“Self-sufficient” Russians and their life priorities

“Self-sufficient” Russians and their life priorities


Gorshkov M.K.

Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director, Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia director@isras.ru

Sedova N.N.

Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of sciences, and All-Russia Institute of Public opinion studies, Moscow, Russia nnsedova@inbox.ru

ID of the Article:


For citation:

Gorshkov M.K., Sedova N.N. “Self-sufficient” Russians and their life priorities. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies]. 2015. No 12. P. 4-16




Abstract

“Self-sufficiency” of Russians is analyzed as a phenomenon whose criterion is individ’s ability (in self-assessment) to successfully exist and provide for oneself relying only on own efforts and not on the state. “Self-sufficiency” is defined as a specific social marker reflecting a process of generating responsible and independent approach to one’s life. Empirically, the study was based on an all-Russian survey among 4000 Russians in March, 2015. The survey found that “self-sufficiency” and independence from the state is a key trait of existential attitudes of over 40% Russians. Their social demographic and social professional profiles are shown along with a characteristic of their social economic moods and positions; their worldview attitudes are analyzed, too. Self-sufficiency is closely tied to activity and entrepreneurship, material and social success. It is concluded that “self-sufficiency” might at present become in Russian society its social dominant and a pillar for its stable and sustainable development.


Keywords
self-sufficiency; independence; successfulness; social group; social strata; social shift; morals; responsibility; trust; civic activity
Content No 12, 2015