Discussion of the Papers of Tönu Parming, Konstantyn Sawczuk, and Laszlo M. Tikos

Extract

Mr. Parming has sketched systematically the difficulties in applying the existing sociological methods for studying the nationalities in the U.S.S.R. He criticizes rightly the fragmentary nature of the current research results in this field and the absence of a common conceptual framework applied to the Soviet nationalities as a whole in the available publications. His recommendations, however, concerning some current American sociological methods and concepts and their applicability to the Soviet Union in this particular field, must be taken with caution and various reservations.