Projects

Centre for Comparative Research on Social Well-Being focuses on the analysis of norms and values, explanation of the dynamics of value changes that took place in Russia and other former Soviet countries in the last 30 years, correlation of these dynamics with political and economic changes in the global context, identification of distinctive characteristics of Russian society in comparison with more than 90 countries, interregional comparative research within Russia, and the clarification of correlation between cultural and historical characteristics and economic development of the regions.

The strategic goals of the Laboratory are the following:

• values ​​and cultural changes;
• subjective well-being and quality of life;
• social capital, trust;
• environmental culture: awareness, attitudes, behavior;
• religion and secularization;
• attitudes toward marriage and family;
• professional care and social well-being;
• digital communities and forms of solidarity;
• cross-cultural data collection and analysis;
• qualitative methods in comparative research;
• other thematic areas.

Ongoing Projects

Values, Quality of Life, and Social Capital from a Regional Perspective

Project authors: Almakaeva A., Ponarin E.

Project Executors: Soboleva N., Klimova A., Nemirovskaya A., Nastina E., Minkov M., Musaev A. 

Russia is an extremely heterogeneous country comprising numerous constituent entities that differ in terms of socio-economic, political, climatic, and historical characteristics. These factors can contribute to significant cultural differentiation within the country, as well as to disparities in the subjectively perceived quality of life and subjective well-being. This project aims to assess this diversity across Russia’s regions. The research findings and the resulting recommendations can be used both for social forecasting and for evaluating the effectiveness of social policy measures designed to sustain subjective quality of life and mitigate the adverse effects of regional disparities in levels of economic and value-based modernization.

The project draws on data collected in 2019–2020 under the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) grant "Value Transformation and Subjective Quality of Life: A Regional Perspective" (No. 18-18-00341). The sample size comprises 18,768 respondents across 60 Russian regions (500 questionnaires each for Moscow and St. Petersburg, and 300 for the other regions). The regions were selected using a purposive typological method, taking into account key socio-economic development parameters. The target population consisted of individuals aged 18 and older who resided in the region as their primary place of residence for at least three months prior to the survey and had access to a mobile or landline phone. The survey was conducted using the Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) method. The resulting data are representative of 60 Russian regions and closely reflect the population structure of each region in terms of key socio-demographic and geographic parameters.

Basic Human Values in Russia: Comparison of Web and F2F Surveys

Project executors: Korsunava V., Sokolov B. 

Basic human values, as defined by Schwartz, are widely regarded as fundamental drivers of attitudes and behavior across cultural contexts. They have demonstrated theoretical and empirical relevance to various research domains. Given the construct’s popularity, it is important to understand its validity and reliability. Concurrently, recent decades have seen a surge in the use of online data collection. While online surveys offer numerous advantages over face-to-face (F2F) methods, concerns persist regarding mode effects, coverage bias, inattentive responses, and the comparability of non-probability samples. Existing evidence suggests measurement invariance of value structures across modes, yet online surveys tend to produce diverging estimates. At the same time, research on nomological networks and temporal changes remains limited. This study compares the prevalence of basic human values and their demographic associations across online and F2F surveys: the European Social Survey (Rounds 9–11, 2018–2024, CAPI F2F, probability sample) and two online opt-in panel surveys (one from 2018, and the “Values in Crisis” project, 2020–2024, quota-based).

Regional and Ethnic Identities as a Factor in Grassroots Politicization and the Formation of Environmental Culture: A Cross-Regional Analysis of Value Orientations and Behavioral Strategies

Project author: Scherbak A.

Project executors: Nemirovskaya A., Tkacheva T., Semenov A.

The aim of this project is to examine the influence of regional and ethnic identity on environmental culture, a phenomenon reflected in the rise of environmental mobilization across many regions of Russia. Environmental culture is understood as the combination of environmental knowledge, environmental attitudes, and patterns of environmental behavior.

Existing literature points to a positive link between post-materialist values ​​and active pro-environmental behavior. However, the opposite pattern is often observed in Russia: the most intense environmental protests occur in regions with relatively low levels of post-materialist values—a finding supported by recent studies showing that protesting eco-activists position themselves as defenders of traditional values. How can this discrepancy between theoretical expectations and actual practice be explained? In addressing this question, we turn to regional identity, which is linked to the nature of the environmental agenda—specifically, the distinction between "traditional" and "modernizing" approaches. The project aims to resolve a paradox: how can we explain the rise of environmental protests driven by traditionalist and conservative ideas, given that such attitudes are typically associated with conformity and obedience to authority?

