Discourses on Social Barriers to Developing Russian (Contra)Innovation System: Reality or Narrative?

Discourses on Social Barriers to Developing Russian (Contra)Innovation System:
Reality or Narrative?


Volchik V.V.

Dr. Sci. (Econ.), Department of Economic Theory, Faculty of Economics, Southern Federal University, Rostov-on-Don, Russia volchik@sfedu.ru

ID of the Article:


This work has been supported by the Russian Science Foundation, RSF 21-18-00562 “Developing the national innovation system in Russia in the context of narrative economics”.


For citation:

Volchik V.V. Discourses on Social Barriers to Developing Russian (Contra)Innovation System: Reality or Narrative?. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2021. No 10. P. 61-71




Abstract

A gap exists between quite high level of science in Russia and relatively weak development of domestic innovative production. Interviews with the actors representing Russian innovation system at different levels helped identifying four key problems: low demand for innovations from the business enterprises; failures in public administration; dwindling reproduction of research personnel; barriers to patenting «real» innovations. Discourse analysis of the interviews allowed to conclude that it is a low quality of public administration which impedes innovative development in Russia. Narrative theory served as the basis for doubts about such a conclusion, since the experts might reproduce “viral” narratives (popular stereotypes) during the interviews, reflecting the real-life patterns with distortions. Thus, the author shows perspectives for an interdisciplinary approach that combines the concepts of sociological and economic theories, to study the innovation system.


Keywords
sociology and economics of innovation; national innovation system; social factors of innovation; discourse analysis of innovation; narrative economics; government regulation
Content No 10, 2021