This paper represents the first comprehensive analysis of the impact of the second wave of foreign sanctions on informal employment in the Russian labour market. It focuses on changes in the structure of various types of informal employment in 2022-2023, as well as on an assessment of the possible impact of sanctions on the dynamics of the probability of informal employment, which allows to clarify the reaction of the Russian labour market to large-scale sanctions pressure and adaptation to it. The general analytical framework of the study is based on theoretical approaches and empirical works that consider changes in the level of informal employment depending on the stages of the economic cycle. The results, obtained on the basis of the RLMS HSE data, indicate that the initial reaction of the Russian labour market in 2022 is accompanied by an increase in the share of both formal and informal workers in the overall structure of the population, while already in 2023 the overall level of informal employment and its characteristics return to pre-sanction values, and the share of formal workers continues to grow. This process is explained by the short-term movement of workers between formal and informal jobs (for example, to various forms of self-employment and individual entrepreneurship) after losing their job or in search for higher earnings, which is again replaced by formal employment as enterprises adapt to the sanctions pressure. The identified dynamics of informal employment was concentrated in certain economic sectors-the public sector, construction, as well as in the housing and communal services and social services. At the same time, the estimation of dynamic multinomial logit models did not reveal any independent effect of sanctions on the probability of informal employment of various types, confirming that it was accumulated in specific industries. Sanctions pressure in 2022-2023, all other things being equal, also did not lead to an increase in the risks of job loss (transition to unemployment or inactivity state) after previous employment-in contrast to the period of the COVID crisis, they generally either remained stable or decreased.
Amidst the ongoing crisis of social mobility and pronounced differentiation within the Russian higher education sector, investigating perceptions of inequality and mobility experiences among socially disadvantaged groups becomes particularly relevant. This study analyzes patterns of subjective upward mobility and stratification beliefs among first-generation students (FGS)-individuals without familial experience of higher education-compared to other youth groups distinguished by their own and their parents' educational backgrounds. The focus lies on the perceived barriers and drivers of life success and their relation to subjective mobility experiences. The empirical foundation is drawn from waves 9-10 (2020-2021) of the longitudinal study "Trajectories in Education and Careers," which provides data on a contemporary cohort of Russian youth. Using binary logistic regression, we examine the likelihood of subjective upward mobility in connection with accumulated educational capital and stratification beliefs regarding success resources. Findings reveal that FGS perceive higher education is as a critical social elevator. Notably, embracing a 'dual consciousness'-assigning equal importance to both individual agency and structural factors-proves especially advantageous for FGS's subjective upward mobility. Furthermore, FGS status acts as a key mediator linking stratification beliefs and mobility outcomes within groups sharing either similar individual educational attainment (higher education) or comparable parental educational background. This research offers significant contributions to the conceptualization of FGS in the Russian context and enhances understanding of the internal heterogeneity within the population of university graduates.
The socio-economic situation in small towns in Russia has long been at the center of the management agenda. The contradictory nature of support measures for such settlements lies in attempts to focus on the economic and managerial aspects of their efficiency. At the same time, both scientific literature and management practice pay insufficient attention to the typology of economic activity and living conditions of local societies, social and status relations, and many other non-economic factors that play an important role in the functioning and development of small towns. Sources of small-town development are most often associated with external investments and related support measures, while internal sources remain on the periphery of scientific interest. This article attempts to explore the social potential of a small town through the new lens-the activities of "grassroots" sustainability agents that constitute the core of the social potential for sustainable development of a small town. The authors consider "grassroots" agents of sustainability as initiators of change-both individuals and groups-who use their power, knowledge, experience, and relations for the development of the local environment and society. They include entrepreneurs (creative, institutional, social), representatives of government and civil society (NGOs), and public opinion leaders. The article concludes that it is necessary to explore the structure of "grassroots" sustainability agents in the development of small towns with limited opportunities for external investment. The results of such studies will expand the understanding of the social potential for sustainable development of small towns and thereby create an information base for making effective management decisions.
The book "Acceleration and Cultural Changes: Dialogues from an Overheated World" features dialogues between leading anthropologist Thomas Hylland Eriksen and young scholar Martina Visentin. This volume aims to introduce academic and non-academic readers to a novel approach to globalization capable of synthesizing and interpreting social change that has been happening at lightning speed, unequally and unevenly. According to Professor Eriksen, the social issue is that modernity faced accelerating processes of change and various developments that are growing and accelerating without a thermostat, without a regulating mechanism which tells them it's time to stop. Using overheating as a metaphor for unregulated acceleration since the 1990s, the authors discuss key topics including biodiversity loss, migration-driven differences, climate intersections, heated identities and protests, digital time perception, university pressures, youth disillusionment, and post-COVID reflections. The Journal of Economic Sociology publishes the seventh chapter, "Life in the Digital World," where the authors explore smartphones' role in reshaping daily social life rhythms.
