Regional features of protest potential in the conditions of social tension
Kotov D.A., Vavilina N.D.
The economic crisis associated with imposing of international sanctions and worsening of the material situation of the population over recent years has led to increased social anxiety and social tension in Russian society. Such changes are particularly noticeable in the development of large cities and agglomerations. The inevitable result of the growth of social anxiety and social tension is the emergence of protest moods, which under certain conditions can develop into active protest actions on the part of the population, aimed at opposing worsening of well-being. Classification of the population, depending on their protest potential, is an important part of understanding the nature of protest activity and the motives of the population. Based on the results of a sociological research conducted in Krasnoyarsk, where more than a million people live, in 2015, six homogeneous groups with different protest potentials were singled out using the cluster analysis method. Taking into account the key features of the clusters, they were given names based on 2 characteristics: the level of social well-being and the level of protest activity. These are: "prosperous passive", “non-prosperous passive” “prosperous active", "middle passive", “prosperous neutral", "non-prosperous neutral". 2 groups: "non-prosperous active" and "prosperous active" have the largest protest potential. With a general willingness to act, an important difference between clusters is their social and material position, the pattern of anxiety varies significantly. Based on the data received, the authorities should pay special attention to relieving the tensions associated with environmental concerns and anxiety about the future, as they can be used as an excuse to destabilise the situation in the region