Dynamics of Ideals in Contemporary Russia: а System Analysis

Dynamics of Ideals in Contemporary Russia:
а System Analysis


Klupt M.A.

Dr. Sci. (Econ.), Professor, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, St. Petersburg, Russia klupt@mail.ru

ID of the Article:


For citation:

Klupt M.A. Dynamics of Ideals in Contemporary Russia: а System Analysis. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2024. No 1. P. 136-146



Abstract

The article considers the changes in Russian society and its ideals as a feedback system. Two strata of these changes are separated, a more dynamic and superficial formed by mass-media, and a more fundamental and inert one determined by specificity of civilization. Parallels are drawn between fascination of some western intellectuals with the Soviet reality of the 1930s and fascination in Russia of the 1990s with imaginary West, which are rooted in the bankruptcy of the former ideals. The concept of pendulum of ideals is introduced to analyze the changes in hierarchy of economic and non-economic ideals. This pendulum moved to its economic pole in Russia of the 1990th, but nowadays started, as polls show, to move towards its non-economic pole. This conclusion is confirmed by surveys conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), which show that the share of respondents who consider themselves patriots increased from 57 per cent in 2006 to 84 per cent in 2023. In addition, as surveys show, volunteering is gaining in popularity, and importance of non-economic component of ideal family image is on the increase.


Keywords
hierarchy of ideals; social system; patriotism; economic success; ethos; socialization; generation

References

Batygin G.S. (2003) Structural functionalism of Talcott Parsons. Vestnik RUDN. Ser. Sotsiologiia [RUDN Journal of Sociology]. No. 4–5: 6–34. (In Russ.)

Batygin G.S. (2007) Career, ethos, and scientific life history: on the semantics of autobiographical narrative. Chelovek. Soobshchestvo. Upravlenie [Human. Community. Management]. No. 1: 4–13. (In Russ.)

Branskij V.P., Pozharskij S.D. (2001) Social sinergetics and akmeology. The theory of self-organization of individual and society. St. Petersburg: Polytekhnika. (In Russ.)

Durkheim E. (1995) Value and “real” judgments. In: Sociology, its subject, method, mission. Moscow: Kanon. (In Russ.)

Gorshkov M., Tikhonova N.E. (eds) (2022) Russian society and the challenges of the time. Moscow: Ves’ Mir. (In Russ.)

Gorshkov M.K. (2020) Russian society in the sociological dimension. Vestnik RAN [Herald of Russian Academy of Science]. No. 3: 232–242. DOI: 10.31857/S0869587320030068.

Gorshkov M.K., Sheregi F.E. (2010) The youth of Russia: Sociological Potrait. Moscow: CSPiM.

Kirdina S.G. (2014) Institutional Matrices and Development in Russia: An Introduction to Х&Y theory. St. Petersburg: Nestor-Istoriia. (In Russ.)

Levada Yu.A. (1980) On the design of reproductive system model. In: System Research. Methodological Problems. Yearbook 1979. Moscow: Nauka. (In Russ.)

Luhmann N. (2004) Society as a social system. Moscow: Logos. (In Russ.)

Mersiyanova I.V., Ivanova N.V., Malakhov D.I. (2019) The relationship between volunteerism and charitable giving: intergenerational context. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 10: 94–106. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250007103-6. (In Russ.)

Merton R. (2006) Social theory and social structure. Moscow: Khranitel’. (In Russ.)

Pokida A.N., Zybunovskaya N.V. (2020) Legal values of the Russian population: priorities and contradictions. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 1: 92–99. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250008327-2. (In Russ.)

Sushko P.E. (2022) Russians’ ideas about possible ways of Russia’s development: prevalence and specificity. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. No. 11: 25–36. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250021403-6 (In Russ.)

Voronina N. (2020) The causes of wealth and poverty in the assessments of men and women in Russia. Nauka.me [Science. Me]. Iss. 3. URL: https://nauka.me/S241328880013242-0-1 (accessed 26.10.2023). DOI: 10.18254/S241328880013242-0. (In Russ.)

Content No 1, 2024