THE TYPOLOGY OF REGIONAL IDENTITY OF THE POPULATION (ON THE EXAMPLE OF SAMARA REGION)

Abstract

Background. In modern science, the concept of regional identity of the population is used to study the value system that characterizes the attitude of residents to the territory of residence. The value attitude to the region serves as the basis for building a typology of residents. Analysis of regional identity structures is of interest for social Sciences and management practices. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the article is the publications of domestic and foreign scientists on the problems of regional identity typology. The empirical base includes the results of a Q-method study conducted among residents of the Samara region. This method made it possible to study the attitude of the population to various aspects of life on the territory of the Samara region. Results. The analysis of the research results made it possible to build a typology of the regional identity of the population. It includes four groups that characterize high, medium, below-average, and low levels of regional identity. These groups are allocated depending on the respondents’ agreement with the judgments about the socio-economic development of the region, the improvement of the territory, the level and quality of life of the population. Agreeing with the opinions allows you to identify the interest of respondents in discussing both positive and problematic aspects of the region. Disagreement with judgments indicates that the achievements and problems of the region do not have a value value for the survey participants. This indicates a low level of regional identity. Conclusions. The analysis of the typology shows that significant criteria for regional identity are: respondents’ interest in getting information about the life of the region, participation in city events, and pride in the achievements of their fellow countrymen. An important indicator of regional identity is the judgment that the region has good conditions for the development of national cultures. These characteristics allow us to consider the values that determine the high and medium levels of regional identity as open systems. They characterize the relationship with other types of identity: civil, ethnic, local.

Keywords

• regional identity
• social typology
• image of the territory
• sociocultural values
• social space
• civil identity
• q-method