of literature or journalism, this study redefines Yunost as an organizational entity characterized by unique strategies. It posits that Yunost's ascendancy cannot be solely ascribed to its content or targeted audience appeal but rather emanates from innovative management approaches that diverged significantly from prevailing norms in other journals. Through emphasizing the critical significance of strategic organizational maneuvering in determining journal success within the ideological and heteronomous literary environment, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the multifaceted dynamics that shaped the Soviet literary field.

Author

• Daria Franklin, Columbia U