Criteria for Assessing the Effectiveness of Symbolic Politics in the Context of the Study of Regional Identity Politics Practices | South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences
Criteria for Assessing the Effectiveness of Symbolic Politics in the Context of the Study of Regional Identity Politics Practices
PDF (Russian)
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-23-3-33-47
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-23-3-33-47

How to Cite Array

Kalashnikova S.K. (2022) Criteria for Assessing the Effectiveness of Symbolic Politics in the Context of the Study of Regional Identity Politics Practices. South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences, 23 (3), pp. 33-47. DOI: 10.31429/26190567-23-3-33-47 (In Russian)
Submission Date 2022-12-20
Accepted Date 2023-01-22
Published Date 2023-02-28

Copyright (c) 2023 Софья Константиновна Калашникова

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Judging political processes across the symbolic spectrum is controversial. The criteria for the effectiveness of this political direction can be revealed by examining the identity politics as a political course, with the respective stated objectives and achievable results. Approaches to assessing the effectiveness in political practice can be divided broadly into two types: internal (those assessing the qualities of the political elite itself) and external (those assessing the social effect). When studying identity politics, Russian authors employ both approaches, which at the empirical level incorporate expert interviews, the “case-study” method, population surveys, and the analysis of political discourse. Within Russian regional identity politics research, an instrumental approach is still a major trend, and therefore the assessment of the regional authorities’ efforts toward shaping a territorial brand is crucial in analyzing identity politics as a whole. In this article, we examine some successful cases where territorial branding was integrated into the overall picture of regional identity politics. By analyzing the author’s techniques on measuring the effectiveness of symbolic politics, we were able to form a number of focuses for the research of this political course.

Keywords

effectiveness of political activities, symbolic policy, identity politics, regional identity, Russian regions, territory branding

Acknowledgements

The research was conducted at St. Petersburg State University with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation under research project N 23-28-00933 "Identity politics in Russian agglomerations in the context of international experience".

