The Promises of Social Tension Research using Russian Data from the European Social Survey

Abstract

Anna Pinkevich — PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Conflictology, the Institute of Philosophy, Saint-Petersburg State University. Address: 5 Mendeleevskaya line, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russian Federation. E-mail: pinckevich. a@yandex. ru

In addition to the existing lines of social tension, there are new lines which are currently forming in contemporary Russia and permeating the entire society. This topic is promising for the further development of the conflict theory, the analysis of the determinants and stages of conflict development and conflict management. It also has an applied value with regard to anticipating social conflicts and developing policies that prevent them. By measuring social tension early in its development we acquire empirical material in a relatively stable environment without the need to interfere in the conflict and thus avoiding the potential impact this may have on the data.
The European Social Survey (ESS) provides a good opportunity for research into social tension both in specific countries and from a comparative perspective as well. This article explores social tension in Russia using ESS data. The author discusses various indicators of social tension which are drawn from the questionnaire of the 4 th ESS round conducted in 2008. She then applies these indicators to evaluate the degree of social tension in Russia and its distribution among various social groups. The cases of several other сountries are introduced for comparative purposes. The article concludes with a discussion of the possibilities that ESS offers to researchers of social tension, and shortcomings in the questionnaire which limit the scope of such inquiry.