Socialism,Marxist–Leninist–Maoist

Abstract

Socialism can be studied as a set of ideas or theories, as a form of political organization or a range of economic principles. Marxism, Leninism, and Maoism constitute the main variants of socialism. Socialist theory took inspiration from early anthropological findings. In turn, its ideas influenced anthropological research on sharing practices and on societies categorized as egalitarian. Emergent socialist states sought to translate these theories into economic and political practice. Anthropological research on socialism turned its focus to the study of the former Soviet Union and its European allies and increasingly came to rely on economic analyses. This development also influenced research after the fall of socialism in the region. Socialism still constitutes an interesting field of inquiry, with regard not only to the legacies of “actually existing socialism” but also to emergent forms of identity constructions and political as well as economic practices influenced by socialist ideas and theories.