Prospects of Unconditional Basic Income in the Social Protection System: A Comparative Analysis of the Opinion of Objects and Subjects

Abstract

The article presents the results of a sociological study devoted to the problems of unconditional basic income. In recent years, interest in this topic has been actualized in Russian research practice, which is caused both by global trends in the search for effective tools to increase the level of social protection, and by the need to improve social protection mechanisms in our country. The analysis of scientific papers highlighted the problem of the lack of empirical studies that allow assessing the attitude to the introduction of unconditional basic income of the population as an object of social protection practices and professionals in the field of social protection as a subject introducing new tools in this area. In 2021–2022, the authors conducted an intelligence sociological study based on a questionnaire survey of 400 respondents living in various territories of the Irkutsk region, and 32 semi-structured interviews among managers and specialists in the field of social protection of the population of the Irkutsk region and the Republic of Buryatia. The focus of the analysis is focused on comparing the assessments and opinions of objects and subjects of social protection practices. For most of the studied aspects of the problems of unconditional basic income, a high degree of coincidence of estimates given by professionals in the field of social protection and ordinary respondents was noted. There is a generally low level of awareness of both categories of respondents regarding the studied mechanism of social protection. Assessing the problems and risks of introducing an unconditional basic income, respondents from among the population and social protection professionals come to general conclusions about the growth of social dependency, criminal manifestations, migration burden, as well as a possible lack of financial resources of the state to maintain the mechanism under consideration. A possible decrease in labor activity is considered as less likely. In general, the majority of respondents from among the population support the introduction of an unconditional basic income, while professionals in the social protection sphere consider it unlikely that this tool will be used in the foreseeable future.