References

  1. Akhremenko, A. S., Yureskul, Ye. A. (2013). Effektivnost’ gosudarstvennogo upravleniya: politologicheskiy i ekonomicheskiy podkhody [Public Administration Efficiency: Political and Economic Approaches]. Obshchestvennyye nauki i sovremennost’ [Social Sciences and Contemporary World], 1, 77–88.
  2. Avksent’yev, V. A. (2014). Portfel’ so mnozhestvom identichnostey: vzaimodopolnenie, konkurentsiya ili yedinstvo? [Multi-identity Portfolio: Mutual Dependence, Rivalry, or Solidarity?] In Spravedlivost’ kak cennost’, ideya i obshchestvennaya praktika v sovremennom mire i Rossii [Justice as a Value, an Idea, and a Social Practice in the Modern World and in Russia] (pp. 7–10). M.: RAPN Institut “Spravedlivyy mir”.
  3. Avksent’yev, V. B., Aksyumov, B. V., Vasil’chenko, V. A. (2017). Politika identichnosti v sovremennoy Rossii: konstrukciya i dekonstrukciya (ekspertnoye mneniye) [Identity Politics in Russia: Construction and Deconstruction (Experts’ Opinion)]. Nauchnaya mysl’ Kavkaza [Scientific Thought of Caucasus], 3, 23–32.
  4. Belov, S. I. (2018). Nedostatki formirovaniya politiki pamyati v Rossii (rezul’taty obobshcheniya ekspertnykh mneniy) [Disadvantages of The Formation of The Memory Policy in Russia (The Results of The Generalization of Expert Opinions)]. Vestnik RUDN. Seriya: Politologiya [RUDN Journal of Political Science], 2, 269–277.
  5. Belov, S. I., Kretova, A. A. (2020). Komp’yuternyye igry kak resurs realizacii politiki pamyati: prakticheskiy opyt i skrytyye vozmozhnosti (na materialakh pozicionirovaniya sobytiy Velikoy Otechestvennoy voyny) [Computer Games as a Resource of The Politics of Memory: Practical Experience and Hidden Opportunities (Based on Games Representing World War II Events)]. Vestnik MGOU. Seriya: Istoriya i politicheskiye nauki [Bulletin of Moscow Region State University. Series: History and Political Sciences], 1, 54–63.
  6. Berger, P., Lukman, T. (1995). Social’noye konstruirovaniye real’nosti. Traktat po sociologii znaniya [The Social Construction of Reality: A Treatise in the Sociology of Knowledge]. Moskva: Medium.
  7. Braun, E. (2013). My City — my Brand: The Different Roles of Residents in Place Branding. Journal of Place Management and Development, 6(1), 18–28.
  8. Brend “Made in Moscow” vse bolee uznavaem za rubezhom [The “Made in Moscow” Brand is Increasingly Recognizable Abroad] (2019). News Rambler [News Rambler]. Retrieved from https://news.rambler.ru/other/42404216-brend-made-in-moscow-vse-bolee-uznavaem-za-rubezhom/
  9. Brubeyker, R., Kuper, F. (2000). Za predelami “identichnosti” [Beyond “Identity”]. Teoriya i obshchestvo [Theory and Society], 1, 34–52.
  10. Dokuchayev, D. S. (2018). Regional’naya identichnost’ v Ivanovskoy oblasti: konkuriruyushchiye diskursy v politike konstruirovaniya obraza territorii [Regional Identity in The Ivanovo Region: Competing Discourses in The Policy of Constructing The Image of The Territory]. Diskurs-Pi [Discourse-P], 3–4, 173–182.
  11. Fedorchenko, S. N., Tedikov, D. O., Teslyuk, K. V., Markaryan, R. A. (2019). Setevyye komp’yuternyye igry v epokhu cifrovizacii: novyye ugrozy ili potencialy dlya realizacii politiki pamyati? [Network Computer Games in The Epoch of Digitalization: New Threats or Potentials for Implementing Memory Policies]. Vestnik MGOU [Bulletin of Moscow Region State University], 3, 67–86.
  12. Gayeva, A. V. (2012). Teoreticheskiye podkhody k izucheniyu effektivnosti deyatel’nosti politicheskoy elity [Theoretical Approaches to The Studying of Activity Effectiveness of Political Elite]. Vestnik VolGU [Vestnik Volgogradskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta], 1, 125–131.
  13. Kalashnikova, S. K. (2020). Regional’naya politika identichnosti: obraz Sankt-Peterburga v diskurse liderov regiona [Regional Identity Politics: The Image of St. Petersburg in the Discourse of the Regional Leaders]. Politicheskaya ekspertiza: POLITEKS [Political Expertise: POLITEX], 16(4), 505–517.
