print

Ideological segmentation of mass strata of the population under conditions of aggravated confrontation with the West (empirical analysis)

Tikhonova N.E.,

Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS; HSE University, Moscow, Russia, netichon@rambler.ru

elibrary_id: 71905 | ORCID: 0000-0002-5826-4418 | RESEARCHER_ID: G-8413-2015

Article received: 2024.05.29 16:53. Accepted: 2024.07.08 16:53


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2024.05.09
EDN: ICDAIE

Rubric: Russia today

For citation:

Tikhonova N.E. Ideological segmentation of mass strata of the population under conditions of aggravated confrontation with the West (empirical analysis). – Polis. Political Studies. 2024. No. 5. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2024.05.09. EDN: ICDAIE (In Russ.)

The article was prepared within the framework ofthe project № 20-18-00505 ‘Influence ofnon-material factors on the consolidation of Russian society in the conditions of new socio-cultural challenges and threats', supported by the Russian Science Foundation.

Abstract

Using the data from surveys conducted by IS FCTAS RAS over a number of years, it is shown that despite the absence of the segmentation traditionally used for ideological structuring in the mass strata of the population, it still exists, but is based on different grounds. Moreover, the importance of ideological contradictions in the perception of Russians themselves has grown significantly over the past decade, and the majority of the country's citizens now have internally consistent ideological views. The comparative role of their various components changes over time under the influence of external events. The main line of demarcation in the ideological segmentation is the attitude to the West in modern conditions, which is based on different attitudes to the civilizational specifics of Russia and, in turn, influences their assessment of the vector of the country's development, their trust in the authorities, attitude to the special military operation, etc. It is also shown that in recent years, in the course of active crystallization and polarization of ideological views of Russians', an ideological majority and an ideological minority have been formed in the country, comprising almost two-thirds and about one-third of the population, respectively. The normative-value basis of the former is the recognition of the priority of state interests over human rights and the conviction that Western values are not suitable for Russians. The ideological majority is divided into a core and a peripheral group, which differ in the degree of consistency of their views and assessments, including those regarding to the special military operation in Ukraine. The ideological minority, which is characterized by the desire for Russia to adhere to the norms proposed by Western countries, is also heterogeneous. It includes, firstly, a group that is consistent in its negative attitude towards the current course of Russia, which makes up about a quarter of the population, and whose moods are primarily influenced by the unfavorable socio-economic situation these people are experiencing. The other group includes representatives who are loyal to the authorities and the course being implemented but would like Russia to follow the Western-oriented path in future. The normative value basis of the views of the members of the ideological minority is the recognition of the priority of human rights over the interests of the state.

Keywords

ideological segmentation, normative-value systems, public consciousness, ideological contradictions, attitude to the West, ideological confrontation, consolidation of society, human rights.

Kent, P., Jensen, R.K. & Kongsted, A. (2014). A comparison of three clustering methods for finding subgroups in MRI, SMS or clinical data: SPSS TwoStep Cluster analysis, Latent Gold and SNOB. BMC Med Res Methodol, 14, 113, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-14-113

Andreyev, A.L., Andreev, I.A., & Slobodenyuk, E.D. (2024). Division and consolidation in Russian society resulting from the Russian special military operation. Polis. Political Studies, 1, 104-119. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2024.01.08

Byzov, L.G. (2019a). Dynamics of ideological and political preferences over 25 years. Three stages of transformation of public consciousness. - Russia XXI. No. 2. P. 6-21. (In Russ.) Access: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_37617030_95051705.pdf

Byzov, L.G. (2019b). Dynamics of ideological and political preferences over 25 years. Three stages of transformation of public consciousness. - Russia XXI. No. 3. P. 6-25. (In Russ.) Access: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_38600886_41383492.pdf

Dudin, I.V. (2024). The nation's attitude towards the main social contradictions in Russian society: current state, dynamics, factors. Sociological Journal, 30(1), 90-112. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/ socjour.2024.30.1.5

Gorshkov, M.K., Fradkov, M.E., & Tikhonova, N.E. (Ed.). (2023). Molodezh' i Rossiya budushchego [Youth and Russia of the future]. Moscow: Russian Institute for Strategic Studies; Ves Mir. (In Russ.)

Gorshkov, M.K., & Petukhov V.V. (Ed.). (2015). Rossiiskoe obshchestvo i vyzovy vremeni [Russian society and challenges of time]. Book one. Moscow: Ves Mir. (In Russ.) https://www.isras.ru/publ.html?id=3340&type=publ

Gorshkov, M.K., & Tikhonova, N.E. (Ed.). (2022). Rossiiskoe obshchestvo i vyzovy vremeni [Russian society and challenges of time]. Book Six. Moscow: Ves Mir. (In Russ.)

Gorshkov, M.K., & Tikhonova, N.E. (Ed.). (2024). Rossiiskoe obshchestvo i vyzovy vremeni [Russian society and challenges of time]. Book Seven. Moscow: Ves Mir. (In Russ.) https://www.isras.ru/search.php?se arch=%D0%EE%F1%F1%E8%E9%F1%EA%EE%E5+%EE%E1%F9%E5%F1%F2%E2%EE+%E8+%E2%FB%E7%EE%E2%FB+%E2%F0%E5%EC%E5%ED%E8&simple=1

Latov, Yu.V. (2021). Institutional trust as social capital in modern Russia (on the results of monitoring). Polis. Political Studies, 5, 161-175. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2021.05.11

Martyanov, V.S., & Fishman, L.G. (Ed.). (2016). Rossiya v poiskakh ideologii: transformatsiya tsen- nostnykh regulyatorov sovremennykh obshchestv [Russia in search of ideologies: the transformation of value regulators of modern societies]. Moscow: Political Encyclopedia. (In Russ.)

Muminova, A.M., Titov, A.S., Batkhtina, A.A., & Grigoryev, D.S. (2022). Russian political identity profiles: the role of moral foundations, system justification, and resistance to change. Social Psychology and Society, 13(1), 104-123. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2022130107

Petukhov, R.V. (2020). The request for change: political and value dimension. Polis. Political Studies, 6, 103-118. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2020.06.08

Petukhov, V.V., & Petukhov, R.V. (2019). Request for change: factors and causes of its actualization, key components, and potential carriers. Polis. Political Studies, 5, 119-133. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2019.05.09

Sashchenko, N.P. (2022). Processes of integration/differentiation in Russian society: questions of methodology. Science. Culture. Society, 28(4), 22-35. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/nko.2022.28.4.2

Sokolov, B.O., & Zavadskaya, M.A. (2023). Individual experience of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and political support in Russia: evidence from the Values in Crisis survey. Polis. Political Studies, 4, 152-167. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2023.04.11

Sushko, P.E. (2022). Russians' ideas about possible ways of Russia's development: prevalence and specificity. Sociological Studies, 11, 25-37. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250021403-6

Tikhonova, N.E. (2018). Balance of state interests and human rights in perception of Russians: empirical analysis. Polis. Political Studies, 5, 134-149. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2018.05.11

Tikhonova, N.E. (2021). Russians' perceptions of the relationship between the Individual and state interests: an empirical analysis of dynamics. Polis. Political Studies, 6, 155-170. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2021.06.11

Tikhonova, N.E. (2023). The worldview of supporters of the Western path of development for Russia among the general population. Universe of Russia. Sociology. Ethnology, 32, 4, 6-35. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17323/1811-038X-2023-32-4-6-35

See also: