Факторы межэтнической напряженности в регионах России

Abstract

Introduction: the study of ethnic conflicts in Russia is one of the most popular research areas. Research reviews show that many authors seek to define the determinants of interethnic conflict in the subjects of the Russian Federation and to understand what causes the regional differentiation in interethnic tension. Objectives: to find an answer to the question of why the interethnic tension is high in some Russian regions and low in others. Methods: several theoretical and methodological approaches to the explanation of interethnic conflicts have been considered. Based on the theoretical approaches existing in sociology and political science, the author formulates working hypotheses and checks them empirically using the regression analysis method. The information base of the research was made up of data from Rosstat, the Rating of Regional Democracy by the Carnegie Moscow Center, the “Grapes of Wrath” Rating of Interethnic Tension in the Russian Regions. Results: a considerable ethnic patchiness leads to an increase in interethnic tension. It has been shown that a positive relationship exists between economic crisis and interethnic conflict. Statistical calculations have demonstrated that the growth in regional democracy is accompanied by the increase in interethnic tensions. Conclusions: the research results made it possible for the author to identify the regional interethnic tension determiners, resulting in around 30 % of all the cases. This brings about the necessity to further use the qualitative methods of data analysis and case-study research.