Goldschmidt, Paul W. 1967-

views updated

GOLDSCHMIDT, Paul W. 1967-

PERSONAL: Born March 29, 1967, in Bellefont, PA; married Jennifer Miller. Education: Attended Simon's Rock College; Vassar College, A.B.; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ph.D. Religion: Quaker. Hobbies and other interests: Heraldry, embroidery, crossbow shooting.

ADDRESSES: Home—3071 Cimasson Trail, Madison, WI 53719. Offıce—Epic Systems Corporation, 5301 Tokay Blvd., Madison, WI 53711-1027. E-mail— [email protected].

CAREER: University of Wisconsin, Platteville, professor; Epic Systems Corporation, Madison, WI, project manager.

MEMBER: Society for Creative Anachronism.

WRITINGS:

Pornography and Democratization: Legislating Post-Communist Russia, Westview Press (Boulder, CO), 1998.

SIDELIGHTS: Paul W. Goldschmidt is an enthusiast for Russian politics and political philosophy. His Ph.D. in this department led to his teaching political science at the university level in Illinois. The 1990s were a pivotal time in Russian history, as new forms of freedom became more available to the Russian people. One of these newly discovered benefits was a surging supply of pornography, much of which was created by Russians. As censorship of such materials became harder to enforce, pornography flourished, much to the dismay of Russian leaders.

Goldschmidt's 1998 book, Pornography and Democratization: Legislating Post-Communist Russia, relates the rise in pornographic consumption and the loss of control by the Russian censorship organizations. Goldschmidt draws a correlation between a state's attitude towards pornography and its ability to tolerate such issues, as tolerance and freedom are key components of a democratic society. Conversely, there is also the assumption that the popularity of pornography can be a symptom of a morally lacking society.

Peter Rutland, contributor to American Political Science Review, commented that Goldschmidt uses Western schools of thought, such as conservatism, libertarianism, anti-pornography feminism, and anti-censorship feminism that "does not really fit what is happening in Russia." In Russian Review, Julie V. Brown pointed out "while these are interesting cases, the author's determination to analyze them in terms of 'Western' paradigms discussed early on at times distracts from more than clarifies their significance in understanding the Russian experience." Rutland also remarked that while much is lacking, the book "contains some fascinating insights."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

periodicals

American Political Science Review, June, 2000, Peter Rutland, review of Pornography and Democratization: Legislating Post-Communist Russia, p. 477.

Russian Review, April, 2000, Julie V. Brown, review of Pornography and Democratization: Legislating Post-Communist Russia, p. 320.