Civil Society and Public Engagement in Russia’s Regions (based on the case of Tatarstan)

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

The author examines the issue of public engagement in Russian civil society organizations based on the case of the Republic of Tatarstan. Local support for civil society organizations is critical to their success, so is productive collaboration between different groups and third sector organizations. The study explores differences of public support for various forms of civil society. In particular, attention is paid to the differences in civil participation in such segments of civil society as socially-oriented NGOs, formally unorganized groups and movements (such as, for example, animal rights activists) and in human rights organizations. Federal and local trends in the development of civil society that affect the civic participation are examined in detail. The author also draws attention to the strategies used by civil society organizations to attract support from the local population. The study is based on in-depth interviews with representatives of civil society organizations and movements. In the selection of participants, purposive sampling is used with balanced representation of age, gender and ethnicity. The main conclusion of the study is the reluctance of Tatarstan’s residents to engage in formal CSOs on a regular basis. However, respondents argued that statistics on low public support for civil society did not always reflect reality, as casual activism went largely unreported, so did voluntary participation in community projects outside formal CSOs. Study participants also pointed to the division of the civil society sector into three subgroups: political groups, socially oriented NGOs and independent groups. These groups see each other not as allies, but as competitors. However, public support for certain initiatives is not determined neither by the type of organization, nor by the presence or absence of government support. Tatarstan’s residents support initiatives that can change their immediate environment in the nearest future.

References

  1. Yakovlev, A., Freinkman, L., Makarov, S. & Pogodaev, V. (2020). How Do Russia’s Regions Adjust to External Shocks? Evidence from the Republic of Tatarstan. Problems of Post-Communism, 67, 417–431. doi: 10.1080/10758216.2019.1653200
  2. Javeline, D., & Lindemann-Komarova, S. (2010). A Balanced Assessment of Russian Civil Society. Journal of International Affairs, 63, 171–188.
  3. Bindman, E. (2015). The State, Civil Society and Social Rights in Contemporary Russia. East European Politics, 31, 342–360. doi: 10.1080/21599165.2015.1063488
  4. Bindman, E., Kulmala, M. & Bogdanova, E. (2019). NGOs and the Policy-making Process in Russia: The Case of Child Welfare Reform. Governance, 32, 207–222. doi: 10.1111/gove.12366
  5. Ljubownikow, S., Crotty, J. & Rodgers, P. W. (2013). The State and Civil Society in Post-Soviet Russia: The Development of a Russian-style Civil Society. Progress in Development Studies, 13, 153–166. doi: 10.1177/1464993412466507
  6. Silvan, K. (2015). Defining Civil Society in Contemporary Russia: A Case Study from Youth Forum Seliger 2013. Russian Journal of Communication, 7, 53–64. 10.1080/19409419.2015.1008945
  7. Henderson, S. (2011). Civil Society in Russia. Problems of Post-Communism, 58, 11–27. doi: 10.2753/PPC1075-8216580302
  8. Леньков, Д. А. (2022). Гражданское общество России в контексте мировых трендов развития гражданского общества. Вопросы политологии, 12, 2662-2668. doi: 10.35775/PSI.2022.84.8.012
  9. Ljubownikow, S. & Crotty, J. (2017). Managing Boundaries: The Role of Non-profit Organisations in Russia’s Managed Democracy. Sociology, 51, 940–956. doi: 10.1177/0038038515608111
  10. Tekeeva, M. U. (2022). The evolution of President Vladimir Putin's views on civil society and its role in the "risk society. Modern Science and Innovations, 1(37), 146-157. doi: 10.37493/2307-910X.2022.1.15
  11. Ямщиков, А. С., Карабицина Е. Ф. (2024). Государственная поддержка социально ориентированных некоммерческих организаций, осуществляющих деятельность в сфере туризма. Сервис в России и за рубежом, 1(110), 99-107. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.11177167
  12. Сойфер, Т. В. (2023). Социально ориентированные некоммерческие организации: проблемы правового регулирования. Гражданское право, 5, 22-26. doi: 10.18572/2070-2140-2023-5-22-26
  13. Efimova, L.A. (2023). Features of the Management of a Socially Oriented Non-Profir Organization. Current Problems of Socio-Economic Development of Russia, 2, 5-15.
  14. Ананченко, А.Б., Глухов А.П., Никулин Е.Р. (2022). Особенности гражданского мировоззрения молодежи Ростовской области: ценностный профиль и специфика политического поведения. Вопросы национальных и федеративных отношений, 1(82), 117-127. doi: 10.35775/PSI.2022.82.1.013
  15. Халяпина, П. С. (2023). Конституционно-правовые основы гражданского общества в Российской Федерации. Международный журнал конституционного и государственного права, 2, 130-134.
  16. Соколов, А. К. (2024). Реализация конституционного положения о социальном характере российского государства в контексте создания социально ориентированных субъектов предпринимательской деятельности. Право и государство: теория и практика, 3(231), 331-334. doi: 10.47643/1815-1337_2024_3_331
  17. Salamon, L. M., Sokolowski, S. W. & Haddock, M. A. (2017). Explaining Civil Society Development: A Social Origins Approach. Baltimore, MD, Johns Hopkins University Press.
  18. Chebankova, E. (2015). Competing Ideologies of Russia’s Civil Society. Europe-Asia Studies, 67, 244–268. doi: 10.1080/09668136.2014.1002695
  19. Ross, C. (2015). State Against Civil Society: Contentious Politics and the Non-systemic Opposition in Russia. Europe-Asia Studies, 67, 171–176. doi: 10.1080/09668136.2014.1001575
  20. Nizamova, L. R. (2016). Ethnic Tatars in Contention for Recognition and Autonomy: Bilingualism and Pluri-cultural Education Policies in Tatarstan. Nationalities Papers, 44, 71–91. doi: 10.1080/00905992.2015.1124076
  21. Wigglesworth-Baker, T. (2016). Language Policy and Post-Soviet Identities in Tatarstan. Nationalities Papers, 44, 20–37. doi: 10.1080/00905992.2015.1046425
  22. Yusupova, G. (2016). The Islamic Representation of Tatarstan as an Answer to the Equalization of the Russian Regions. Nationalities Papers, 44, 38–54. doi: 10.1080/00905992.2015.1061983
  23. Buxton, C. (2014). Russia and Development: Capitalism, Civil Society and the State. London, Zed Books.
  24. Cheskin, A., & March, L. (2015). State–society Relations in Contemporary Russia: New Forms of Political and Social Contention. East European Politics, 31, 261–273. doi: 10.1080/21599165.2015.1063487
  25. Мерсиянова И.В., Корнеева, И.Е. (2017). Влияние доверия на участие россиян в благотворительности. Мониторинг, 2, 145–159. doi: https://doi.org/10.14515/monitoring.2017.2.0

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML
Download

Согласие на обработку персональных данных

 

Используя сайт https://journals.rcsi.science, я (далее – «Пользователь» или «Субъект персональных данных») даю согласие на обработку персональных данных на этом сайте (текст Согласия) и на обработку персональных данных с помощью сервиса «Яндекс.Метрика» (текст Согласия).