Single-industry town as a separate political space: results of a socio-political study

The article analyses the problems of socio-political development of towns and the place of sociological research in this process, demonstrating its importance and the relevance of studying public policy at the local level. As an object of research, special attention is paid to single-industry towns due to their vulnerability to various kinds of shocks that directly affect the social and political state of the urban community. In order to reveal the specifics of the socio-political development of a single-industry town as an isolated political space, the city of Sarov was chosen. A survey (questionnaire survey) of respondents in Sarov and an expert interview were used as the main research methods. Three hypotheses regarding the factors of political and social behaviour of Sarov’s residents of were put forward in the course of the study, one of which was later confirmed. The principal features of socio-political development of a single-industry town have been revealed.

1. Tabolin V.V. (Ed.). City in theory and practice: legal and urban aspects: monograph. M.: Yustitsinform, 2020. 352 p. (In Russian).

2. Ledyaev V.G., Chirikova A.E. Power in a small Russian city. M.: HSE Publ. House; 2017. 412 p. (In Russian).

3. Weber M. History of the economy. City. = Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (1925). Trans. from Germ. M.: Canon-press center: Kuchkovo field; 2001. 574 p. (In Russian).

4. Simmel G. Big cities and spiritual life = Die Großstädte und das Geistesleben (1903). Trans. from Germ. M.: Logos, 2002. (In Russian).

5. Engels F. The origin of the family, private property and the state. In: Markh K., Engels F. Selected Works. In 3 vols. V. 3. Trans from Germ. M.: Politizdat; 1986. 639 p. (In Russian).

6. Vysokovskiy A. Comfortable city: three levels of creation. Russian expert review = Rossiiskoe ekspertnoe obozrenie. 2007;4-5(22):70–73.

7. Dridze T.M. Socio-diagnostic studies of the city. Vestnik RGNF. 1996(1):95–103.

8. Gutnov A.B. Evolution of urban planning. M.: Stroyizdat; 1984. 256 p. (In Russian).

9. Gelman M.A., Belokurova E., Borisova N. Local authorities in the cities of Russia. St. Petersburg: Norma, 2008. 368 p. (In Russian).

10. Pustovoit Yu.A. Urban political regimes: coordination of intra-elite interaction in large industrial cities. Gosudarstvennoe upravlenie = Publical administration. 2014;46:105–106.

11. Filippova E.Yu., Ryabova O.A. Core enterprises in the political space of the Ural industrial cities: the variability of inclusion. Vestnik Permskogo nauchnogo tsentra. 2018;4:81–85. https://doi.org/10.7242/1998-2097/2018.4.11

12. Lyakhovets A.S. Small towns of modern Russia: transformation. Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta kul’tury i iskusstv. 2011;39:65–71.

13. Tev D.B. City Dumas of the largest regional capitals. Political Expertise: Politex. 2013;9(3):74–90.

14. Blinova N.V. Municipal formation in the political space of Russia. M.: GUU Publ.House; 2007.