  14. Kalashnikova, S. K. (2022). Effektivnost’ regional’noy politiki identichnosti v obshchestvennom mnenii: opyt g. Sankt-Peterburga [Effectiveness of Regional Identity Politics in Public Opinion: Experience of St. Petersburg]. Social’no-politicheskiye issledovaniya [Social and Political Researches], 3(16), 65–79.
  15. Kulakov, S. V. (2019). Territorial’nyy brending kak instrument formirovaniya pozitivnoy regional’noy politicheskoy identichnosti [Territorial Branding as a Tool for Formation of Positive Regional Political Identity]. PolitBook [Politbook], 2, 101–115.
  16. Kulibanova, V. V., Teor, T. R. (2017). Vyyavleniye vazhneyshikh grupp steykkholderov dlya celey realizacii politiki territorial’nogo brendinga v Sankt-Peterburge [Identifying Key Stakeholder Groups for Implementing a Place Branding Policy in Saint Petersburg]. Baltiyskiy region [Baltiiskii Region], 3, 128–149.
  17. Kurochkin, A. V. (2013). “Kommunikativnaya effektivnost’”: konceptualizaciya ponyatiya i perspektivy ispol’zovaniya v teorii i praktike gosudarstvennogo upravleniya [Communicative Efficiency: Conceptualization of The Notion and The Prospects of Application in The Theory and Practice of Public Administration]. Chelovek. Soobshchestvo. Upravleniye [Human. Community. Management], 4, 83–92.
  18. Loginov, V. K. (2013). Koncept “region” i “territoriya” v strukture territorial’noy identichnosti [«Region» and «Territory» Concepts in Territorial Identity Structure]. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 12. Politicheskiye nauki [The Journal Moscow University Bulletin. Series 12. Political Science], 3, 112–120.
  19. Malinova, O. Yu. (2010). Simvolicheskaya politika i konstruirovaniye makropoliticheskoy identichnosti v postsovetskoy Rossii [Symbolic Politics and the Construction of Macropolitical Identity in Post-Soviet Russia]. Polis. Politicheskiye issledovaniya [Polis. Political Studies], 2, 90–105.
  20. Malinova, O. Yu. (2018). Obosnovaniye politiki 2000-kh godov v diskurse V. V. Putina i formirovaniye mifa o “likhikh devyanostykh” [Justifying the Political Course of the 2000s Ad Constructing the Myth about “The Hard Nineties” in The Vladimir Putin’s Discourse]. Politicheskaya nauka [Political Science], 3, 53–84.
  21. Malinova, O. Yu. (2019). Konstruirovaniye smyslovykh ramok pamyati o reformakh 1990-kh gg. v liberal’nom diskurse 2000-kh gg. [Framing Memory About the Reforms of the 1990s in The Liberal Discourse in The 2000s]. Yuzhno-rossiyskiy zhurnal social’nykh nauk [South Russian Journal of Social Sciences], 3, 91–105.
  22. Martynov, M. Yu., Purtova, V. S. (2019). Cennosti patriotizma i formirovaniye grazhdanskoy identichnosti (po materialam sociologicheskogo oprosa v Yugre) [Values of Patriotism and Civil Identity Formation (Based on a Sociological Survey in Ugra Region)]. Vestnik Udmurtskogo universiteta. Sociologiya. Politologiya. Mezhdunarodnyye otnosheniya [Bulletin of Udmurt University. Sociology. Political Science. International Relations], 1, 14–19.
  23. Morozova, Ye. V. (2011). Lokal’naya identichnost’ i problemy yeye konstruirovaniya (keys Krasnodarskogo kraya) [Local Identity and Problems of Its Construction (Case of Krasnodar Krai)]. In Identichnost’ kak predmet politicheskogo analiza: sbornik statey po itogam Vserossiyskoy nauchno-teoreticheskoy konferencii [Identity as a Subject of Political Analysis: A Collection of Articles on the Results of the All-Russian Scientific and Theoretical Conference] (pp. 231–237). Moskva: IMEMO RAN.
  24. Nazukina, M. V. (2014). Novyye tendencii v politike identichnosti na regional’nom urovne v Rossii: aktory, specifika, trendy [Recent Tendencies of Identity Politics on Regional Level in Russia: Actors, Specifics, Trends]. Nauchnyy yezhegodnik Instituta filosofii i prava Ural’skogo otdeleniya Rossiyskoy akademii nauk [Scientific Yearbook of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences], 3, 137–150.
  25. Nazukina, M. V. (2020). Konkurs “Velikiye imena Rossii” v rossiyskikh respublikakh: etnicheskiy diskurs politiki identichnosti [“The Great Names of Russia” in Russian Republics: Ethnic Discourse on Identity Politics]. Mir Rossii [Universe of Russia], 1, 132–152.
