Stephen A. Smith, Professor, Department of History and Civilization, European University Institute, Florence, is a historian of modern Russia and China with a particular interest in the interactions between politics and culture. His most recent works are: The Russian Revolution: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2002); Like Cattle and Horses: Nationalism and Labor in Shanghai, 1895-1927 (Duke, 2002); Revolution and the People in Russia and China: A Comparative History (Cambridge, 2008); and (edited with Alan Knight) The Religion of Fools? Superstition Past and Present (Oxford, 2008). This talk is part of his ongoing investigation into superstition and popular culture under communist regimes.
Discussant: Richard von Glahn, Professor, Department of History, UCLA
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