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A comparative survey of life in student dormitories in Russia, France, Brazil, and the United States focuses on what is often the first experience of living in a community outside the family, specifically on the practical requirements (places and social bonds). A “pragmatic sociology” of commitments takes a fresh look at politics by looking at persons and their various relations to the world and to others, ranging from the most personal attachments and concerns to the implications of pooling efforts, which agreements and disagreements require. This comparison brings to light a “liberal grammar,” even in Russia, with regard to constructions of what is held in common and of what causes differences.