Impact of Citizen Participation on Solving the Social Problems of Small Regional Towns in Russia

Abstract

The social contradictions of small regional towns in Russia remain a controversial issue. In the official discourse, the proponents of eliminating and consolidating small towns and villages argue their position in terms of the economic efficiency of cost reductions. However, the role and importance of small territories are great as they constitute the country’s spatial, mental, and historical basis. This article aims to identify the potential of citizen participation in resolving social contradictions to ensure the sustainability of small towns. In the first stage of the study, a proprietary methodology was proposed for calculating an integral index that aggregates a set of initial statistical indicators of socio-economic development in small towns (the Vologda Oblast), with their subsequent grouping to assess social contradictions. It was established that of 13 small towns in the region, six belong to the group whose level of socio-economic development is below average, six small towns exhibit a low level, and only one town (Kadnikov) is characterized by a high level of development. The lag in terms of indicators relative to average values is a negative factor in the development of small areas, the preservation of their human potential, and the growth of social contradictions. The second stage of the study involved identifying the features, factors, and limitations of local community participation (population, business entities, and nonprofit organizations) in solving the problems of small towns in the region by means of a quantitative and qualitative methodological strategy (questionnaire survey of the population in the region, N = 1900; focus-group interviews, N = 5). The obtained results will serve as the basis for the development of individual trajectories for the development of small areas through the active involvement of the local community in these processes.