Ideological segmentation of mass strata of the population under conditions of aggravated confrontation with the West (empirical analysis)

Using the data from surveys conducted by IS FCTAS RAS over a number of years, it is shown that despite the absence of the segmentation traditionally used for ideological structuring in the mass strata of the population, it still exists, but is based on different grounds. Moreover, the importance of ideological contradictions in the perception of Russians themselves has grown significantly over the past decade, and the majority of the country's citizens now have internally consistent ideological views. The comparative role of their various components changes over time under the influence of external events. The main line of demarcation in the ideological segmentation is the attitude to the West in modern conditions, which is based on different attitudes to the civilizational specifics of Russia and, in turn, influences their assessment of the vector of the country's development, their trust in the authorities, attitude to the special military operation, etc. It is also shown that in recent years, in the course of active crystallization and polarization of ideological views of Russians', an ideological majority and an ideological minority have been formed in the country, comprising almost two-thirds and about one-third of the population, respectively. The normative-value basis of the former is the recognition of the priority of state interests over human rights and the conviction that Western values are not suitable for Russians. The ideological majority is divided into a core and a peripheral group, which differ in the degree of consistency of their views and assessments, including those regarding to the special military operation in Ukraine. The ideological minority, which is characterized by the desire for Russia to adhere to the norms proposed by Western countries, is also heterogeneous. It includes, firstly, a group that is consistent in its negative attitude towards the current course of Russia, which makes up about a quarter of the population, and whose moods are primarily influenced by the unfavorable socio-economic situation these people are experiencing. The other group includes representatives who are loyal to the authorities and the course being implemented but would like Russia to follow the Western-oriented path in future. The normative value basis of the views of the members of the ideological minority is the recognition of the priority of human rights over the interests of the state.