Social bonds and relationships in modern-day Russia[Социальные Связи И Взаимоотношения В Современных Российских Реалиях]

The paper is based on the results of the research work “Social relationships and bonds as a factor of social integration in modern society”, conducted by the team of the Field Research Center of the Institute for Social Analysis and Forecasting (RANEPA) in 2023. The purpose of the study is to investigate current social relations and to develop the proposals for measures aimed at the integration of Russian society. The objectives of the research are to analyze the peculiarities of social bonds and relationships’ formation as well as their significance during a crisis, to study the aspects of transformation of social bonds and relationships in current reality, to identify the factors of integration in modern Russian society, to analyze the strategies for overcoming crisis situations by representatives of various demographic groups, to analyze the changes in household lifestyle and consumption affected by crisis and to develop the recommendations for measures aimed at increasing the level of integration in present-day society. The relevance of this research work is determined by the growing importance of strong social ties and relationships in changing social and economic conditions, of the intensification of interaction, which serves as a mechanism for integration and adaptation to ongoing changes. The methods applied include analysis of scientific foreign and Russian literature and statistical analysis of data obtained from the telephone survey. From February to May 2023, the Field Research Center conducted two telephone surveys (as part of the projects “Human. Family. Society” and “Behavior and Well-Being”) to measure social well-being and the density of social relations. The results of the study comprise the specifics of formation and re-formation of social capital in the current conditions. The main findings of empirical studies demonstrate that most respondents are wary of other people but show a high level of trust with their nearest ones (relatives, friends), while the intensity of communication and the strength of social ties correlate with social and demographic characteristics.