The project comprises several lines of inquiry. First, it involves analyzing existing patterns of environmental protests across regions using both quantitative and qualitative data. Particular emphasis is placed on issues of regional and ethnic identity and the influence of conservative attitudes on the resolution of environmental problems. Second, it entails an analysis of cross-national data to identify similarities and differences in pro-environmental attitudes in Russia across various dimensions, including their relationship to emancipatory (post-materialist) values. Thirdly, this involves the collection of original data: conducting a sociological survey and qualitative field research across six regions. The data obtained will be used to test hypotheses regarding the nature of environmental mobilization, the typology of regional environmental cultures, patterns of participation in environmental protests, and the value profiles of eco-activists.

The project draws on both cross-national survey data and original regional data; it also utilizes existing data on environmental protests, presidential grants awarded to environmental NGOs, and fieldwork conducted in Russian regions.

The project is funded by Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-18-00661.

Possibilities and Limitations of Large Language Models for the Study of Values

Project Members: Snarskiy Y., Shelegova U.A., Kabanov Y.A.

Research on value orientations traditionally relies on cross-national population surveys. In recent years, Large Language Models (LLMs)—artificial intelligence systems trained on massive text corpora and capable of generating plausible responses on behalf of users—have become widely adopted. Governments and major corporations worldwide, including Russia, are increasingly investing in developing their own proprietary solutions in this domain.

The question remains open as to whether the algorithms underlying LLMs reproduce value profiles specific to individual countries and cultures, or whether they tend to provide a more generalized, averaged response detached from actual national specificities. If a model's operation is based on texts reflecting predominantly one language or cultural tradition, responses generated "on behalf of" a resident of a particular country may systematically differ from what real respondents report about themselves.

This project is dedicated to comparing LLM responses to questions used for measuring basic value orientations with the data obtained from real respondents. The focus is on items from the World Values Survey (WVS), which are used to construct two key value axes: the secular-rational versus traditional values axis and the self-expression versus survival values axis. The project addresses the stability of this alignment: whether it depends on the language in which the prompt to the model is formulated, whether the prompt explicitly specifies the national identity of the hypothetical respondent, the level of detail of their sociodemographic characteristics, and the time period to which the query pertains.

The project aim is to evaluate how accurately large language models reproduce the value profiles characteristic of a country's citizens in comparison with data from mass cross-national value surveys.

Project tasks:

• studying the alignment between responses generated by large language models to mass value survey questions and empirical data obtained during direct population surveys;
• investigating how the language of the prompt to the model influences the reproduction of country-specific value attitudes;
• examining the role of explicit mentions of national identity and sociodemographic characteristics of the hypothetical respondent when formulating the prompt;
• analyzing the temporal stability of the value profiles reproduced by the model by comparing results obtained across different time periods.

What Makes Parents (Un)Happy? Family-Role Determinants of Parental Subjective Well-Being in Russia

Principal Investigator: Nastina E.

Research Team: Ter-Akopova N., Legut K., Doguzov A.

The project explores how family-role determinants influence the subjective well-being of Russian parents. In this context, family-role determinants are conceptualized as socially structured expectations, cultural norms, institutional support mechanisms, and daily practices that regulate how parents allocate time and responsibilities across paid employment, domestic labor, and direct childcare, as well as how they navigate the work-family interface. In line with policy priorities transition from the National Project "Demography" to “Family”, our research project shifts focus from fertility rates toward improving the quality of life for families with children, which underscores its relevance. Synthesizing secondary data analysis from representative surveys (ESS, ISSP, RLMS-HSE) with thematic analysis of online parenting communities and qualitative interviews will provide a comprehensive overview of the factors and dimensions shaping parental subjective well-being.

Punitive Attitudes of Russians: Scale Construction and Validation, Values and Socio-Demographic Factors

Project manager: Zubarev N.

Project team members: Musaev A., Legut K.