  26. Nazukina, M. V., Filippova, Ye. Yu. (2019). Pozdravitel’nyy diskurs “dnya respubliki” kak komponent regional’noy politiki identichnosti: etnichnost’ imeyet znacheniye? [“Republic Day” Congratulatory Discourse as a Component of Regional Identity Policy: Does Ethnicity Matter?] ARS ADMINISTRANDI [Ars Administrandi], 4, 345–359.
  27. Ozerova, K. A. (2018). Naslediye Volzhskoy Bulgarii i regional’naya identichnost’: politika pamyati i “izobreteniye” tradiciy [Volga Bulgaria Heritage and Regional Identity: The Politics of Memory and the “Invention” of Tradition]. Istoricheskaya i social’no-obrazovatel’naya mysl’ [Historical and Social Educational Idea], 2/2, 127–132.
  28. Pashkus, V. Yu., Pashkus, N. A., Pashkus, M. V. (2016). Sozdaniye sil’nogo kul’turnogo brenda Sankt-Peterburga: proryvnoye pozicionirovaniye i podkhody k ocenke [The Formation of a Culturally Robust Brand of The City of St. Petersburg: Breakaway Positioning and Valuation Approaches]. Regional’naya ekonomika: teoriya i praktika [Regional Economics: Theory and Practice], 4, 19–30.
  29. Popova, O. V. (2019). Gosudarstvennaya politika identichnosti kak teoreticheskiy konstrukt i real’naya praktika: opyt ekspertnykh ocenok rossiyskikh issledovateley [Identity Policy at National Level as a Theoretical Construct and Real Practice: Expert Assessments Attempt]. Yuzhno-rossiyskiy zhurnal social’nykh nauk [South Russian Journal of Social Sciences], 4, 74–91.
  30. Programma “Sdelano v Moskve” [Program “Made in Moscow”] (2018). GBU “Malyy biznes Moskvy” [GBU “Small Business of Moscow”]. Retrieved from https://mbm.mos.ru/article/prodvijenie-i-sbit/eksport/programma-sdelano-v-moskve-made-in-moscow_1684
  31. Reyting sobytiynogo potentsiala regionov [Regional Event Potential Rating] (2021). Fond Roskongress [Roscongress Foundation]. Retrieved from https://roscongress.org/materials/reyting-sobytiynogo-potentsiala-regionov-2020/
  32. Sagitova, L. V. (2018). Politika identichnosti Tatarstana v kontekste stanovleniya federativnykh otnosheniy v sovremennoy Rossii [The Policy of Tatarstan’s Identity in The Context of Federative Relations Formation in Modern Russia]. Vestnik MGOU [Bulletin of Moscow Region State University], 4, 135–147.
  33. Shentyakova, A. V. (2019). Konsolidaciya elit i liderstvo kak faktory effektivnosti politiki identichnosti (po ocenkam ekspertov) [Consolidation of Elites and Leadership as The Factors of Identity Politics Effectiveness]. Sociodinamika [Sociodynamics], 12, 9–17.
  34. Shul’ga, Ye. P., Medvedev, V. V. (2017). Etnicheskaya identichnost’ studenchestva: opyt etnosociologicheskogo oprosa regional’nogo universiteta [Ethnic Identity of Student Community: Experience of Ethno-Sociological Guestionnaire]. Vestnik Surgutskogo gosudarstvennogo pedagogicheskogo universiteta [The Surgut State Pedagogical University Bulletin], 5, 186–194.
  35. Smirnov, D. S. (2007). Tsennostnyye oriyentacii politicheskoy elity kak faktor yeye effektivnosti [Values of Political Elite as a Factor of Its Efficiency]. Vlast’ [Power], 2, 18–22.
  36. Tsumarova, E. Yu. (2012). Politika identichnosti: politics ili policy? [Identity Politics: Politics or Policy?]. Vestnik Permskogo universiteta [Perm University Herald. Juridical Sciences], 2, 5–16.
  37. Tsumarova, Ye. Yu. (2014). Politika identichnosti v regionakh Rossii: teoreticheskiy i prakticheskiy aspekty (na primere Respubliki Kareliya) [Identity Politics in Russian Regions: Theoretical and Practical Aspects (on the Example of the Republic of Karelia)] (Candidate Dissertation). Sankt-Peterburg.
  38. Turovskiy, R. F. (1999). Regional’naya identichnost’ v sovremennoy Rossii [Regional Identity in Modern Russia]. In Rossiyskoye obshchestvo: stanovleniye demokraticheskikh cennostey: sbornik statey [Russian Society: The Formation of Democratic Values: Collection of Articles] (pp. 87–136). M.: Gendal’f.
  39. Yureskul, Ye. A. (2013). Vliyaniye institucional’nykh kharakteristik politicheskoy sistemy na effektivnost’ gosudarstvennoy vlasti [Impact of Institutional Characteristics of The Political System on The Effectiveness of State Power]. Politicheskaya ekspertiza: POLITEKS [Political Expertise: POLITEX], 3, 228–249.