Russian Society at the Beginning of the 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Problems and Risks

Russian Society at the Beginning of the 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Problems and Risks


Pantin V.I.

Dr. Sci. (Philos.), Chief Researcher, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS; Head of Department for Comparative Political Studies of Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia v.pantin@mail.ru

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Pantin V.I. Russian Society at the Beginning of the 20th and Early 21st Centuries: Problems and Risks. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2019. No 11. P. 120-130




Abstract

The article deals with the major problems and risks of Russian society in early 20th, as well as 21st centuries. The author shows that the social crisis and 1917 revolution were caused primarily by alienation of the elite from the citizens and by loss of communications between them, as well as by public distrust to power, absence of ideology acceptable for majority of the population, and the ideological and political split of the educated social groups. The prime threats and development risks faced by modern Russian society are determined by large-scale social and political shifts generated by transition to a new technological and social paradigm. Moreover, significant risks arise from the erosion of national and cultural identities, by destructed unity of society, its value system, traditions and social norms. The author outlines three vectors of social and political activity in modern Russian society represented by various social actors. These actors barely interact with each other, creating a threat of social destabilization. It is concluded that successful adaptation to the profound changes requires to combine traditions and values that form the cultural features of a given society with social innovations. This combination ensures a successful and dynamic development of such countries as China, South Korea, Singapore, India and a number of other


Keywords
social changes; values; technological structure; social structure; identity; social actors; Western countries; the Russian Federation

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Content No 11, 2019