Mchedlova M.M., Kofanova E.N.Russia in Anticipation of Changes: Religious Factor and Socio-political Preferences. RUDN Journal of Political Science. 2020; 22 (1): 7–21. DOI:10.22363 ...

Текст статьи на сайте журнала URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/political-science/article/view/23273 (дата обращения 03.04.2020)

Abstract

The religious factor is now placed at the center of theoretical and public discussions affecting the understanding and evaluation of forms of manifestation in various spheres of society: intra-Church, private, public and political. The variety of research focuses builds up the variability of interpretations of the impact of the religious factor on the political process, including in Russia. The political connotations of the religious factor, in relation to the domestic political sphere, imply the identification of the specifics of the impact, including the nature of socio-political requests, assessment of the situation in the country, visions of development, unity or demarcation lines in mass creation and behavior. The demand for change in Russian society is shared by all religious and ideological groups, it is confirmed by sociological studies. This request is concretized in the desire to reform the political system in the direction of greater openness on the one hand, on the other – in the direction of providing the sovereign with social guarantees and ensuring the effectiveness of institutional functioning. The question of political subjectivity and readiness for certain actions fixes unequal actinism among representatives of various religious and ideological groups. Filling the image of the desired future with the meanings of social justice related not only to access to basic social benefits, but also to equality of all before the law, ensuring democracy and human rights, as well as universal geopolitical meaning, confirms the commonality of the main parameters of a socio-political nature, demonstrating that there are no deep ideological obstacles to the articulation of common interests-aimed at socio-political changes or at maintaining traditional foundations. In the context of Russian multi-faith, the presence of secular and religious identities, this conclusion is of key importance for ensuring social consolidation. The article is based on data from a nationwide representative survey of the Institute of sociology 2018 (N=4000), in which the authors were personally involved.