Division and consolidation in Russian society resulting from the Russian special military operation

Division and consolidation in Russian society resulting from the Russian special military operation


Andreyev A.L.,

Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia; VGIK, Moscow, Russia; National Research University MPEI, , Moscow, Russia, sympathy_06@mail.ru


elibrary_id: 72609 | ORCID: 0000-0003-1692-573X | RESEARCHER_ID: AAT-3789-2020

Andreev I.A.,

Plekhanov University of Economics, Moscow, Russia; Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia, v-andreev_07@mail.ru


elibrary_id: 1034971 | ORCID: 0000-0002-0765-3667 |

Slobodenyuk E.D.,

Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia; Institute for Social Policy, HSE University, Moscow, Russia , eslobodenyuk@hse.ru


elibrary_id: 779607 | ORCID: 0000-0002-4255-5050 | RESEARCHER_ID: J-9592-2015

Article received: 2023.07.24. Accepted: 2023.11.07


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2024.01.08
EDN: VUHIXY

Rubric: Russia today

For citation:

Andreyev A.L., Andreev I.A., Slobodenyuk E.D. Division and consolidation in Russian society resulting from the Russian special military operation. – Polis. Political Studies. 2024. No. 1. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2024.01.08. EDN: VUHIXY (In Russ.)


The article was prepared within the framework of a research grant funded by Russian Science Foundation (project No. 20-18-00505).


Abstract

 The paper, written on the basis of all-Russian sociological surveys in 2021-2023, examines the attitude of Russian society to the Special Military Operation in Ukraine (SMO). On the basis of the comparison of empirical data characterising this attitude, the dynamics of the attitude towards the SMO is studied. A detailed description of socio-psychological differences in Russians’ assessment of the special military operation, its consequences, as well as the impact of the SMO on the social behaviour of Russians is given. An analysis of correlations between the relevant sociological indicators allows the authors to create a social typology of these differences and to explain their emergence in the context of value orientations, world outlook, personal life successes, trust in authorities of different levels and emotional dominance in the perception of Russian reality. A sociological characterisation of Russians’ involvement in various forms of support for the participants of SMO and their families, in particular, in the development of the volunteer movement, is given. The article pays special attention to analysing the connection between the variety of views on Russia’s development paths and the differences in the assessments of its policy and its actions in Ukraine. Based on empirical research, the authors show that the implementation of the SMO has influenced the balance of opinion on Russia’s development model in the direction of an increase in the share of its citizens who believe that Russia is a separate civilisation and should not live according to the rules set by the West. The ongoing dispute between the adherents of the country’s original way of development and their Westernoriented opponents has to a greater or lesser extent affected the assessment of various aspects of the SMO and its consequences. However, the line of demarcation between these historical traditions does not overlap with the line of demarcation of positions on the SMO, which has not led to a frontal split in Russian society.

Keywords
Russian society, model of socio-historical development, special military operation, support of special military operation’s participants, public sentiments, values, ideological and political differences.


References

Andreev, A.L., Andreev, I.A., & Slobodenyuk, E.D. (2022). Russians’ ideas about the future of Russia. Sociological Studies, 10, 49-61. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250020368-7

Antoshchuk, I.A. (2022). Supporters of the special military operation in Ukraine: social environment and communication strategies. Sociodigger, 3(7), 21-29. (In Russ.)

Borishpolets, K.P. (2022). Great powers’ competition in the XXI century: Russian approaches and Russian discourse. Polis. Political Studies, 1, 150-165. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2022.01.12

Gorshkov, M.K., Fradkov, M.E., & Tikhonova, N.E. (Ed.). (2023). Molodezh’ i Rossija budushhego [Youth and Russia of the future]. Moscow: RISI; Ves’ mir. (In Russ.)

