DOI: https://doi.org/10.17072/2078-7898/2020-1-139-151
State and dynamics of protest activity in modern Russian society
Tatyana N. Yudina
Doctor of Sociology, Professor,
Head of the Department of Sociology
Russian State Social University,
4, Wilhelm Pieck str., Moscow, 129226, Russia;
e-mail: judinaTN@rgsu.net
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7785-8601
Yuriy N. Mazaev
Ph.D. in Philosophy, Docent,
Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology
Russian State Social University,
4, Wilhelm Pieck str., Moscow, 129226, Russia;
e-mail: yu.mazaev@yandex.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3751-2141
Tatyana M. Bormotova
Doctor of Sociology,
Professor of the Department of Sociology
Russian State Social University,
4, Wilhelm Pieck str., Moscow, 129226, Russia;
e-mail: tbormotova.68@mail.ru
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5739-7369
Pavel S. Zhukov
Ph.D. Student of the Department of Sociology
Russian State Social University,
4, Wilhelm Pieck str., Moscow, 129226, Russia;
e-mail: zhukovpaulzibert@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9739-1452
Protest actions of the population are the most important factor in the transformation of the society’s political systems. The authors consider protest moods monitoring to be an indicator of the government legitimacy and an integral part of public opinion. At the same time, indicators of citizens’ protest activity often become hostages of political technologies and public consciousness manipulation. The paper attempts to give an analytical description of dynamic potential and actual indicators of street protest activity in modern Russian society, which is done based on the materials of monitoring surveys conducted by leading sociological agencies, as well as information from the media and non-government organizations. It is shown that street protest activity as such can indicate deep social contradictions in Russian society. The main reason for mass protests of the population is essential problems that affect specific vital interests of ordinary people. In addition, the border between socioeconomic and political requirements is becoming increasingly blurred. At the same time, it is revealed that manifestations of street protest activity in modern society are situational. The social resource of rallies and demonstrations among the population is relatively limited. Survey data indicate that the majority of Russian citizens do not support participation in mass protests against decreasing living standards, in defense of their rights. In case of such protests they will most likely not take part in them, and, in general, they hold an opinion that mass street protest movement is unlikely to develop. According to the authors, the possible scenario for the protest situation development in society will depend on what problem factors determining the «peak» social tension and protest potential will coincide, as well as on the intensity of those factors.
Keywords: social tension, protest activity, protest potential, level and quality of life, social problems, economic inequality.
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Received 13.01.2020
For citation:
Yudina T.N., Mazaev Yu.N., Bormotova T.M., Zhukov P.S. [State and dynamics of protest activity in modern Russian society]. Vestnik Permskogo universiteta. Filosofia. Psihologia. Sociologia [Perm University Herald. Philosophy. Psychology. Sociology], 2020, issue 1, pp. 139–151 (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.17072/2078-7898/2020-1-139-151