Traditions and Innovations in Labor Culture of Russian Workers

Traditions and Innovations in Labor Culture of Russian Workers


Temnitskiy A.L.

Cand. Sci. (Sociol.), Assoc. Prof., Sociological Department, MGIMO University; Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia taleksandr@list.ru

ID of the Article:

Rubric: Economic sociology. Sociology of Work

For citation:

Temnitskiy A.L. Traditions and Innovations in Labor Culture of Russian Workers. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2021. No 4. P. 61-73


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Abstract

The paper describes the reasons why the socio-cultural binary opposition methodology can be applied to the workplace culture of workers. The prevailing research areas developed within the first two decades of the 21st century and dealing with the issues and the subject-matter have been selected and analyzed in comparison with each other based on the examination of works and other publication compiled within 2000–2020 by national scientists studying issues pertinent to the labor of workers (90 articles from Sociological Studies and Universe of Russia magazines were selected). It is explained that while studies developed within the first decade focused mostly on identifying structural components related to the position and behavior of workers (both within labor and protest behavior), those studies that were prepared within the second decade were dealing with the issues of uncertainty of labor and employment and labor rights protection. The most prevalent were those research areas that stressed the importance to address the worker not as part of a class or a group but as an independent person (subjectivity, human capital and professional competences). Among those declared binary oppositions pertinent to the workplace culture, paternalistic and partner attitudes taken by workers in labor relations with the management were the most important ones. Paternalistic relations have retained their power and are consciously used by workers and the management to achieve organizational and personal goals. If compared with those typical for the Soviet era, modern relations are distinctively characterized by an increased one-sided dependance of an employee on an employer and the lack of legal protection of employee rights. Partner attitudes of workers failed to develop and only a quarter of workers demonstrated those. As an enabler to develop partner attitudes, fostering individual subjectivity in workers can be chosen.


Keywords
labour culture; traditions and innovations; socio-cultural binary oppositions; issues covered by studies dealing with the labor of workers; paternalism and partnership in labor relations; workers

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Content No 4, 2021