Vol 13, No 2 (2025)

The contradiction between the rich and the poor has always been felt by Russians especially acutely, being one of the most painful for the population of our country to perceive, and the attitude to it influences the level of social tension in society and the degree of consolidation of society. However, the reasons for this attitude to it are not simple and far from obvious. Taking into account the importance of this problematic in the conditions of aggravation of external challenges for Russia in recent years, the article uses the data of representative all-Russian surveys of IS FСTAS RAS for 2024 with the use of regression analysis to show that the acuteness of the perception of the contradiction between the rich and the poor in modern Russia is not influenced by gender, age, level of education, or even income level. However, objective living conditions do influence this perception, and it is connected with certain features of life experience. A special role in this respect is played by the presence in the family of chronically ill people with limited working capacity, who are not disabled of groups 1 and 2, the absence in the household of a car, which has become a marker of well-being for Russians, poor assessments of their own health, living in a marriage, as well as the lack of income from property. However, subjective and attitudinal factors play a decisive role in this perception. The perception of the gap between rich and poor is influenced by a combination of two groups of these factors. One of them includes perceptions of the dynamics and correctness of the country’s development (negative assessment of the dynamics in the social sphere, especially the situation with pensions, living standards, and social justice). This indicates a conflict between perceptions of how society should be organized and everyday reality. The second group of factors includes perceptions of real problems that a person faces in his life and that he is unable to solve himself for various reasons (dissatisfaction with the quality of his food, clothing or his material well-being in general and the prospects for its growth).

One of the fundamental social processes caused by the global demographic transition is the increase in the number of elderly people with signs of age-related changes and even chronic neurological diseases. Such diseases are social, as they have a profound effect on the cognitive functions and physical abilities of a significant part of the population, moreover, they have a long preclinical phase that requires attention from society. In this regard, there is a public demand for the implementation of preventive measures for high-risk groups and the population as a whole, which can reduce the burden of neurological diseases that pose a serious threat to the healthcare system, as well as sustainable economic and social development of all countries. It is necessary to take into account that even physiological aging is associated with memory impairment, loss of critical thinking, and a decrease in the speed of decision-making. In recent years the processes of computerization, informatization and digitalization have also had a huge impact on the cognitive health of the population. In this regard, brain aging and the fading of cognitive functions are no longer exclusively age-related and medical problems and are becoming global social challenges affecting all groups of the population. The current situation requires interdisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation of managers, doctors, and scientists to develop comprehensive strategies for preserving the cognitive health of the population, including assessment of the functional activity of the brain, early diagnosis, prevention, and therapy of deviations, which in turn requires sociological diagnostics and sociological support. In addition to launching state programs to support cognitive health, a serious task is to increase public awareness, motivation to maintain cognitive health, instill a culture of a healthy lifestyle, adherence to the principles of information hygiene, and adherence to sleep, work, and rest regimes necessary for cognitive longevity. In this article, the team of authors focused on updating the problem of cognitive aging in Russia and considered possible options for solving it using the example of successful practices in the world and their own developments.