Transformation of the Region as a Sociocultural Territorial Commonality (The Case of the Astrakhan Region)

About the authors:

Ekaterina V. Kargapolova, Dr. Sci. (Soc.), Associate Professor, Deputy Director for Science, Higher School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Moscow); Professor, Department of Economic Sociology and Psychology of Entrepreneurship, Belarus State Economic University (Minsk); k474671@list.ru; ORCID: 0000-0002-2892-3953

Nadezhda V. Dulina, Dr. Sci. (Soc.), Professor, Department of Social Work and Social Technologies, Volgograd State University; nv-dulina@yandex.ru

Yuliya G. Mironova, Cand. Sci. (Soc.), Head of Sociology Department, Astrakhan State University; lysjakova@mail.ru

Abstract:

Sociocultural space of the Russian regions is in a state of transformation, that is, significant changes in its own structure under the influence of globalization and institutional changes within the country. In this context, it is possible to investigate the region as a meso-area, which can perform the function of neutralization (reduction) of negative factors of the environment, ensuring the connection of local and global in the socio-cultural space. Moderately balanced socio-cultural unity is a resource of reproduction and modernization of the regional commonality. The most important indicator of the transformation vectors of the region as a sociocultural territorial commonality is the dynamics of the residents’ subjective attitude to regional processes, which now can be explored in the Astrakhan Region and other Regions of Russia based on the specific sociological research using the typical method of the All-Russian Research Program “Socio-Cultural Evolution of Russia and its Regions”. Based on the results of the three waves of this study conducted in the region from 2010 to 2016, we can state a decrease in the positive perception of the image of the “small” homeland among the Astrakhan people. At the same time, the number of “indifferent” people, showing no emotions and feelings towards the region at all, is growing. The number of Astrakhan’s people planning to emigrate is also growing. The main reasons for this situation are the low level of salaries and quality of life, problems of employment and environmental problems. In general, the moderately positive subjective attitude towards the region is replaced by a cautious-detached attitude.

References:

1. Anufriev D. P., Aryasova A. Y., Dulina N. V., Kargapolov S. V., Kargapolova E. V., Konnova S. N., Kripakova D. R., Mironova Yu. G., Novoselov S. V., Potapova I. I., Cheremnykh E. O. 2017. Astrahanskaya oblast’ v protsessakh modernizatsii na sociokul’turnoy karte Rossii (opyt sistemnogo analiza) [Astrakhan Region in the Process of Modernization on the Socio-Cultural Map of Russia (The Experience of System Analysis)]. Edited by E. V. Kargapolova. Astrakhan: AGASU. 
2. Dulina N. V., Estrina O. V., Gnatenko T. I., Ovchar N. A., Samchuk M. M., Sitnikova O. I. 2011. Sotsiokul’turnoe prostranstvo regiona: metodologiya issledovaniya [The Sociocultural Space of the Region: Research Methodology]. Volgograd: Volgograd scientific publishing house.
3. Kargapolova E. 2011. Tridtsatyy region: potentsial sotsial’nogo razvitiya [30th Region: Social Development Potential]. Volgograd: Volgograd scientific publishing house.
4. Kogay E., Pasovets Yu., Kogay A., Yatskova D. 2015. Kurskaya oblast’ na sotsiokul’turnoy karte Rossii [Kursk Region on the Sociocultural Map of Russia]. Kursk: Kursk city printing house.
5. Mironova Yu. 2015. “Imidzh regiona v otsenkakh studencheskoy molodezhi (na primere Astrakhanskoy oblasti)” [The Image of the Region in the Assessments of Student Youth (On the Example of Astrakhan Region)]. Socio-Humanitarian Bulletin of the Caspian Sea Region, no 1 (2), pp. 44-48.
6. Mironova Yu., Tyrnova N. 2014. “Sozhitel’stvo kak al’ternativnaya forma semeyno-brachnykh otnosheniy v sovremennom rossiyskom obshchestve” [Cohabitation as an Alternative Form of Family-Marriage Relations in Modern Russian Society]. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Ser. 7. Filosofiya. Sotsiologiya i sotsial’nye tekhnologii, no 3, pp. 54-60.
7. Shabunova A., Gulin K., Lastochkina M., Solovyeva T. 2012. Modernizatsiya ekonomiki regiona: sotsiokul’turnye aspekty [The Modernization of the Regional Economy: Sociocultural Aspects]. Vologda: ISEDT RAS.
8. Morev M., Popova V. 2014. “Preodolenie sotsial’noy dezintegratsii kak faktor uluchsheniya sotsial’nogo zdorov’ya” [The Overcoming of the Social Disintegration as a Factor of Improving Social Health]. Ekonomicheskie i sotsial’nye peremeny: fakty, tendentsii, prognoz, no 4 (28), pp. 53-69.
9. Pestova G. 2011. “Sotsiokul’turnye osnovy analiza regional’nykh etnosoobshchestv” [A Sociocultural Framework for the Analysis of Regional Ethnic Communities]. Nauchnyy vestnik UrAGS, no 2. Accessed 3 August 2012. http://vestnik.uapa.ru
10. Anufriev D., Aryasova A., Belikova E., Naumov I., Paramonova V., Simonenko M., Tokarev V. 2013. Region: prostranstvo smyslov i soderzhanie [Region: the Space of Meaning and Content]. Edited by N. Dulina and E. Kargapolova. Volgograd: Volgograd scientific publishing house.
11. Rozenberg N. 2005. “Sotsiokul’turnaya sostavlyayushchaya ponyatiya ‘region’” [Sociocultural Component of the “Region” Concept]. Analitika kul’turologii: network scientific journal, no 2 (4). Accessed 15 July 2012. http://analiculturolog.ru
12. Boyko I. I. et al. 2015. Sotsiokul’turnaya evolyutsiya regionov Rossii: Chuvashskaya Respublika [The Sociocultural Evolution of the Regions of Russia: Chuvash Republic]. Edited by I. I. Boyko and V. G. Kharitonova. Cheboksary.
13. Polovinko V. S. (ed.) 2011. Sotsiokul’turnyy portret Omskoy oblasti [The Sociocultural Portrait of the Omsk Region]. Omsk. 
14. Romashkina G. F., Yudashkin V. A. 2011. Sotsiokul’turnyy portret Tyumenskoy oblasti: kollektivnaya monografiya [The Sociocultural Portrait of the Tyumen Region]. Tyumen: UTMN Publishing House. 
15. Shilz E. 1972. “Obshchestvo i obshchestva: makrosotsiologicheskiy podkhod” [Society and Societies: A Macrosociological Approach]. In: American sociology: Perspectives, Problems, Methods, pp. 341-359. Moscow: Progress.
16. Bango J. 2005. Role and Function of Regional Differences in the World Society from the Point of View of Modern Luhmannian Systems Theory (Socio-Region as Proposed Correction). Accessed 7 August 2012. http://jesz.ajk.elte.hu/bango22.html