Vol 15, No 1 (2024)
About the Issue
Studies of Post-Globalization in Russia: Methods and Results
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):8-12
8-12
Topic of the Issue: Methodology in Russian Sociology
Practical network topology in the study of online radicalisation of youth: opportunities and limitations
Abstract
The paper presents key approaches to understanding and researching radicalisation, as well as the opportunities and limitations of applying some research methods to model network topology and assess content similarity of online communities. Today, Web Mining and AI methods and technologies are often applied in research on social networks and youth participation in them. However, the question how these approaches can be effectively used to study online radicalisation remains open. The answer to this question should increase the explanatory and predictive power of computational models for detecting and predicting radicalisation in the online space. In much of the Russian research on online radicalisation, a common approach has been to reduce the task of identifying the interconnectedness of individual online communities or clusters of them to assessing the degree of similarity in terms of subscribers or linguistic markers. This approach is limited in predicting new connections between communities and justifying radicalisation pathways, but is relevant in modelling information diffusion. In this paper, the authors aim to demonstrate the possibilities and limitations of applying the tf-idf, doc2vec methods to assess the content similarity of online communities without signs of radicalisation and online communities with signs of radicalisation. This approach allowed the authors to identify communities with a significant tendency to unite (to establish direct links). The paper presents the results of the comparative study in the form of social graphs formed according to the principles of subscriber commonality, similarity of significant words, and contextual similarity based on the doc2vec model. The social graph based on doc2vec method performed better in terms of clustering of online communities as well as interpretability of the results. This is crucial for detecting and predicting radicalisation online, as it opens the prospect of exploring the nature of assortativity in the observed network.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):13-42
13-42
Measuring sociocultural characteristics according to the six indicators of the Hofstede model: testing the toolkit for calculating values at the individual level
Abstract
The study is devoted to the adaptation and testing in Russian conditions of the internationally recognised toolkit for measuring the values of socio-cultural characteristics according to the Hofstede model at the individual level. The results of approbation on the basis of a sociological study of the Arctic territories of the Republic of Karelia (n=1042) conducted in 2023 were presented. The territorial specificity of the values of socio-cultural characteristics of individuals according to the Hofstede model was determined, as well as their expression in the context of social groups (in particular, gender). The greatest differences can be traced for the indicator "masculinity", and the minimum differences for the indicator "collectivism". The relevance of the model of cultural indicators was checked and the convergence of measurements was assessed. The techniques of factor analysis by principal component analysis (PCA), multidimensional scaling (ALSCAL), and hierarchical cluster analysis were applied. The quality of factor analysis was checked on the basis of Bartlett sphericity criterion values and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin statistics of the sampling adequacy measure. Also, to check the reliability of the tools used, the results of the authors and the developers of the methodology were compared using the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α). The obtained values of the coefficient indicate high reliability of the used toolkit, as well as confirm the preservation of the scales' measuring ability after translation for five indicators out of six. For the sixth indicator, "long-term goal-setting", it is reasonable to adjust the translation of the questions based on the relatively lower Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α). Nomological validity analysis confirmed the relevance of the presented tool. This allows us to speak about the achievement of the research goal and successful adaptation and validation of the actual toolkit for calculating the values of sociocultural characteristics according to Hofstede model at the level of individuals in the conditions of Russia. The applied scales are characterised by high reliability and validity. The prospect of further research is to expand the geography of the toolkit application and to compile an ethnometric database of the regions of AZRF on the values of socio-cultural characteristics according to the Hofstede model measured at the level of individuals, to analyse the patterns of spatial differentiation of indicators, as well as to study the aspects of influence within the triad "space - socio-cultural specifics of individuals - reproduction of human capital”.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):43-69
43-69
Russian sociologists on the foundations of solidarity: subjectivity, predictability and common feelings
Abstract
