The Communitarian Concept of Subsidiarity in the Value Structure of Russian Society

The article is devoted to the analysis of the value foundations underlying the reception and institutionalization of the communitarian concept of subsidiarity in contemporary Russian society. In contrast to the liberal interpretation of subsidiarity, which is grounded in the principles of negative liberty and individual autonomy, the communitarian approach views this principle through the lens of social solidarity, communal bonds, and collective responsibility. The subject of analysis is the contradiction between the theoretical appeal of the communitarian understanding of subsidiarity and the lack of empirical data on the readiness of Russian society to adopt it. The authors examine the value structure of Russian society by analyzing traditional values of solidarity, hierarchy, and collective responsibility in comparison with individualistic orientations. Special attention is given to the study of the ideological foundations, social preferences, attitudes toward civic participation, and the nature of group identity among Russian citizens. The aim of the study is to determine which model of subsidiarity—communitarian or liberal—more accurately reflects the specific features of Russian political culture and the value orientations of contemporary Russians. The empirical basis of the research consists of data from two nationwide representative surveys conducted in 2023–2024 (N=1600) among four generational cohorts (ages 18–24, 25–39, 40–59, and 60+) across eight regions of Russia. The methodological framework is based on John Turner’s self-categorization theory, Shalom Schwartz’s theory of basic values, and the moral foundations theory developed by Jonathan Haidt and Jesse Graham. The scientific novelty of this research lies in the first systematic empirical testing of the communitarian concept of subsidiarity using large-scale sociological data from Russian society. For the first time, a comparative analysis is conducted to assess the compatibility of the Russian value system with various interpretations of the principle of subsidiarity. The main conclusion of the study is the identification of a fundamental contradiction between the declarative support for communitarian values (90.7% support the principles of equality and mutual assistance, and 74.9% consider it necessary to follow traditions) and the practical rejection of civic engagement (only 1.5% consider public activity meaningful). The study confirms the hypothesis that Russian political culture is more compatible with the communitarian model of subsidiarity than with the liberal one, but it also reveals significant obstacles to its institutionalization in the form of a crisis of intermediary institutions of civil society and the phenomenon of “passive subsidiarity.”

subsidiarity, communitarianism, social solidarity, civil society, value orientations, generational differences, local self-government, social alienation, Russian society, institutionalization