The first task asked him to identify the difference between a biological and a social need. Artem thought about his dog, Rex. Rex needed food and sleep—biological. But did Rex need to pass a civics test to feel like a valid member of the canine community? Probably not. Artem, however, felt a very strong social need not to get a 'C' on his report card.
In the quiet suburbs of a Russian town, seventh-grader Artem sat at his desk, staring down at the glossy green-and-white cover of his most formidable foe: the . obshchestvoznanie 7 klass rabochaia tetrad kotova liskova
When he reached the section on "Economics," he hit a wall. He had to calculate a family budget. He looked at his own life—the cost of the internet, the price of the buns in the school cafeteria, the mysterious way his parents managed to keep the lights on. For the first time, the abstract terms like expenditure and income started to look like real life. The first task asked him to identify the
"Okay, Kotova," he whispered, clicking his pen. "Let's see what you’ve got." But did Rex need to pass a civics
His teachers, the legendary duo Kotova and Liskova, weren't actually in the room, but their names were printed so boldly on the cover that Artem felt their presence. To him, they were like the architects of a complex social labyrinth he had to navigate every Tuesday night.
By 10:00 PM, the workbook was filled with his neat, slanted handwriting. He felt a strange sense of accomplishment. He wasn't just a kid sitting in a room; according to Liskova’s definitions on page 42, he was a "developing personality within a globalized society."
Artem cracked the spine. Chapter 1: The Social Nature of Man.