Difference between socialism and communism?

[Maximum Marxist]

This question was brought up today in my social studies class. I didn't know the difference and no one in my class knew either really. I'd google search this but I'd like a good explanation from communists / socialists themselves and an answer from google answers could be biased. :confused:

[The Man]

Some consider it to be the transitional stage from Capitalism to Communism. However, Karl Marx didn't really make any notable differences between the two.

[Omsk]

Socialism and communism are ideological doctrines that have many similarities as well as many differences. They have a lot of common aspects,but they also share a number of differences,so it is generally harder to make much difference,as they are similar.

There is one point that is raised to distinguish socialism from communism is that socialism generally (most cases) refers to an economic system, while communism generally refers to both an economic and a political system. Both socialism and communism are similar in that they want to prevent the wrong and ill effects that are produced by capitalism.
And the socialists view capitalism as a threat,although,they are not against its complete removal,while communism is compleatly against capitalism and all its aspects.

[Savage]

Anarchists see socialism as democratic workers self-management, Left Communists tend to see socialism as completely interchangeable with communism, and we all know what Marxist-Leninists think.

[Ballyfornia]

Socialism is the state before Communism.
The USSR was socialist, Well in the beginning anyways.
Communism is a stateless society.
Marx intended a transitional period to Socialism and then the state would "Wither" away!

[Rêve Rouge]

There really isn't a single definition of socialism. An anarchist's view of socialism would be very different from say a utopian socialist's view of socialism. You should read of Draper's "Two Souls of Socialism". Socialism, essentially, comes in two forms: Socialism from above (top-down approach), and socialism from below (bottom up approach). Socialism from above tends to be the favored approach from the original socialists (utopian socialists) and the marxists. Socialism from below is favored by anarchists and syndicalists.

Communism is a state of well...statelessness. There is no state, no class, and no social hierarchy. Communism is the pure form of "horizontal collectivism".

So in general....

Socialism (from above) = enforced collectivism, economy under control of the state for benefit of society
Socialism (from below) = voluntary collectivism ~ essential communism, economy under the control of the workers themselves.

Communism = voluntary collectivism, no state, no class, no hierarchy