Zadorin I.V. «Frontier» regions: territorial identity and perception of «specialness». Politeia, 2018, Issue 2(89), pp. 102-136.

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: http://politeia.ru/files/articles/rus/Politeia-2018-2(89)-102-136.pdf (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 04.09.2018)

Abstract

The article presents the results of the comprehensive study conducted by the ZIRCON Research Group in four frontier regions of Russia (Crimea, Primorsky krai, Kaliningrad and Murmansk regions) and two control regions located in the Russian geographic core (Kostroma region and Chuvashia). The research methods included collection of data on the current situation in the regions, mass opinion polls and a series of discussion focus groups that included representatives of (1) small and medium-sized businesses, (2) civil society, and (3) expert community. The sample included adult population of these regions at the age of 18 years and above. The sample size was five thousand respondents. The study focused on the following components: the rootedness of the population (whether people are potentially ready to move to another region); territorial identity; perception of the region of residence and its population; perception of the characteristics of the inhabitants of the region; the level of trust and the propensity for solidarity; the level of openness; the presence/absence of “defence consciousness”; views on the prospects for the development of the region and its “mission”; the perception of the region as “special” in comparison with other regions of the Russian Federation; the level of political loyalty of the population; the perception of and the attitude to the “federal center”; the attitude to the expansion of the powers of the region. The study’s ultimate aim was to reveal the link between the territorial identity of the population of the participating regions and their people’s perception of the prospects for the development of the region, including its relations with the federal center and other subjects of the Russian Federation.