When Things Fall Apart Qualitative Studies of Poverty in the Former Soviet Union

This study uses quantitative and qualitative research methods to document the experiences of people in Armenia, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Latvia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan struggling to cope with the dramatic changes in lifestyle and economic conditions following the collapse of the Soviet Union. It demonstrates how poverty in the region differs from that experienced in other parts of the world, and looks at how cultural and institutional barriers have hindered attempts to improve these problems. It also examines the links between poverty, gender and ethnicity, and seeks to convey the psychological impact of poverty, as well as its social and economic effects.