Latova N.V. Socio-cultural values of Russian city dwellers: Modernisation vs traditionalism. Terra Economicus. 2022. Vol. 20. No. 4. P. 99–114.

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: https://te.sfedu.ru/arkhiv-nomerov/2022/194-nomer-4/2833-sotsiokulturnye-tsennosti-rossijskikh-gorozhan-modernizatsiya-vs-traditsionnost.html (дата обращения 02.01.2023)

Abstract

The article analyzes socio-cultural values of the Russians related to the modernization of society. I rely on the data provided by nationwide survey conducted in 2021 by the Institute of Sociology RAS. The analysis shows that the initial stage of socio-cultural modernization in Russia has already been passed: the values of the rural population have undergone a significant change towards greater modernization. According to the theories of urbanization and modernization, the urban population in Russia is somewhat more committed to the values of modern society than the rural population, although the differences are not so great. Residents of both types of settlements show ambivalence in the value structure: some values are closer to the norms of modern society, while others have more traditional connotations. Thus, the orientation on freedom as opposed to material wellbeing, initiative, preference of equal opportunities, etc. are combined with conformism, inclination towards anarchism and a certain selfishness. Some differences in the prevalence of these values depending on the type of urban settlement were identified. The most advanced in terms of modernization were residents of cities with a population of between 500,000 and 1 million people. Unexpectedly, the values of the population of the two capitals, Moscow and St.Petersburg, were not as consistent with the norms of modern society, as it might have been expected. However, if we proceed from the theory of “multiple modernities”, then the described features can be interpreted as a search for a national path of modernization. Overall conclusion is that Russian sociocultural modernization in terms of its differentiation by settlements at the present stage definitely demonstrates a deviation from “normative” patterns. However, it is still difficult to judge whether the identified anomalies are one of the failures of domestic modernization or a manifestation of its specificity. Research findings are highly significant for understanding the human potential of the economy of modern Russia.