Each concept of solidarity emphasises certain grounds and factors of solidarisation of society, linking them to social changes or, on the contrary, to the constants of human existence. In periods of social change, not only a decrease or increase in the degree of social consolidation takes place, but also a weakening of some forms of solidarity and the formation of others. The purpose of this study is to identify the bases of solidarity related to sociality and anthropological parameters of being. Although forms of solidarity change from society to society and at different historical stages of their development, no society remains viable and progressive in the absence of solidarity. The present study of the foundations of solidarity goes beyond both traditional sociological concepts of integration and disintegration, of normal society and anomie, and psychological theories of group needs and self-expression, that describe only the immediate preconditions and effects of solidarity. The author relies on secondary analysis of sources and theoretical analysis of sociological concepts of sociality and social reproduction. The research materials include publications by Russian scholars from the 19th century, when the first concepts of sobornost', omnipresence and positivist-practical interpretations of solidarity emerged in Russian sociology, to the present day, devoted to the issues of conditions for the formation of solidarity, consolidation and deconsolidation of society. The author identifies explicitly and implicitly present in the sources of understanding about the foundations of solidarity related to the constants of human existence and sociality: subjectivity, predictability and commonality of feelings. The subjectivity of social actors as the highest, reflexive level of subjectivity determines their ability and will to social creativity and actions in favour of the social whole. The predictability of the social environment ensures the majority's adherence to acceptable common rules, belief in common values on the basis of mutual trust and justice. Mutual aid and altruism within solidarity communities are considered as impossible without the third foundation of solidarity - the community of feelings of social subjects, associated with the commonality of their life worlds.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):70-90
70-90
Russian Regions in the Conditions of Post-Globalization
Regional branding in strengthening Russian national identity: empirical challenge and expert response
Abstract
The article analyses the identification processes of Russian society in the context of modern geopolitical and socio-cultural challenges. It is substantiated that under conditions of uncertainty society requires consolidation and unity on the basis of a unifying concept or model. The aim of the article is to substantiate the possibilities of regional branding as a part of regional identity policy in strengthening the all-Russian identity. The research methodology is based on an interdisciplinary approach, the main provisions of the theory of social constructivism and the concept of multilevel identity are taken as a basis.
The hypothesis is that the strengthening of regional identity in Russian regions and regional branding based on it can strengthen Russian national identity rather than fragment it. The hypothesis was tested using quantitative and qualitative methods.
The empirical basis of the research was the results of a mass online survey of residents of three republics of the North Caucasus - Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan, conducted in October-November 2023 (n = 1421). Its results were supplemented with the data of the expert survey.
The obtained data indicate the absence of formed brands in the studied regions, which is confirmed by the results of the representative survey (low level (less than 20%) of residents' awareness of neighbouring regions) and expert opinions.
At the same time, there is a consistent movement towards the recognition of the potential of branding in the development of regions, that includes the search for key images-ideas constructed both from below (by the population of the republics) and from above (by regional authorities together with business, media and public organisations). Branding of regions and increasing their recognisability contributes to the strengthening of the Russian national identity. The interviewed experts agreed that regional branding works as a mechanism for maintaining the consolidation of Russian society and its potential should be built into the identity policy.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):91-113
91-113
Socio-cultural origins of beer naming in the Kirov region
Abstract
Russia in its history has experienced completely different attitudes of the population towards alcohol consumption and, at times, diametrically opposite approaches of the state to its regulation: from dry laws to widespread encouragement, from the northern type of alcohol consumption (dominance of strong drinks) to the southern type (dominance of low-alcohol drinks). In this sense, today we are experiencing a unique situation: in modern Russia, beer (a low-alcohol drink) is taking the lead in the alcoholic beverage market. Beer is again becoming, in fact, a people's drink. This circumstance makes interesting and relevant the question of studying beer consumption in the historical context. How has the consumption of alcohol in the past influenced its consumption today? Is there any cultural connection between the eras? Or is today's beer culture starting from scratch? We have tried to answer these questions by studying modern beer naming.