The aim of this study is to assess the impact of various factors, including social networks, on labor market mobility in modern Russia. The main assumption is that weak ties facilitate taking a better job. The empirical base consists of data from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) of HSE for 2016-2017 and 2018-2019. Based on exploratory factor analysis, indicators of different types of social ties were constructed: weak ties include ties with acquaintances and colleagues; with organizations; online networks; and strong ties include ties with friends and relatives. Binary logistic regression estimated the chances of the unemployed going to work, while multinomial logistic regression assessed the chances of employed people for vertical and horizontal interfirm and intrafirm mobility, as well as transitions to unemployment or inactivity. Men, people with higher education, and lower specific work experience are more inclined to labor mobility. The best opportunities for intra-firm growth are among those employed by state enterprises and those holding a higher position. The study found a significant positive effect of increased education and improved health on mobility, a negative effect of health deterioration, and a higher propensity for mobility among those dissatisfied with their current job. Granovetter's assumption about a greater influence of weak social ties on the ability to get a good job could not be confirmed, although due to the instability of the results, it cannot be refuted either. The model estimates showed a stable and equally strong effect of both strong (with friends) and weak (with acquaintances, former colleagues, neighbors) ties on the chances of finding a job for the unemployed, as well as a negative effect of online social networks on the chances of becoming inactive for the employed. No effect of social connections on intra-firm growth was found, and the effect of online networks on inter-firm promotion was inconsistent.
In the context of the growing demand for psychological services in Russia and the spread of therapeutic culture, digital platforms like YouTube are becoming a key locus for the commercialization of emotions. However, the mechanisms of commodification, particularly concerning happiness, remain underexplored in this digital environment. This article examines how popular Russian psychological bloggers on YouTube construct, package, and commodify the abstract concept of 'happiness' as a standardized commodity, which we term an 'emodity.' The research employs a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, combining quantitative (content analysis and thematic modeling of 118 videos) and qualitative (analysis of rhetorical and performative strategies) approaches. The analysis reveals four dominant marketing personas-'academic', 'esoteric', 'caring', and 'hybrid'. These are built upon three primary performative goals: establishing authority (via science, wisdom, or personal experience), diagnosing consumer problems (often by invoking Soviet history or gender stereotypes), and presenting distinct 'emodity' packages (conceptualized as either reflective psychology or positive psychology). Furthermore, these strategies correspond to different models of audience engagement, aimed at either maximizing reach, cultivating loyalty, or generating viral content. The study adapts and applies the concept of 'emodities' to the Russian therapeutic culture, describing how the Western individualistic therapeutic narrative becomes 'commensurate' with the post-Soviet social imaginary. The article contributes to economic sociology by demonstrating how the digital market for emotions transforms collective social anxieties into individualized consumer practices.
The article proposes a concept of a general model of mechanisms for joint socioeconomic activity based on the principles of institutional design developed within the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework. The initial thesis is the assumption of the existence of universal functions that implement the processes of coordination and governance/management in various types of mechanisms for regulating joint socio-economic activity. The set of the universal functions and the general structure of the abstract mechanism for joint activity are derived from the principles of institutional design of the IAD. The article considers a general approach to the embodiment of six universal functions in the form of a set of design elements used to create real mechanisms. The initial set of design elements is formed on the basis of the methods for implementing these functions within the three main modes of communication - direct, indirect, and rule-based - between participants in joint activity. The properties of the embodied mechanisms are considered, including the manifestation of these properties in real regulatory structures such as "network", "hierarchy", "market," and "rules/ institutions". The process of constructing embodied mechanisms for joint activity is interpreted as a task of choosing a combination of design elements that best suit the characteristics of a specific joint activity and environmental conditions. The principles of optimization of mechanisms for joint activity with heterogeneous operations are proposed, which leads to the possibility of hybridization of mechanisms. The main results of the study are presented in the form of a concept of a general model of joint activity mechanisms. The proposed approach can serve as a basis for the analysis of collective actions, research into the transformation of forms of social coordination and the potential impact of digital technologies, including AI, on the development of joint activity mechanisms. The model can be used in studies of cooperation, management of public resources, organizational design, and digitalization of socio-economic institutions.
This study critically examines the development trajectory of artificial intelligence (AI), challenging dominant narratives that frame AI as a neutral or inevitable technological progression. Drawing on and extending theoretical frameworks such as Feenberg's critical theory of technology, Zuboff's surveillance capitalism, and Acemoglu's democratic erosion, the paper introduces the concept of algorithmic hegemony to explain how AI is increasingly shaped by concentrated power structures, institutional displacement, and ideological imperatives. Through a critical interpretive analysis of global investment flows, sectoral imbalances, and transparency deficits, the study reveals that AI is being developed primarily by a narrow coalition of private corporations and authoritarian states. This ecosystem marginalizes academia, civil society, and democratic oversight. The findings highlight a shift of epistemic authority from public institutions to private interests, the deployment of AI systems for surveillance and behavioural control, and the erosion of civic agency in digital governance. By synthesizing empirical data with normative critique, the study offers a multidimensional theoretical contribution and calls for a paradigmatic shift toward society-centered AI governance. The proposed concept of algorithmic hegemony provides a new lens to understand the political economy of AI and its implications for democracy, justice, and public interest.
