Ideological and Political Preferences of the Russians: Changing of the Discourse

Abstract

The author applies to the sociological data of the Institute of Sociology of FCTAS RAS to study the ideological and political preferences of the contemporary Russians and their ideas about value orientations in the 21st century. Stressing rather high level of depolitization of the state contemporary socio-political life to identify the citizens’ preferences the author used the method of associative reflection of the words and phrases that are mostly often using in contemporary Russia’s ideological discourse. So, the author outlined a circle of the concepts, that are significant for the contemporary Russia’s socio-political base and the state development. The author identified three basic dispositions, that are using by the respondents to evaluate politically loaded concepts and the ideologies, that are close to them. The first is almost complete neutrality to the most concepts proposed for assessment. The second one is predominantly positive assessment of the most of them. And thirdly it is clear division of concepts into positively and negatively assessed. The first two dispositions correspond towards 60% of all respondents, these are ideologically undecided respondents. The last disposition characterizes two roughly comparable value attitudes (the “traditionalistic” and the “liberal” ones) and include the respondents with clear ideological political attitudes (40% among all respondents). The author also analyses the main value orientations and social and demographical characteristics of the social groups with different ideological and political preferences. Its not-ed that the “Soviet” discourse is gradually shifting from the sphere of ideological confrontation into the sphere of morality. One can also see the idealization by the Russia’s public opinion of a “Soviet person” concept and attributing to it of the special qualities that, according to most respondents, are absent in the current Russians. The author notes that the project based on the ideas of justice and democracy is the most prospective variant of the future Russia’s value orientations. Such a project meets the expectations of many Russians, especially of young people, for changes that involve not only improving of the material living conditions, but also could minimize various inequalities and expand the opportunities for individual self-realization and political participation. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and its socio-economic consequences could rise a new wave of authoritarian sentiments based on the ideas of state greatness, the return totraditional values and the need for a “strong hand”. As the sociological data demonstrates these ideas are supported not only by the traditionalistically oriented citizens but also by about the third part of the ideologically undecided respondents.