In this article the socio-cultural origins of modern beer names are analysed on the example of draught beer shops in the city of Kirov. The names are analysed in the context of successive major Russian historical epochs. The study was conducted using a content analysis method of three hundred and seventy beer names collected by the authors in the first half of 2023 in twenty-two beer shops in the city. Three strategies used for naming beer were identified: pre-revolutionary (these names are closely related to the names of varieties from various Western European countries), Soviet (built on the negation of the pre-revolutionary strategy, based on the development of new, unique names) and post-Soviet (modern names that do not correlate with either the pre-revolutionary or Soviet strategy). The study revealed that the most popular strategies are pre-revolutionary and post-Soviet (38 per cent each of all names considered), while the least popular is the Soviet strategy (24 per cent of all names considered). In addition, the coefficient of uniqueness of the strategy used is introduced, which allows us to understand how diverse the use of a particular strategy in sales is. It is shown that pre-revolutionary and post-Soviet beer naming strategies are most often used in beer sales, while the Soviet strategy is the least popular, which indicates the special characteristics of the beer consumer community.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):114-126
114-126
Ethno-social portrait of young people in Tuva
Abstract
The article is devoted to the study of the peculiarities of social behaviour of young people of the Tuva Republic belonging to the main ethnic groups of the region (Tuvinians and Russians), challenges and risks of their adaptation to modern living conditions. The relevance of the research topic is due to the importance of youth for the development of Russian society, including at the regional level. The aim of the work is to identify the peculiarities of the dynamics of young people's value attitudes in the sphere of professional and labour employment, as well as the peculiarities of young people's adaptation to market processes. In this regard, the authors separately consider the models of youth adaptation to new market realities, as well as the dynamics of formation of socio-cultural types of youth groups. A special place is given to the study of the specificity of value priorities of young people, the forms and content of which to a certain extent differ from the values of previous generations. The presented research was carried out using the methods of system analysis of socio-economic processes in the region, analysis of data from sociological surveys of young Tuva residents using special computer programs (SPSS). Based on the comparative retrospective analysis of the materials of the studies conducted under the authors' supervision in 2010, 2015 and 2021, the conclusion is made about the specifics of the formation of values of young people in the Republic of Tuva, which should be taken into account when designing regional social development programmes. The authors found a gradual transformation of the models of social adaptation of the new generation to modern realities, the transition from passive forms to a more active type of integration into the economy, which is more in line with its requirements. The peculiarity of adaptation processes among young Tuvinian respondents is a higher proportion of those who are committed to doing their own business. Russian youth are still more passive: they mainly take the position of verbal intentions to find their niche in the labour sphere, postpone their active actions for the future, which determines the lower speed of adaptation of Russian youth to modern conditions compared to Tuvan youth.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):127-142
127-142
State and Municipal Employees in Metropolises and Localities
Balance of work and personal life in the perception of civil servants of the metropolitan megalopolis
Abstract
The article presents the results of a sociological study to identify the peculiarities of the perception of work-life balance by modern civil servants of the metropolitan megalopolis. As the empirical basis the materials of questionnaires and interviewing carried out by the authors in 2022 in several ministries of the city of Moscow were used. Using modern methods of textual data analysis, the authors visualise with the help of a word cloud the answers of respondents to an open-ended question about their subjective understanding of work-life balance. Such terms as "time", "opportunity" and "family" prevail in the interpretation of the interviewed civil servants, that allows to find out what meaning civil servants put into the concept of work-life balance. Thus, being a subjective phenomenon, this concept is primarily associated with the proportional distribution of time for family and work. Based on the results of the questionnaire survey, the authors distinguish two groups of civil servants who do and do not experience a sense of work-life balance and analyse their socio-demographic characteristics, life priorities, attitude to work, assessments of time resources and level of satisfaction with various life spheres. Representing subjective assessments, the authors note that just over half of the civil service employees surveyed do not experience work-life balance. Statistical analysis showed that the selected groups do not have significant socio-demographic differences. It was also found that civil servants, who differently assess the presence of work-life balance, do not differ significantly in determining the leading life priorities, putting family and work in the foreground. However, statistically significant links were found between subjective indicators of work-life balance and peculiarities of differentiation of work and personal problems, assessment of sufficiency of time for everyday practices and satisfaction with private life. It was found that the state of imbalance is more characteristic of people who note the influence of work on personal affairs, experience a lack of time for everyday private life and are not satisfied with its main components. The interviewing focused on a group of external factors that relate to the conditions of employment, which is important to consider in matters of personnel policy and work organisation in the public service. The obtained materials allowed to consider the existing working regime from the point of view of civil servants, to discuss initiatives for its improvement, opportunities and limitations of remote work.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):143-164
143-164
Power in small Russian cities: managerial problems and motivation of actors
Abstract
The paper analyses Russian municipal power on the example of small Russian cities. The analysis is based on the results of an empirical study conducted with the author's participation in six small towns in Perm Krai, Ivanovo and Tambov regions. The research was conducted in two stages. The first stage consisted of 69 in-depth interviews with representatives of local and regional elites and experts conducted in 2012-2015. At the second stage in 2018 -2020, 64 interviews were conducted, including as well the same respondents who were interviewed at the first stage. In 2023, several additional interviews were conducted with experts in the city G of Perm Krai due to the dramatically changed situation.
