Russia in the Context of Globalization

Abstract

This article, based on the results of a large-scale research project carried out by a prominent group of Russian scholars, analyses the responses Russian social thought provides to the challenges of globalization. It provides evidence in support of the claim that the concepts of national sovereignty, ‘self-determination’, and political self-determination in particular, are the key instruments in the analysis of Russia’s role and place in the globalizing world. The three parts of the article outline the major questions, or thematic blocks connected to the study of globalization in Russia. The first part presents how globalization is defined, what are its main characteristics and contradictions as perceived in Russian contemporary social thought. The second part reveals the theoretical reaction to the globalization challenges coming in the form of the analysis of Russia’s political self-determination. The third part presents the critical analysis of Russia’s role and place in globalization. It elaborates on the theoretical debates about forced integration into the international economic, political and informational structures, as opposed to a messianic attitude declaring Russia’s need to take the lead among the losers of globalization. The conclusion summarizes the article’s main findings and indicates the potential directions of further investigation of this multidimensional phenomenon.