This project works with the concept of “punitive attitudes.” The latter refer to citizens' attitudes toward forms of punishment for criminal offenses, the severity of such punishments, and specific legislative initiatives in the area of criminal punishment enforcement. The key task of our project is to develop a methodology for the comprehensive measurement of punitive attitudes. Most contemporary cross-national and Russian studies use limited operationalizations of this concept that cover only a small part of all evaluative judgments related to punitive attitudes. In addition, a significant proportion of publications in this area focuses on attempts to explain “punitive” forms of such attitudes, i.e., those that are more severe and cruel, which overlooks the development and testing of hypotheses about the possible reasons for supporting milder forms of punishment. As part of our project, we will develop our own methodology for measuring punitive attitudes. We will synthesize the findings of previous approaches to measuring punitive attitudes and take into account the specifics of the Russian political and cultural context. We will test possible mechanisms that explain preferences for lenient forms of punishment. The theoretical basis for these mechanisms is related to individualism-collectivism values (Minkov-Hofstede approach) and perception of social norms (M. Gelfand). The main stage of data collection will be preceded by cognitive interviews, which we will conduct using student samples. This interview data will help us improve the first version of the questionnaire. Then, the original survey data we obtain will be used to evaluate the validity of the developed scale. The purpose of the additional survey data collection will be to assess the factors explaining individual level variation in punitive attitudes. Note that the second stage of data collection will use an improved version of the scale for assessing punitive attitudes. Results of the research projects will also be based on the analysis of secondary survey data, namely “Russian Social Survey” and “World Values Survey”. The study is performed within the framework of the Russian Science Foundation grant № 26-78-00279.

Cross-Cultural and Individual Differences in Response Styles

Participants of the project: Zubarev N., Danilenko I.

Response styles refer to the tendency to choose certain response options when completing a social survey. For example, regardless of the content of the question, respondents may only agree with all statements, select only the extreme values on a scale, or choose only the response option in the middle of the scale. This behavior distorts the accuracy of estimates obtained in social surveys: mean values and standard deviations become higher or, conversely, lower. Findings from past studies point to the leading role of cross-cultural differences in shaping the impact that response styles can have on the results of social surveys. At the same time, individual-level factors such as gender, age, income, and education also contribute to a small but significant variation in response styles. Although response styles are stable over time, the methods used to assess them often yield conflicting results, creating a need for further verification of previously drawn conclusions. Furthermore, the validity of the constructs used to explain cross-cultural differences (survival-self-expression values, monumentalism-flexibility, etc.) is also questionable. Accordingly, the question of using the latest theoretically and empirically validated metrics of cross-cultural differences—in particular, the individualism-collectivism index—remains relevant for the analysis of response styles. Finally, in most existing studies of response styles, age is modeled as a linear factor, although it is known that a number of socio-psychological phenomena are nonlinearly related to age. As part of this project, we analyze data from the European Social Survey (ESS), the Russian Social Survey (RSS), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the International Social Survey Program (ISSP) to assess cross-cultural and individual differences in response styles.

Subjective Well-being and Political Participation

Project author: Moreva Y.

This project examines the relationship between subjective well-being and various forms of political participation in Russia and other countries.

A modified theory of retrospective voting and rational choice theory are used as the primary theoretical framework. Most previous studies suggest that a higher level of subjective well-being is positively associated with the likelihood of participating in elections and voting for the incumbent government. Findings on the link between happiness and protest vary from study to study, but overall, it can be assumed that a low level of well-being may be associated with participation in protest actions.

Survey data are used as the empirical basis for this study. The data include both Russian surveys (specifically, a panel survey conducted by the Institute for Comparative Social Research from 2019 to 2022) and international data (the latest wave of the World Values Survey, collected from 2017 to 2020). The primary method of analysis is regression modelling. Rare events logistic regression is used to analyze protest participation. Multilevel regression modelling is applied for cross-national comparisons. 

The hypotheses that happy people are more likely to participate in elections and vote for the incumbent have been confirmed by international data. The study’s findings show that the political regime moderates the relationship between subjective well-being and political participation.

Based on Russian data, no definitive conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between subjective well-being and political participation: the results are inconsistent and require further study.

The research findings indicate the absence of a statistically significant relationship between subjective well-being and participation in protests, both in Russia and in other countries.

The Labor Theory of Values: Employment Types, Labor Market Structure, Modernization, and Cultural Change

Project Author: Musaev A.

