Regional Identity as a Basis for Consolidation of Border Societies

Abstract

The present study considers the relationship be-tween the processes of regional identity and public communication. The relevance of the theme is de-termined by the need to overcome possible negative trends in the development of interethnic and inter-faith relations in the border territories of the Russian Federation. The expansion of contact zones be-tween ethnic groups in the conditions of developed federalism is a typical process of the current social situation in the country. It seems possible to devel-op not only state, but also regional identity within the framework of Russian national policy. The au-thors consider regional identity as a personal and group set of cognitive symbols that form an inte-grated representation of the surrounding locus. Identity is discussed at the micro-, meso- and mac-ro-social levels from the viewpoint of the sociologi-cal approach. The research presents the classifica-tion of the studied phenomenon reproduction sce-narios, the factors that influence the choice of a particular scenario. Special attention is devoted to the consideration of actors and stakeholders of identification processes at the territorial level, the specific character of administrative and public im-pact in the space of public communication.