Religiosity and Economic Policies in Transition Countries

For decades traditional religions in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern Europe were suppressed by the communist regime. After the fall of the Soviet Union most of these economies experienced the revival of religiosity. This report documents differences in religiosity trends between country groups in transition economies and underscores implications of religiosity revival for economic policies

IDENTITY POLICY MODELS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN “NEW” STATES

The report will analyze the models and technologies of state identity policy formation in modern “new states”. The report shows effective strategies and institutional practices of identity policy pursued in modern states, designed to ensure the symbolic unity of the citizens of these “new” countries, political stability and political regime stability. The methodological basis of the research is a combination of the principles of constructivism and neoinstitutionalism, since the subjectivity of the state as a political actor in pursuing an identity policy is combined with the need to consolidate its results in specialized formal and informal practices, to create certain political and social institutions. The reported study was funded by RFBR and EISR according to the research project № 19-011-31616 “State Policy in the Field of Formation of Identity: Conceptual Foundations, Technologies and Prospects” in Saint Petersburg State University

Поведінка споживачів і маркетингові комунікації: ціннісний підхід

В статье рассматриваются проблемы взаимосвязи поведения потребителей и маркетинговых коммуникаций. Раскрываются возможности влияния маркетинговых коммуникаций, апеллирующих к ценностям потребителей, на их поведение.The article discusses the relationship between consumer behavior and marketing communications. It reveals the possible influence of marketing communications, appealing to the values of consumers, on their behavior.У статті розглянуто проблеми взаємозв’язку поведінки споживачів і маркетингових комунікацій. Розкрито можливості впливу маркетингових комунікацій, що апелюють до цінностей споживачів, на їхню поведінк

Life (dis)satisfaction and the decision to migrate: Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe

This paper provides empirical evidence of the impact of life satisfaction on the individual intention to migrate. The impacts of individual characteristics and of country macroeconomic variables on the intention to migrate are analyzed jointly. Differently from other studies, we allow for life satisfaction to serve as a mediator between macroeconomic variables and the intention to migrate. Using the Eurobarometer Survey for 27 Central Eastern European (CEE) and Western European (non-CEE) countries, we find that people have a higher intention to migrate when dissatisfied with life. The socio-economic variables and macroeconomic conditions have an effect on the intention to migrate indirectly through life satisfaction. The impact of life satisfaction on the intention to migrate for middle-aged individuals with past experience of migration, low level of education, and with a low or average income from urban areas is higher in CEE countries than in non-CEE countries.ERSTE Foundation Generations in Dialogue Fellowship for Social Researchers

Англійська мова для студентів юридичного університету в епоху глобальної культурної та професійної комунікації

The article describes peculiarities of teaching English for specific purposes to the law university students under conditions of globalized English-medium communication. Specificity of legal-related activity, which is mostly connected with communication with people, accentuates importance of communicative professional competence and its component – English communicative professional competence. Communivative approach provides simulation of real activities, the skilled teacher should maintain classroom communication stimulating interlocutors to response, to act in the imposed professional situations promoting solution of the cognitive tasks associated with the law subject-matters. Анализируется влияние современного статуса английского языка как средства глобальной коммуникации на изучение иностранного языка в неязыковых вузах, в частности студентами юридического университета. Подчеркивается значение для современного специалиста правовой сферы владения английским языком. Специфика юридических специальностей предполагает общение, что определяет важность коммуникативной профессиональной компетенции, особенно иноязычной профессиональной компетенции. Будущая специальность студента юридического университета определяет содержание обучения английскому языку для специальных целей в рамках современного компетентностного подхода. Розглянуто вплив сучасного статусу англійської мови на особливості викладання іноземної мови в немовних вищих навчальних закладах, зокрема студентам юридичних університетів. У сучасному світі англійська мова стала глобальним засобом міжкультурної та професійної комунікації, що визначає значущість для сучасного фахівця-юриста володіння англійською мовою. Зазначено, що специфіка роботи спеціалістів юридичного профілю пов’язана зі спілкуванням, що визначає важливість комунікативної професійної компетенції, у тому числі – іншомовної. Роль англійської мови як засобу професійної комунікації нині зростає, що мотивує студентів юридичного університету вивчати англійську мову для продовження навчання за партнерськими програмами обміну, магістерськими програмами, а також щоб відповідати вимогам до сучасного правника та конкурентоспроможності і кар’єрного зростання в професійній сфері. Специфіка отримуваної юридичної спеціальності визначає зміст навчання англійської мови, яке здійснюється в межах сучасного компетентнісного підходу і враховує методологічні та дидактичні рекомендації з викладання англійської мови для спеціальних потреб юридичного профілю. Відзначена важливість навчання на автентичному матеріалі, який враховує специфіку фаху, комунікативну спрямованість на професійне спілкування, застосування інноваційних технологій. Надзвичайно важливим в епоху глобалізації культурної та фахової комунікації є професійний розвиток викладачів англійської мови для спеціальних потреб – компетентність щодо сучасної комунікативної методики викладання професійно орієнтованої іноземної мови, організації навчання та застосування інноваційних технологій

