Rural Population of Kalmykia: Social Adaptation Revisited (Summarizing the Results of 2016 and 2017 Surveys)
Abstract
The article is topical enough since for further development of the agricultural sector in the republic it is urgent to comprehensively analyze some social consequences of the agrarian reforms and adaptational patterns of the population. Adaptation here shall be understood to mean processes individuals and social groups experience to accommodate themselves to varied environment, some permanent changes caused by market and democratic reforms. And those are labor related economic factors that virtually play first fiddle. Nowadays rural settlements of the republic basically experience financial hardships and can be characterized by poor economic potential which results in the lack of investment resources required for production development and creation of jobs. Consequently, labor migration has increased in the region, in search of job opportunities rural residents leave their villages, the republic. Almost half of the informants (48 %) have travelled away (or intended to) to start a business of their own or purchase a dwelling in the republic. For the purposes of the study we shall designate this as a positive indicator of social adaptation. Since the informants have certain life plans, they think over opportunities for success and make steps on the basis of available material and social capital.
The paper uses the results of 2016/2017 opinion surveys conducted by employees of the Department in 2016 and 2017 in rural areas of the region. It analyzes assessments of the current economic conditions, topical social problems and social well-being given by rural residents.
The increased state support of rural manufacturers and enhanced opportunities for obtaining credit resources gradually improved conditions for the national agri-food sector. So, villagers now could develop household plots and farming enterprises. Rural dwellers gradually adapt to market conditions.
The obtained results show that over half of the informants (51,9 %) characterize the economic situation in the republic as ‘positive’, while some individuals would describe it as ‘negative’ (44 %). And those are optimists who create the social mental determination to overcome difficulties and sustain political stability.
Most informants (84 %) assessed their personal economic conditions as poor or hardcore poor. This signifies that a large part of the rural population never adapted to the market society. Those people are still dependent upon wages and transfer payments of the government that help disadvantaged groups survive the tough time of crisis.
There still remain quite a number of unsettled problems related to labor market, low wages, absence of village-forming enterprises, investment resources, and poor social infrastructure required for the development of rural territories and adaptation of villagers to market conditions.
About the Author
Ludmila V Namrueva
Kalmyk Scientific Center of the RAS
Russian Federation
Ph. D. in Sociology (Cand. of Sociological Sc.), Head of Department for Complex Monitoring and Information Technologies,
Russian Federation
Ph. D. in Sociology (Cand. of Sociological Sc.), Head of Department for Complex Monitoring and Information Technologies,
References
1. Абдрахманов и др. 2016 ― Абдрахманов Д. М., Буранчин А. М., Демичев И. В. Архаизация российских регионов как социальная проблема. Уфа: Мир печати, 2016. 404 с. [Abdrakhmanov D. M., Buranchin A. M., Demichev I. V. Arkhaizatsiya rossiyskikh regionov kak sotsial’naya problema [Archaization of Russia’s regions as a social problem]. Ufa: Mir Pechati, 2016. 404 p.]
2. Бадмаева 2017a ― Бадмаева Н. В. Сельский рынок труда: состояние, проблемы и тенденции (на примере южнороссийских регионов) // Экономика и предпринимательство. 2017a. № 9–1. С. 477–480. [Badmaeva N. V. The rural labor market: the state, problems and trends (on the example of South Russian regions). Ekonomika i predprinimatel’stvo. 2017a. No. 9–1. Pp. 477–480].
3. Бадмаева 2017б ― Бадмаева Н. В. Демографический потенциал и проблемы занятости сельского населения южнороссийских регионов // Бюллетень Калмыцкого научного центра РАН. 2017b. С. 107–115. [Badmaeva N. V. Rural population of South Russian regions: demographic potential and problems of employment. Byulleten’ Kalmytskogo nauchnogo tsentra RAN. 2017б. Pp. 107–115].
4. Баженова и др. 2016 ― Баженова Е. Ю., Васьков М. А., Волков Ю. Г. Ростовская область: адаптация к жизни в условиях кризиса // Россия реформирующаяся: Ежегодник [сб. науч. ст.] / отв. ред. М. К. Горшков; Институт социологии РАН. М.: Новый хронограф, 2016. Вып. 14. С. 228–253. [Bazhenova E. Yu., Vaskov M. A., Volkov Yu. G. Rostov Province: adapting to life during a crisis. Rossiya reformiruyuschayasya: Ezhegodnik [sb. nauch. st.]. M. K. Gorshkov (ed.); Institute of Sociology of RAS. Moscow: Novyy Khronograf, 2016. Iss. 14. Pp. 228–253].
5. Горшков 2016 ― Горшков М. К. О социальном ресурсе адаптации россиян к условиям кризиса (вместо предисловия) // Россия реформирующаяся: Ежегодник [сб. науч. статей] / отв. ред. М. К. Горшков; Институт социологии РАН. М.: Новый хронограф, 2016. Вып. 14. С. 5–20. [Gorshkov M. K. Revisiting the social resource of Russian citizens in their adaptation to crisis circumstances (in lieu of a preface). Rossiya reformiruyuschayasya: Ezhegodnik [sb. nauch. st.]. M. K. Gorshkov (ed.); Institute of Sociology of RAS. Moscow: Novyy Khronograf, 2016. Iss. 14. Pp. 5–20].