Gorshkov, M.K., & Tikhonova, N.E. (Ed.). (2022). Rossijskoe obshhestvo i vyzovy vremeni. Kniga shestaja [Russian society and challenges of time. Book six]. Moscow: Ves’ Mir. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.55604/9785777708984

Graham, T. (2022). Russia and the United States on the world stage. Part I. From distant friendship to incipient rivalry. Polis. Political Studies, 1, 7-18. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/JPPS/2022.01.02

Levashov, V.K. (Ed.). (2023). Rossijskoe obshhestvo i gosudarstvo v uslovijah global’noj mnogopoljarnosti. Social’no-politicheskoe polozhenie Rossii v 2022 godu [Russian society and state in the conditions of global multipolarity. Socio-political situation of Russia in 2022]. Moscow: FCTAS RAS. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/monogr.978-5-89697-409-3.2023

Lotman, Yu.M. (1994). Besedy o russkoj kul’ture [Talks about Russian culture]. St. Petersburg: Iskusstvo-SPb. (In Russ.)

Makusheva, M.O. (2022). “Conflict and Solidarity”. How the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is projected on the public opinion of Russians. Sociodigger, 3(7), 11-20. (In Russ.)

Mareeva, S.V., & Slobodenyuk, E.D. (2022). Unequal investing in the human capital of children (the case of Russia). Terra Economicus, 20(3), 98-115. (In Russ.)

Merzlikin, N.V., & Ivanov, A.V. (2022). Social consolidation in the context of a special military operation (expert assessment). Science. Culture. Society, 28(4), 85-96. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/nko.2022.28.4.7

Norin, E.A. (2023). Grassroots activism and humanitarian assistance to residents of Donbass. Sociodigger, 4, 1-2, 54-61. (In Russ.)

Petukhov, V.V. (2018). Dynamics of the social attitudes of the Russia’s citizens and making of a public demand for change. Sociological Studies, 11, 40-53. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250002784-5

Slobodenyuk, E.D. (2023). Socio-economic ill-beingand public perceptions of the future. In M.K. Gorshkov (Ed.), Reforming Russia, 21 (pp. 273-298). Moscow: FCTAS RAS. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/ezheg.2023.11

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

Sztompka, P. (2009). The focus on everyday life. A new turn in sociology. Sociological Studies, 8, 3-13.

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

Tikhonova, N.E., Lezhnina, Yu.P., Mareeva, S.V., Anikin, V.A., Karavay, A.V., & Slobodenyuk, E.D. (2018). Model’ dohodnoj stratifikacii rossijskogo obshhestva: dinamika, faktory, mezhstranovye sravnenija [Income stratification model of the Russian society: dynamics, factors, cross-country comparisons]. Moscow, St. Petersburg: Nestor-Istorija. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31754/nestor4469-1419-7

Zimova, N.S., & Fomin, E.V. (2022). Network solidarity as a response to collective trauma (on the example of russia’s special military operation in Ukraine). Social and Humanities Knowledge, 3, 148-165. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.34823/SGZ.2022.3.51809

Zvonovsky, V.B., & Khodykin, A.V. (2023). Adaptation strategies of opponents and supporters of the special military operation to the current situation (based on residents of Samara region). Sociological Journal, 29, 1, .8-35. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/socjour.2023.29.1.1

Content No. 1, 2024

See also:


Kozlov N.D.,
Political Cultures of Russia’s Regions: An Equation with Many Unknown Quantities. – Polis. Political Studies. 2008. No4

Bezvikonnaya Ye.V.,
Systemico-Synergetic Model of a Political System. – Polis. Political Studies. 2009. No3

Petukhov V.V.,
The generation of the «2000s»: ideological orientations and political participation. – Polis. Political Studies. 2012. No4

Round Table Of The Political Science Faculty, Moscow State University,
Russian society and power on the eve of the elections. – Polis. Political Studies. 2012. No1

Fedorov G.M.,
Russian Federation in the Baltic Region: Political Relations and Economic Development in 1992-2017. – Polis. Political Studies. 2018. No3


Screen version