The conducted research allows us to say that the problem field of small towns has not changed so significantly over the years. The problems are still concentrated around the theme of deteriorating socio-economic situation, taxes and personnel deficit. At the same time, managerial problems of the authorities are growing due to the deficit of personnel in small towns, managerial weakness of some heads of small towns. Among the new problems are pandemic, insufficient number of leaders in the corps of municipal managers, and the consequences of SWO. The analysis of the motivational profile of the heads of municipal entities and their teams has shown that in recent years the level of motivation and management efficiency have increased among the heads of cities. The elites' and population's demand for power has significantly increased, which could not but affect the internal motivation of actors. The empirical study on the example of one single-industry town demonstrated that a small town despite all resource and other constraints can continue to develop if a partnership model of interaction between local authorities and strategic leaders of a large company is formed. However, it does not always guarantee that the achieved efficiency of interaction between government and business will remain unchanged if the federal government interferes in the system of relations between the two actors.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):165-183
165-183
Problems of Education in Russia
Transformation of the education system in the context of spatial development of the region (on the example of the Republic of Crimea)
Abstract
The article considers the features of the development of the education system in the Republic of Crimea as the main factor of socio-spatial development of the region. The authors have analysed the dynamics of the main indicators of the education system at three levels: general education, secondary vocational and higher education. The considered main indicators are as follows: geographical accessibility of educational institutions for the population, their provision with information and technical means of educational process and human resources. The analysis of human resources was carried out in the context of those categories of personnel who directly implement and provide the educational process. The study revealed the presence in educational institutions of managers and teaching staff without higher education. The article compares the number of external part-time and full-time employees in the categories under study, compares the results with the number of students. It is demonstrated that in the conditions of the tendency of growth in the number of external collaborators and reduction of full-time employees in the system of higher education the number of students who voluntarily left education is growing. The article also considers the dynamics of growth of the wage fund for these categories of employees, and compares the average wage per person by type of activity (education) in the Southern Federal District in relation to other federal districts. It is revealed that the level of remuneration of education employees in the Southern Federal District in 2021 is at the level of 2016 in comparison with other districts. According to the indicators of the personnel structure by the ratio of full-time employees and external part-timers, trend lines have been built to identify the trends of changes in their number. For some categories of employees the forecast for two years was made to identify probabilistic quantitative changes in the staffing of the education system. It is substantiated that the solution of personnel issues will lead to the preservation and increase in the number of students, improve the quality of education and human development in the region. The paper presents conclusions on the results of the study. On the basis of the constructed trends and conclusions the authors formulate specific recommendations to eliminate the identified problems in the education system.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):184-214
184-214
Reproduction of inequality in Russian education: state and prospects of research
Abstract
The article analyses the factors of inequality in Russian education based on the materials of modern sociological research. The data show that inequality in education tends to reproduce in two basic forms: a) unequal educational opportunities for different groups of students; b) unequal educational results. Within the framework of both forms there are factors (barriers) of inequality that prevent individuals from getting education. In the article, such factors of inequality include: a) grouping of students into different educational streams based on test results and academic performance, when such grouping is called tracking; b) specific attitudes of teachers towards students from different social groups, that can lead to a biased assessment of the educational achievements of schoolchildren; c) regional differences in the activities of educational institutions, that is associated with the type of settlements and their economic development; d) differences in family structures, among which are the quantitative size of the family, the order of birth of children, whether the family is complete or not; e) the value attitude of parents from different social strata to the education of their children; f) gender stereotypes during education, which subsequently lead to a gender imbalance in the professional structure in society; g) the development of students’ linguistic abilities, when children from different social strata express their knowledge and experience differently, which is reflected in educational grades and performance. New forms of inequality are emerging, such as digital inequality, the development of which increases social inequality. The development of information technology, IT-technologies leads to the emergence of new forms of digital inequality, including in cities and among the staff of the education system itself. The negative role of educational inequality for modern Russian society is shown, that can manifest itself in the weakening of solidarity of communities and groups of Russian society. Practices of overcoming the influence of inequality factors in education are presented, using the examples of schools operating in unfavourable socio-economic conditions (resistant schools). Empirical data on the increase in the number of young people from economically advantaged strata of the population entering the system of secondary vocational education are also analysed. The specificity of the considered factors of inequality in education strengthens the research attention to them.
Bulletin of the Institute of Sociology. 2024;15(1):215-235
215-235