International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 7, No. 9, September 2017 Indicators of Civil Society Development in the Border Regions of the Russian Federation Svetlana G. Maximova, Oksana E. Noyanzina, Maxim B. Maximov, Anastasiya G. Morkovkina, and Daria A. Omelchenko co-ordination of public activity between the government and Abstract—The subjects of the research are preconditions of non-commercial organizations is not a constant practice [5]. formation of civil society in six regions of the Russian The other problem if the limitation of opportunities of Federation. productive communications between the Russian citizens and The primary data collection was done by a questionnaire in non-commercial organizations, caused by the lack of six Russian regions: the Altai krai, the Jewish Autonomous oblast, the Trans-Baikal krai, the Kemerovo krai, the Omsk knowledge about such institutions and principles of their oblast, the Orenburg oblast (total sample size amounted to activity. It is possible to find a way to resolve these difficulties n=2400, the age of the respondents was from 18 to 70 years). basing on results of empirical research of conditions of The novelty of the research consists in the analysis of the basic development of civil society. spectrum of the existing problems in the development of the nonprofit sector in six regions of the Russian Federation. Our own analysis of their causes is proposed and the constructive II. METHODOLOGY approaches of the formation and development of civil society were highlighted. On the basis of the obtained data conclusions The basic premise in the study about the civil society is the about the current situation, public and socio-economic activity fact that the civil society remains open to interpretations [6], of the population, the attitude of the population of six Russian [7]-[9]. The definitions have changed over time, but even in subjects towards development of civil society in the region and its current use the concept ‘has various connotations in Russia, evaluation, under the influence of what factors it is composed, and by what means it is possible to affect change are different countries and languages’ [10]-[12]. Rather often, the made. Ultimately, the findings are focused on the description of ‘civil society’ understood as the totality of relatively the characteristics of the development of civil society, the main independent public organizations, which are free from the problems and prospects in the activities of the nonprofit sector government, able to express and realize interests of the in the Russian Federation and the six border areas are identified citizens through self-organization, self-government and from the standpoint of the population and priorities for action in the development of civil society are identified. constructive dialogue with the state. Initial sense of this notion consists in the necessity of protection of citizens’ Index Terms— Citizenship, civil society, level of development, community from rude tyranny of the state. Formation of social capital, subjects of the Russian Federation. developed civil society bases on balanced combination of public and private interests with the dominance of private interests and absolute understanding of highest value of a I. INTRODUCTION human, his/her rights and freedoms [13]. The building of the civil society – is one of the first tasks in According to A. Ferguson, the highest goal of the civil the contemporary Russian Federation. In Russian political society is individuals’ happiness, because it is the and social discourse, the problem of the civil society emerged fundamental base of universal well-being [14]. Creation of in 1980s for the first time together with mass-public such society is possible only with conditions of the movements [1], [2]. Since that time, the civil society understood attitudes to independent participation in considered as the necessary condition of social development decision-making, turning them into life, and provision of and effective interaction between society and government. conditions for such civic involvement [15]. In Russia, the process of statement and functioning of The contemporary understanding of civil society refers to institutes of civil society connected with a number of the public sphere, for example, as set apart from the state and problems [3], [4]. Thus, by data of the Public Chamber, the market. Some theories understand the civil society as a nowadays there are no any stable interaction between synonym for some kind of ‘political association, whose chamber and government: Russian non-commercial members are subject to laws, which ensure peaceful order and organizations face lot of administrative barriers; good government’ [16]. In sociology, the theory of the civil society presented by works of T. Parsons, E. Shils, N. Luhmann [17], [18], [19]. We should mark a considerable Manuscript received September 30, 2016; revised May 1, 2017. This input of the general systems theory [20]. In relation to it, the work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian civil society has certain system indicators: it is governing and Federation, the State Orders for the scientific research “Transit migration, transit regions and Russian migration policy: security and Eurasian controlled system; it obtains definite autonomy and own integration” [№ 28.2757.2017/ПЧ]. structure, stability and dynamics, transparency and adaptation, The authors are with the Altai State University, Barnaul, Russia (e-mail: unity and possibility of differentiation of elements [21]. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]). In the XX century the notion of the civil society doi: 10.18178/ijssh.2017.7.9.897 628 International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, Vol. 7, No. 9, September 2017 transformed through statist ideologies, the XXI century it estimation of opportunity of effective interaction between became understood in combination with social representatives of different social groups; entrepreneurship and civic reinvention, ‘lost faith in relation to rights and obligations of the citizen; centralized systems of government, and increased efficiency participation in public activity; and credibility of civil society organizations, as well as a estimations of the manifestation of conditions of renewed quest for values and interest in volunteerism’ [22]. development of the civil society. As a result, civil society has become understood as ‘the General empirical methods of data collection and analysis: essential mediating structure because it stands as a buffer questioning, traditional documentary analyses, methods of between the individual and the large structures of the state and mathematical-statistical analysis with use of the MS Office the market, but also because it plays a crucial role in 2013 and SPSS 17.0. cultivating citizenship as well as generating and maintaining values in society’ [23]. General indicators of the civil society determined in some IV. PRIMARY RESEARCH RESULTS theories: democracy regime; developed law system, First of all, we consider the meaning of civil society for the guarantees for human’ and citizens’ rights and freedoms; Russians. The most number of respondents (39.1%), while multiple character and diversity of non-governmental public answering the question “How do you understand the notion organizations (communities); ideology variety and political “civil society”?” chose “the rule of law”. Also the following pluralism. The given research is devoted to the analysis of answers became popular: “the rule of interests of the citizens, manifestations of the abovementioned indicators in but no the state” (29.5%), “cultural, civilized society” contemporary Russian society through the attitudes and (26.6%), and “all citizens of the country” (25.0%). positions of citizens. Alternative variant “all public organizations of the country” Formation of the civil society is the multi-stage, non-linear was the less popular, only 9.6% of respondents chose it (Table process of emergence and construction in social area of the I). system of institutes and structures, elements and subjects of the civil society. Its content, ways of realization, time, and the TABLE I: DISTRIBUTION OF ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION: “HOW DO YOU vector determined by the stage of development of functional UNDERSTAND THE NOTION “CIVIL SOCIETY”? WHAT DOES IT MEAN” (%) differentiation of the social system. In the process of The rule of law 39.1 The rule of interests of the citizens, but no the 29.5 realization of function of the civil society, it forms civil state virtues, creates structures of civil inclusion, solidarity, trust, Solidarity, unity of the citizens 26.6 and tolerance. Formation and development of the civil society Cultural, civilized society 26.6 in combination with all its institutes is possible only in All citizens of the country 25.0 Democracy 23.8 conditions of the law state, providing economic freedoms and Opportunity of citizens to influence policy 23.5 social stability, protected rights of citizens, freedom of Humane, moral society 22.5 information and public opinion, transparency and tolerance, All public organizations of the country 9.6 self-governing and civic activity basing on constructing Thus, respondents associate civil society with provision of cooperation between government and public communities. rights and realization of individual interests of the citizens. Absence or weakness of such