6. Калугина 2015 ― Калугина З. И. Рыночная трансформация аграрного сектора России: Социологический дискурс. Новосибирск: ИЭОПП СО РАН, 2015. 342 с. [Kalugina Z. I. Rynochnaya transformatsiya agrarnogo sektora Rossii: Sotsiologicheskiy diskurs [Market transformation of Russia’s agrarian sector: sociological discourse]. Novosibirsk: Institute of Economics and Industrial Engineering of SB of RAS, 2015. 342 p.]
7. Капто 2008 ― Капто А. С. Адаптация социальная // Социологический словарь / Отв. ред. Г. В. Осипов, Л. Н. Москвичев и др. М.: Норма, 2008. С. 11–12. [Kapto A. S. Social adaptation. Sotsiologicheskiy slovar’ [A dictionary of sociology]. G. V. Osipov, L. N. Moskvichev et al. (eds.). Moscow: Norma, 2008. Pp. 11–12].
8. Козырева, Смирнов 2016 ― Козырева П. М., Смирнов А. И. Особенности и тенденции адаптации россиян к изменяющимся условиям в постсоветский период // Россия реформирующаяся: Ежегодник [сб. науч. статей] / отв. ред. М. К. Горшков; Институт социологии РАН. М.: Новый хронограф, 2016. Вып. 14. С. 133–171. [Kozyreva P. M., Smirnov A. I. The peculiarities and tendencies of adapting Russians to the ever-changing conditions of the post-Soviet period. Rossiya reformiruyuschayasya: Ezhegodnik [sb. nauch. st.]. M. K. Gorshkov (ed.); Institute of Sociology of RAS. Moscow: Novyy Khronograf, 2016. Iss. 14. Pp. 133–171].
9. Намруева 2015 ― Намруева Л. В. Сельские поселения Республики Калмыкия в 2010-е гг.: типы и характеристика // Вестник Калмыцкого института гуманитарных исследований РАН. 2015. № 4. С. 192–197. [Namrueva L. V. Rural areas of the Republic of Kalmykia in 2010s: typology and characteristics. Vestnik Kalmytskogo instituta gumanitarnykh issledovaniy RAN (Bulletin of the Kalmyk Institute for Humanities of the RAS). 2015. No. 4. Pp. 192–197].
10. Намруева, Землянская 2017 ― Намруева Л. В., Землянская С. В. Социальное самочувствие сельских жителей как фактор развития аграрной отрасли (по материалам анкетных опросов 1996 и 2016 гг. в республике Калмыкия) // Теории и проблемы политических исследований. 2017. № 2в. С. 473–486. [Namrueva L. V., Zemlyanskaya S. V. Social well-being of rural residents as a factor of development of agrarian sector (on the basis of questionnaire surveys 1996 and 2016 in the Republic of Kalmykia). Teorii i problemy politicheskikh issledovaniy. 2017. No. 2в. Pp. 473–486].
11. Намруева 2017 ― Намруева Л. В. Сельские территории Республики Калмыкия: динамика изменений // Современное село Калмыкии: социологический срез. Элиста: КалмНЦ РАН, 2017. С. 9–77. [Namrueva L. V. Rural areas of the Republic of Kalmykia: dynamic pattern. Sovremennoe selo Kalmykii: sotsiologicheskiy srez [Kalmykia’s modern village: a sociological perspective]. Elista: Kalmyk Scientific Center of RAS, 2017. Pp. 9–77].
12. Нусхаева 2017a ― Нусхаева Б. Б. Сельское население Республики Калмыкия: основные демографические тенденции // Монголоведение. 2017a. № 10. С. 208‑216. [Nuskhaeva B. B. Rural Population of the Republic of Kalmykia: the Main Demographic Trends. Mongolovedenie. 2017a. No. 10. Pp. 208-216.]
13. Нусхаева 2017б ― Нусхаева Б. Б. Демографический потенциал регионов Юга России // Намруева Л. В., Нусхаева Б. Б., Бадмаева Н. В. Развитие сельских территорий Юга России: комплексный анализ социально-экономических процессов. Отчет о НИР. Элиста: КалмНЦ РАН, 2017b. [Nuskhaeva B. B. Regions of South Russia: demographic potential. Razvitie sel’skikh territoriy Yuga Rossii: kompleksnyy analiz sotsial’no-ekonomicheskikh protsessov [Development of rural territories in South Russia: a comprehensive analysis of social and economic processes]. A research report. Namrueva L. V., Nuskhaeva B. B., Badmaeva N. V. (prep.). Elista: Kalmyk Scientific Center of RAS, 2017б.]
14. Туракаев 2016 ― Туракаев М. С. Мобильный вахтовый труд как фактор снижения социального неравенства (на примере муниципальных районов Республики Башкортостан) // Социология и общество: социальное неравенство и социальная справедливость (Екатеринбург, 19–21 октября 2016 г.). [Электронный ресурс]. Мат-лы V Всерос. социол. конгресса. М.: Российское общество социологов. 2016. (DVD ROM). С. 7670–7675. [Turakaev M. S. Work on a rotational basis as a factor of decreased social disparity (a case study of Bashkortostan’s municipal districts). Sotsiologiya i obschestvo: sotsial’noe neravenstvo i sotsial’naya spravedlivost’ (Ekaterinburg, 19–21 oktyabrya 2016 g.). Proc. of the 5th All-Russia Sociology Congress. Moscow: Russian Society of Sociologists, 2016. Pp. 7670–7675.] Available at: DVD ROM.
Review
For citations:
Namrueva L. Rural Population of Kalmykia: Social Adaptation Revisited (Summarizing the Results of 2016 and 2017 Surveys). Oriental Studies. 2018;11(2):162-170. (In Russ.)
Views:
508
Email this article 