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POLITICO-INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS OF STRUCTURING OF URBAN CONFLICTS IN MODERN RUSSIA

A. Gluhova, A. Kolba, A. Sokolov

Abstract

The aim of the research is detection the interaction structure between the main actors of urban conflicts in the major cities of modern Russia and impacting political and institutional factors on it. The analysis is based on the theory conflict theses, which linking the management of conflict processes with the need for their institutionalization, including political sphere. For obtaining empirical data, an expert survey was used, in which 36 experts from three regional centers of Russia were represented (Voronezh, Krasnodar, Yaroslavl). Experts represented the academic community, administrative structures of cities and local communities. The article summarizes the results of the research. According to its results, it was concluded that the structure of urban conflicts in most cases does not contribute to improving the constructiveness of the interactions of their actors. This is due, in particular, to the problems of institutionalizing conflicts. The existing political institutions do not contribute to the choice of strategies for cooperation and compromise by the parties to the conflict. Actors who have the necessary resources, in these conditions, choose competitive strategies, while weaker participants are forced to withdraw from the conflict or enter into confrontation with little chance of realizing their own interests. The data obtained show that urban communities remain largely passive in conflict situations, with the exception of a small number of activists. The research results say about necessity to transform the institutional foundations of interaction between local communities, city authorities and business involved in the cities development. First of all, we are talking about the development of urban communities as political subjects, intensification their positions in the structure of conflict relations. Political institutionalization relations between urban communities and local authorities can be transformed through the return direct elections of city heads, the reorganization party system on the lower-level organizations, the creation the nuclear associations of social activists in the local level and local public councils. This will make it possible to use more such mechanisms for the adoption of city decisions, such as public hearings and citizen surveys.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2018/1.2/S01.025

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