“Identity of place” in the context of urbanization

Tyumen State University, Tyumen, 625003, Russia

^* Corresponding author: semovang@mail.ru

Abstract

The article shows that there is a contradictory process involving the growing influence of globalization and localization in Russia nowadays. The empirical base is the data of mass opinion surveys in the regions of Russia for years 2006-2017. The methods of analysis is the calculation of the location layer index, dispersion, and regression analysis. It is revealed that the spread of global practices may contradict the growing importance of local environment, manifested as “identity of place”. In the dynamics of Russian reality, the “identity of place” in its local, geographical terms is reduced. At the same time, the importance of family and professional circles of communication is increasing while the importance of communication on the basis of “place of living” is decreasing. This process is not contrary to the logic of urbanization. The growth of cities, the processes of agglomeration are getting people outside their local circles, and increasing the level of trust of individuals to strangers, but in Russia, these processes have decelerated and in some aspects changed their orientation. The weakness of such significant for socialization factors like education and type of employment seems worrisome.