Civic Moods and Civic Engagement of Russians as a Base for Social Trust and Social Capital

Abstract

Paper bases on results of sociological survey in four Russian regions (2019, n = 1598). One of the goals of presented research was the understanding about perception of a true citizen image and its regional variations. During data analysis, the argued the hypothesis about the stable set of characteristics, describing true (ideal) citizen for Russians. These constructs are in the zone of strong positive interdependencies. A true citizen has positive civic senses, is law-abiding and responsible, feels unity and solidarity with the nation, ready to common solution of common public problems, does not hope for the government, and is ready to compromise about own private rights and freedoms in case of emergency. On the junction of this constructs, an image of citizenship have being forming in the consciousness of the Russians. However, in all regions, the image is rather blurring; in the Altai krai and the Kemerovo oblast, it paradoxically combines with high level of civic responsibility while a great lack of civic feelings. All regions had a constant set of constructs, forming the image of a true citizen—far from policy, with weak civic feelings, socially passive, but trying to correspond formal requirement of the state law system.