printSituation in the Country and its Prospects Through the Prism of Public Opinion during the Pandemic
Latova N.V.
Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Leading Researcher, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia myshona@rambler.ru
For citation:
Latova N.V. Situation in the Country and its Prospects Through the Prism of Public Opinion during the Pandemic. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2021. No 4. P. 37-49
Abstract
The materials of the All-Russian poll of 2020 are used to analyze the social moods of Russians, including their perception of the situation in the country, prospects for its further development, as well as socio-economic problems and social tensions. When analyzing the data, special attention is paid to intergroup differences, as well as the study of dynamic processes over the past 10 years. The conclusion is made about the formation of new trends for the Russian society contributing to emergence of another socio-political crisis. First, visions of the main threats have changed: Russians are beginning to see domestic events as the prevailing source of problems. Second, decadent sentiments have spread: Russians, for the first time in many years, have a very poor assessment of the country’s expected future successes. Third, new problem areas have emerged (moral state of society, rights and freedoms, as well as culture and the arts), in addition to traditionally negative assessments of living standards and the social sphere. Fourth, a specific configuration of pessimistic groups of Russians emerged: by the fall of 2020, pessimism was particularly high among residents of the two Russian capitals, which were most painfully experiencing the corona-crisis; besides, young people no longer stand out against other Russians in terms of increased optimism. In general, the results obtained are consistent with international research data (in terms of the deterioration of young people’s social moods), and complement and develop as well conclusions of Russian social scientists about the negative manifestations of the coronacrisis and its consequences.
Keywords
social mood; pandemic; situation in the country; future; socio-economic problems; social tension; public opinion
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Content No 4, 2021