Tikhonova N. E., Karavay A. V. (2019) Ethno-confessional tension in Russian society: an empirical test of a measurement method. Mo ni to ring of Pub lic Opi ni on : Eco no mic and So cial Chan ges.No. 4. P. 130—152. https: ...

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: https://monitoringjournal.ru/index.php/monitoring/article/view/657/591 (дата обращения 09.09.2019)

Abstract

The methodology described in the article is based on the Index of ethno-confessional tension potential, which was tested on the data of the Institute of Sociology FCTAS RAS for 2015-2018. The method is a simplified and adapted for mass polls version of the method developed by I. M. Kuznetsov and O. E. Khukhlaev for the analysis of interethnic tensions. It is shown that with a minimum number of questions about ethno-confessional tensions in the questionnaire, this technique allows to accurately measure the degree of the tension, identify its sources, determine its factors, etc. It has been demonstrated that certain elements of the Index provide important additional information on the degree of society differentiation into “Us” and “Them” by the criterion of ethno-national belonging and the acceptance of violence as such in a particular society. In combination with the data on individual indicators included in the Index, this allows obtaining very large material for analysis using 8 binary variables. The relation of the Index values with real events occurring in the interethnic sphere at the place of residence of the respondents was shown; it was demonstrated that interethnic tension has both objective and subjective grounds. Among the first are the population density in a particular region or locality, as well as the mono- or multinational character of their population. Of the objective micro-level factors, the adverse working experience of a person is most significant for the degree of the corresponding negative attitudes (first of all, the experience of recent unemployment), and of the subjective factors - the painful experience of material situation, soaring ambitions, a sense of unfairness of the current position in society and a narrowed range of interests in everyday life. The absence of a long-term planning horizon against the background of the relative non well-being reinforces the general anxiety of Russians characterized by these features and their need to find psychological protection in such ascriptive identity as an ethno-national belonging.

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