Models of Collective Behavior in Russia: Past (300 Years) and Future

Abstract

This article presents a comparative (outline) analysis of various models of collective behavior—Anglo-Saxon, Continental, and Russian. Data are sourced from the World Values Survey and from sociological surveys conducted within Russia. I highlight the unique aspects of the Russian model of behavior and discuss the rationality of collective behavior in Russia from the 18th to the 20th centuries, detailing how society responded to stresses induced by the excessive concentration of power within the psychological triad ‘Run, freeze, fight’. I provide evidence that it is possible to change the model of collective behavior by establishing new objectives and implementing top-down reforms and propose a scenario-based forecast for the evolution of behavioral models / societal models / economy over a 10–15-year horizon. For more distant timeframes, I suggest and justify a prospective model (‘Continental’, ‘Social Market Economy’) aimed at increasing life expectancy (to 80+) and the quality of life in Russia, facilitating technological modernization, and stimulating ultra-rapid economic growth, akin to what occurred in 15–20 countries globally following the Second World War.