This article examines the gastronomic landscapes of Siberian and Far Eastern cities. Catering establishments are analyzed as significant elements of urban culture that undergo transformation through the globalization and commercialization of local features. The study addresses the critical issues of preserving local uniqueness and cultural diversity while resisting the homogenization of gastronomic landscapes. The theoretical framework centers on concepts of authenticity, empha-sizing its dual role as both a cultural resource and marketing tool. By consciously or unconsciously crafting perceptions of authentic space, res-taurant operators may draw upon either local cultural heritage or global trends - thereby showcasing unique local features or creating "non-plac-es". We posit that spatial authenticity is intrinsically linked to specific cultural contexts with spatial connotations. Generalized culinary traditions (cuisines) serve as markers of these contexts: local, regional, Russian, Asian, American, European, Eastern, or hybrid. Empirically, the study utilizes 2GIS data covering 6,747 establishments in administrative centers across the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts (21 cities). Analytical methods included city typology development, visualized through mapping. Key findings reveal regional distinctions: Asian and local cuisines predominate in the Far East, while Eastern and hybrid cuisines prevail in Siberia. City typologies emerged based on dominant cuisine profiles: Asian-cuisine dominant, Eastern-cuisine dominant, American/Russian-cuisine dominant, Local-cuisine dominant, Hybrid-cuisine dominant. Cities dominated by hybrid and Eastern cuisines show higher prevalence of large chain establishments. The study identifies authenticity-reproduction strategies: leveraging local/regional cui-sine, which is characteristic primarily of cities with a predominance of local cuisine; in the case of other types of cities, the offering of local farm ingredients and incorporating fashionable local symbols or urban toponyms are highlighted.
The focus of the article is cultural marginality and its manifestation among Russian students, as well as its positive features. The authors analyze the history of scholarship on cultural marginality which meaning in the social sciences has shifted from the liminal state of "the stranger" in-between two stable cultural boundaries, to a more fundamental characteristic of social life due to the multiplicity of cultural borders. This development is viewed within two schematically defined lines of the theoretical inquiry: structure-functional and constructivist approaches. The former underlines the crosscultural interaction and the problem of adaptation, while the latter points out an unstable character of the cultural boundaries themselves. Cultural marginality of the Russian youth is intensifying and becoming more visible because the youth experiences, on the one hand, the worldwide tendency of blurring cultural borders, and on the other, the top-down incentive to form "traditional" values reflected in the cultural policy in the context of geopolitical tensions. The survey conducted by the authors among Moscow students in 2024 (convenience sample, n = 1615) attempts to demonstrate operationalization of the cultural marginality and provide a view on the current trends in the Moscow youth. To do so, cluster analysis has been conducted, which showed that two cluster groups can be distinguished: followers of the dominant culture, and cultural marginals. Consistent with the constructivist approach, the latter demonstrate complexity in forming their cultural identity and the recognition of the multiplicity of cultural boundaries, which, in some cases, can lead to social isolation. Cultural marginality, revealed among the Russian youth, poses the question on its positive aspects and potential; the gap that can be linked via the fields and capitals theory in sociology. Using various examples of successful realization of cultural marginality from literatures on leadership, and innovations in the fields of cultural production, we demonstrate the heuristic potential of dialogue between sociology of marginality and field theory. The research contributes to the literature on marginality by empirical analysis conducted within the logic of the constructivist approach and, combined with economic sociology of fields and capitals and empirical studies of the Russian youth's solidarity, outlines a sociology of cultural marginality as a theory of the middle range.
Remote employment has undergone a process of cognitive and social normalization, evolving from an emergency pandemic circumstance into an element of everyday reality and a convenient, flexible work format. The main objective of this study is to assess the impact of remote employment on various aspects of men's lives by calculating integral tonality indices that characterize positive, neutral, or negative changes in key life domains. The empirical base draws on data from a survey of men conducted in 2023 using an online questionnaire distributed through internal electronic services of large enterprises. The sample included respondents from six federal districts (N = 314). Participants were men aged 18 to 60 years with experience in remote employment. The methodology and approach are similar to a study conducted in 2022 that examined the impact of remote employment on various aspects of women's lives (N = 589). The results indicate that the remote work format has a positive effect on most parameters of men's work, family-parental, and personal life. The highest positive values of the integral index were observed in men's assessments of changes in the areas of "rest and communication with friends," "cultural and social life," "education and development of children." Fathers of children under 14 years old were significantly more likely to give positive evaluations of the remote work format, which was also perceived more favorably by younger men under 35. A comparison of men's and women's assessments revealed that women tend to assess the impact of remote work more critically. While women view the transition to remote work as an opportunity to devote more time to organizing everyday life, men more often see it as an opportunity to increase time for rest and social communication.