This project aims to develop and empirically test the labor theory of values—an approach suggesting that cultural variations across societies are linked not only to levels of economic prosperity but also to the organization of labor within different economic sectors. In contrast to classical versions of modernization theory, which explain value shifts primarily through rising material wealth and existential security, this project treats employment structure as an independent channel of cultural change. The core idea is that the agricultural, industrial, and post-industrial sectors create distinct micro-contexts for daily socialization. Agricultural employment is more frequently associated with dense local networks, family cooperation, community dependence, and normative control. Industrial employment is tied to formalized hierarchies, standardized procedures, and bureaucratic rationality, whereas post-industrial employment centers on autonomy, flexibility, weak ties, and independent decision-making. In this sense, the structure of labor markets is viewed not merely as a consequence of modernization, but as one of the mechanisms through which economic transformations reshape political culture and human values.

Secular Studies in Russia

Project Author: Musaev A. U.

The project contributes to the development of Secular Studies in Russia—a nascent field within the Russian-speaking academic space dedicated to investigating non-religion, atheism, agnosticism, secular identities, and various forms of religious detachment. Unlike traditional sociology of religion, which frequently treats non-religious individuals as a residual category, this approach posits secularity as an independent and internally heterogeneous domain of values, identities, and social practices. The Russian context is of particular scholarly interest: Russia inherited the legacy of Soviet secularization (which was often coercive), yet religion has not fully lost its influence, and society retains significant ethno-confessional diversity. This makes the Russian case highly promising for examining how secular identity is constructed across diverse cultural and religious settings. At its current stage, this research direction is undergoing active theoretical and empirical development.

Digital Communities as a Tool for Migrant Adaptation: The Case of Russian Emigrants in Georgia and Germany

Project Author: Legut K.

Concepts of networks, communication, interconnectedness, and flows have become indispensable in contemporary migration studies. Seeking information about a new country while planning a relocation, then striving to maintain ties with loved ones back home, and simultaneously searching for information and "one's own people" in the new destination, the contemporary migrant (the so-called "connected migrant") drives the development of new networks, connections, and flows of various forms of capital (informational, financial, human). While online migrant communities have long attracted scholarly attention, several questions remain unresolved. Where is the line drawn between an ordinary chat room and a digital diaspora? Can a community be conceptualized as a real group, or does an online community simply become one of many mediums for resolving challenges that arise during and after relocation? In the context of studying the post-2022 wave of Russian emigration, this topic becomes even more acute, revealing new research gaps. Which aspects of adaptation are Russians willing to realize within online communities? Is it possible to identify cross-national variations depending on the host country where Russians seek to adapt? Can we speak of the formation of a distinct Russian digital diaspora abroad?

This project aims to address these questions by combining the analysis of non-reactive and reactive data. The non-reactive dataset comprises messages from online communities of Russians who moved to Georgia and Germany. The empirical component includes both qualitative thematic content analysis and text data analysis using language models. The reactive data consists of semi-structured interviews with Russians who moved to Georgia and Germany after 2022 and are members of online communities.

Mental Health and Quality of Life at the Population Level: Validation of the Kessler-6 Scale and Population Norms for Russia

Project author: Kislitsyn D.

The project aims to adapt and validate the Kessler-6 (K6) brief psychological distress scale for the Russian population. We examine how levels of psychological distress correlate with various dimensions of health-related quality of life, including physical and social functioning. Within the framework of this project, representative population norms for the K6 scale in the Russian Federation have been calculated, enabling the use of this scale as a standardized screening instrument.

"Helping" professions in the medical field

Project executors: Baisha N., Donskova Y. (Sechenov University)

The project is interdisciplinary in nature, focusing on the linguistic and communicative as well as the institutional, organizational, and interpersonal aspects of the work performed by professionals across various medical fields. Through the study of doctors and nurses, the project examines how boundaries of professional autonomy are established and how they intersect; how professional interests are asserted; and the ethical dilemmas encountered when providing care to diverse patient groups—particularly the elderly and those with rare diseases. Sociologists from the Higher School of Economics (HSE) and philologists and medical professionals from Sechenov University are participating in the study. During the project's initial phase (2026–2027), a qualitative study will be conducted to examine the interaction between physician and nursing professional groups in Moscow’s public hospitals. The findings from the qualitative interviews will serve as the basis for a patient survey and will be presented at academic events organized jointly by the HSE Centre for Comparative Studies of Social Well-Being and Sechenov University.