Release:
2025. Vol. 11. № 1 (41)About the authors:
Daria V. Minchenko, Assistant, Sociology and Public Administration Department, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg, Russia; d.v.minchenko@urfu.ruAbstract:
The public and political activity of the population attracts the attention of leading researchers in the fields of sociology, political science, law, economics, and management. Such activity is traditionally addressed in line with the concept of civic participation, including its social and political practices. However, the population does not clearly identify the forms of participation in the public or political life of their city, region, or country, despite the expansion of such opportunities for citizens. These forms are also not enshrined in official documents. The study of public and political activity of the population of a large industrial region of Russia develops scientific representations about the participation of the population in the practices of the public and political sphere and its obstacles. The purpose of this article is to characterize the public and political activity of the residents of the Sverdlovsk region, defining its structure and content and identifying obstacles to its expansion. The empirical study is based on the methodology of the interregional program Problems of Socio-cultural Evolution of Russia and Its Regions by N. I. Lapin. This paper is based on the results of a survey of residents of the Sverdlovsk region aged 18 years and older (purposive and quota sampling; sampling error less than 3%, n = 635). The level of public and political activity of the Urals was characterized in this article. Among the forms of such activities, participation in elections, collective improvement of territories, and charity are most widely represented. The research shows that participation in public organizations is less common. In the regional capital, this form of participation is less characteristic than that of the population of medium and small settlements. Among the barriers to public participation, three groups were identified that directly limit the interaction of the population with public authorities. As a serious obstacle to public-political participation of citizens aged 18 to 34 years, their fears of public punishment for public-political activity were identified.Keywords:
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