Part 1 Politics: political reform in historical perspective, S. White; perestroika and political pluralism - past and prospects, C. Merridale; what time is it in Russia's history?, R.C. Tucker; reforming the party - organization and structure 1917-1990, F. Benvenuti. Part 2 Society: gender and reform , M. Buckley; the Soviet working-class movement in the post-socialist perspective (the outlook in summer 1990), L. Gordon; the roots of political reform - the changing social structure of the USSR, D. Lane. Part 3 The economy: Soviet economic reform in historical perspective, R.W. Davies; the costs of economic reform - lessons of the past for the future?, J. Shapiro. Part 4 Ideology and culture. Construction ... reconstruction ... deconstruction, J. Cooper; literature under Gorbachev - a second thaw?, J. Curtis. Part 5 The Republics: obstacles to reform - the Siberian dimension, C. Humphrey; the state, nationalism and the nationalities question in the Soviet republics, G. Smith. Part 6 Foreign policy: the Soviet Union as a revolutionary power, A. Dallin.