Modern Russian society is experiencing a conservative shift that affirms a traditional model of masculinity as the dominant paradigm. Simultaneously, ongoing modernization has given rise to a unique creative sector of the economy, which is structurally organized under conditions distinct from those of industrial sectors. Although the creative economy began to develop in Russia with the onset of market reforms, its rapid growth is particularly evident today. We posit that the economic foundations underlying the functioning of this sector establish specific rules for engaging with gender identity, which are expressed through empirical gender practices that construct an alternative model of masculinity, referred to here as "adaptive." Based on 22 interviews analyzed using grounded theory methodology, we identified key gender practices-responsibility for well-being, creativity management, communication strategies, and the integration of personal and professional life-that have shaped the social positions of the creative class within the creative economy. Considering current trends, the share of the creative economy in the GDP of developed countries is increasingly significant, and the products generated within this sector establish new consumption strategies and transmit the values of the creative class. Our exploratory research aims not only to elucidate the economic foundations of masculinity construction but also to shed light on local gender orders in Russia. These local gender orders may sharply contrast with both the dominant normative gender models in public discourse and the broader trajectory of gender order transformation.
The authors examine the origin, development and nature of money as a special measuring sign system. Historical examples show that the value of first commodity money and goods themselves was determined by weight or volume, with commodity money used as a standard for these measures. The paper provides a comparative analysis of commodity (evolutionary) theories and institutional theories regarding the origin of money as "units of account" and "medium of exchange." Modern fiat money acquired purchasing power as representatives (substitutes) of real commodity money. However, with the abolition of the gold standard in the second half of the twentieth century, fiat money became conventional, symbolic, and unbacked signs whose value is based on trust in the issuer and on exchange value determined by supply and demand. The article argues that the transition to fiat money led to the deficiency of a stable standard for measuring value and increased the role of emotional factors in valuation (measurement). It is shown that in the modern economy, in addition to supply and demand, popularity as "generalized symbolic medium" becomes a significant factor in the determining value. It has become both a new social measure of economic value and an intangible asset that can be "traded" and "exchanged" for other assets. Traditional measures of value, such as intrinsic value or the value of money determined by the government, are accompanied by "perceived value." In this regard, the research proposes the concept of irrational or emotional prerequisites for the emergence of certain types of commodity money. The article also reveals the importance of time as a medium of exchange and a value measurement system. The article proposes further development of commodity currency circulation (for example, energy currency) and argues for the need to return to commodity-backed currencies in order to maintain economic stability and create a competitive advantage for the ruble as a possible global reserve currency.
In quantitative terms, the social sciences are experiencing unprecedented growth today. However, contrary to the enthusiasm expressed by most specialists, Professor Andreski draws attention to the fact that the flow of publications in the social sciences actually reveals a deficit of new ideas. The current agenda is dominated by vague verbosity, endless repetitions of banalities, and disguised propaganda. According to the British sociologist, the average quality of publications has declined.
Differentiation by wealth-the value of accumulated property owned-is one of the dimensions of socio-economic inequality alongside income. Inequality indicators are calculated using data on the market value of property, which allows for both the determination of total wealth and the calculation of differentiation coefficients. It is common practice to collect such data through household surveys, although these inherently contain errors typical of survey data. This article presents the first stage of a study-an assessment of the quality of data on housing wealth from the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) and the All-Russian Household Survey on Consumer Finances. It also identifies the conditions under which respondents are most likely to provide answers about the value of their housing. The emphasis is on analyzing the level and factors affecting the availability of responses to questions about the value of residential real estate, which is included among the data accuracy indicators recommended by the OECD for survey data on wealth. The response rate to the question about the market price of one's own occupied housing in the latest waves of the RLMS is 72-75%, while in the All-Russian Household Survey on Consumer Finances it is 82-87%. Respondents are more likely to provide information about occupied housing than about additional properties. In these respects, Russian respondents differ little from those in comparable international surveys. Among the factors influencing whether respondents provide answers about the market price of their housing, the most significant are financial competence and "financial secrecy"-the willingness to disclose financial information to interviewers. The likelihood of non-response increases among older respondents living in metropolitan regions, large "millionaire" cities, or conversely, in rural areas. Excluding these observations from analysis would lead to underestimation of both expensive metropolitan housing and cheaper rural housing. Judging by the dynamics of response rates over the past 20 years, Russians have become better oriented regarding developments in the housing market.