Descriptive study of the flora of the "Relic Oaks" landscape reserve (Eastern Siberia) in the context of the protected area importance for maintaining biodiversity

The article shows the importance of specially protected areas for preserving the gene pool of rare and useful plants in Siberia on the example of the "Relic oaks" state landscape reserve. The landscape reserve is located on the territory of Eastern Siberia (Russia), on the two large floristic areas of Holarctic: Circumboreal and East-Asian. During the study, 696 species of higher vascular plants have been identified in the territory of the landscape reserve. The prevailing families are following: Asteraceae, Poaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, Cyperaceae, Fabaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Brassicaceae, Apiaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. In the territory of landscape reserve, 4 floral complexes were identified: alpine, forest, steppe and meadow-alluvial, as well as 10 chorological groups. The feature of the flora was prevalence of forest and steppe plant species with the East Asian type of habitat. By the number of species, herbaceous plants in the landscape reserve dominate over arboreal plants, and shrubs have the largest share among arboreal plants. The spectrum of life forms of plants shows the climatic conditions of the territory at the border of large floral areas and zones of vegetation. On the studied territory, there are 171 species of higher vascular plants (24.5% of the total flora composition in the landscape reserve), are rare and protected in various regions of Siberia

Stalin and the origins of mistrust

We examine current differences in trust levels within the countries of the former Soviet Union (FSU) and trace their origins back to the system of forced labor during Stalin, which was marked by high incarceration rates and harsh punishments. We explore whether those exposed to knowledge about the repressions became less trusting and transferred this social norm to future generations and communities. We argue that political repressions were more salient and visible to local communities living near forced labor camps (gulags), which symbolized the harshness of Stalin's regime. Combining contemporary survey data with the geolocation of forced labor camps, we find that living near former gulags lowers present-day social trust and civic engagement. These effects are independent of living near places where Stalin's victims were arrested. Moreover, they are above and beyond any experiences with war or civil conflict that the extant literature documents, indicating that the gulag system's repressiveness is a crucial trigger of the mistrust culture within the FSU countries today. As such, we furnish novel evidence on how past political repression matters for current socioeconomic outcomes

Double-edged sword:persistent effects of Communist regime affiliations on well-being and preferences

During Communism, party members and their relatives were typically privileged elites in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the former Soviet Union (FSU). At the same time, secret police informants were often coerced to spy and report on their fellow citizens. After the fall of Communism, CEE countries and the Baltics underwent decommunization, unlike most FSU countries. This paper is the first to empirically distinguish between these two Communist party regime affiliations and study their long-term implications for the well-being and preferences of affiliated individuals and their relatives. In the FSU, we find that individuals connected to the former Communist party are more satisfied with their lives, but those linked to secret police informants seem to have lower life satisfaction than those without such ties. The life satisfaction benefit of having former Communist regime party connections in the FSU is, on average, equivalent to one month’s household income. Simultaneously, the psychological costs of being an informant can amount to two monthly household incomes. In CEE countries, having informant connections is not associated with life satisfaction, but having links to the former Communist party is negatively correlated with subjective well-being. Formal and informal decommunization efforts are an important mechanism behind our findings. We also show that those connected to the former regimes differ from those without such connections in their preferences for democracy and market economy, levels of optimism, and risk tolerance, which provides suggestive evidence for the mechanisms underpinning our findings. Our results underscore that the former Communist regimes produced winners and losers based on the trustee status of their collaborators that decommunization efforts further shaped and solidified. Future decommunization efforts in the FSU may thus have important welfare implications