Living chance in the russian province

Abstract

Life chances are considered as the probability of achieving life success, determined by the combination of external conditions (social, institutional, infrastructural) and the strength of the internal motivation of an individual or group. The differentiation of the geographical, social and cultural space of Russia into a «center» and a «province» is expressed, among others, in the objective and subjective inequality of opportunities to achieve life goals and success. The inequality of life chances is acutely recognized by the inhabitants of the Russian province in relation to the economic and cultural «centers» of the country, as well as within the provincial society - between villages and small towns, on the one hand, and regional centers, on the other. The narrowness of labor markets, the low level of salaries in most sectors of the regional economies, the dominance of nepotism and other manifestations of clanism preserve the traditionalist values of the majority of the inhabitants of the Russian province, form dissatisfaction with the social situation and push the most ambitious people beyond the boundaries of provincial societies. Thus, Russian society continues to reproduce the model of differentiated spatial development, and the province remains mainly a source of resources (labor, intellectual, etc.) for a limited number of growth points and innovations in the country.