TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOR OF THE RUSSIAN POPULATION IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL EXPERIENCE

About the authors:

Marina I. Kadnichanskaya, Cand. Sci. (Soc.), Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Ulyanovsk State University; m-i-kad@yandex.ru; ORCID: 0000-0002-7328-0360

Elena P. Galkina, Cand. Sci. (Soc.), Associate Professor, Department of Psychology and Pedagogy, Ulyanovsk State University; pyh2000@mail.ru; ORCID: 0000-0001-6283-6653

Abstract:

This article examines the changes in the Russian system of social relations in various fields of activity caused by a number of COVID-19 restrictions and the patterns of social behavior in the context of these transformations. The research aims to identify and describe typical behavioral models developed by the population in the conditions of a pandemic in Russia. The authors show that in such conditions, a stable system of social ties between individuals, their communities, organizations, and entire states underwent transformation, which has contributed to stimulating the process of digitalization of various spheres of life of Russian society. The results have revealed that in the conditions of the pandemic, the number of manifestations of deviant behavior of citizens has increased, as well as the level of their anxiety. The consequences of the disease force Russians to change their behavior scenarios, both in their personal life and in their professional activities. While adapting to the new conditions, the population develops new adaptive behaviors — from rejecting the coronavirus pandemic to following the doctors’ recommendations to the smallest detail. This article presents the results of a sociological study “The attitude of residents of the city of Ulyanovsk to vaccination against COVID-19”, conducted in December 2021, carried out with the financial support of the Ulyanovsk Public Foundation “Regional Analytics. Professional Research. Ratings” (RAPRR), a part of which was the study of models of social behavior of the city’s population during a pandemic. Based on the representative data of the authors’ sociological research and using the method of focus groups, the patterns of behavior of the population are highlighted and the reasons for refusing vaccination against COVID-19 are evident.

References:

1. Afanasyev D. S., Kadnichanskaya M. I. 2020. “Analysis of the situation on the labor market of Russia and the Ulyanovsk Region during the coronavirus pandemic”. Proceedings of the All-Russian Research Conference “Youth in the Labor Market: New Rules of Behavior and Communications”. Edited by O. V. Shinyaeva. Pp. 15-18. Ulyanovsk: UlSTU. [In Russian]
2. Weber M. 1990. “Basic Concepts in Sociology”. In: Weber M. Selected Works, pp. 603-627. Moscow. [In Russian]
3. Galkina E. P., Kadnichanskaya M. I. 2021. “Online education: accessibility and risks in a digital society”. Proceedings of the All-Russian Research Conference “Social Inequality and Social Justice in Russian Society: substantive and communicative aspects”, pp. 255-261. Ulyanovsk: Ulyanovsk State Technical University. [In Russian]
4. Galkina E. P., Kadnichanskaya M. I. 2020. “Problems of youth unemployment (graduates of educational institutions) in the Ulyanovsk Region”. Proceedings of Tula State University. Humanities, no. 4, pp. 85-99. [In Russian]
5. Interactive map of Russia. Accessed 20 February 2022. https://stats.hh.ru/map [In Russian]
6. RIA Novosti. 2021. “The study revealed an increase in the unemployment rate in Russia”. 15 March. Accessed 10 February 2022. https://ria.ru/20210315/bezrabotitsa-1601183794.html [In Russian]
7. Kadnichanskaya M. I., Galkina E. P. 2021. “Region during the pandemic: state and problems (the case of the Ulyanovsk Region)”. Proceedings of the 6th International Research Internet Conference in 2 vols., pp. 109-114. Vologda: Vologda Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. [In Russian]
8. Kargapolova E. V., Kappushev U. I. 2021. “Online vs offline: paradoxes of communications in the period of social restrictions”. Proceedings of the 6th International Research Internet Conference in 2 vols., pp. 121-126. Vologda: Vologda Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. [In Russian]
9. Lubsky A. V., Vyalykh N. A., Zaitseva A. A. 2017. “Models of social behavior of youth in Russia”. Socio-Humanitarian Knowledge, no. 7, pp. 106-117. [In Russian]
10. Romashkina G. F. 2021. “Accelerated digitalization of the education system in a pandemic COVID-19 in Russia: pros and cons”. Proceedings of the 6th International Research Internet Conference in 2 vols., pp. 30-36. Vologda: Vologda Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. [In Russian]
11. Unemployment rate in Russia 2021-2022. Accessed 20 February 2022. https://take-profit.org/statistics/unemployment-rate/russia [In Russian]
12. RF Federal State Statistics Service. “The unemployment rate of the population aged 15-72 years in the subjects of the Russian Federation”. Accessed 20 February 2022. https://rosstat.gov.ru/labour_force [In Russian]
13. Heckhausen H. 2001. “Personal and situational approaches to explaining behavior”. In: Psychology of Social Situations. St. Petersburg: Piter. [In Russian]
14. Cheshev V. V. 2008. “Models of behavior of M. Weber’s ‘understanding sociology’ in the light of the categories ‘behavior’ and ‘activity’. Bulletin of the TSPU, no. 1 (75), pp. 78-89. [In Russian]
15. Yadov V. A. 2013. “On the sociological component of dispositions”. In: Self-Regulation and Forecasting of Social Behavior of a Person: Dispositional Concept. 2nd edition, pp. 357-359. Moscow: TSSPIM.