ID :
11033
Sat, 06/28/2008 - 12:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/11033
The shortlink copeid
Half of Russia's upper middle class emigration-minded
MOSCOW, June 28 (By Itar-Tass World Service writer Lyudmila
Alexandrova) -- Is there a place in the whole world that is truly good? Yes, there is. It's the one we are absent from. The irony of this wisdom from Wit Works Woe, by Russian 19th century playwright Alexander Griboyedov, is as relevant as ever, opinion polls indicate.
At least half of those who regard themselves as "the cream of the Russian middle class" dream of emigrating from the country - for a while, or for good, the Levada Center pollster said on Thursday after studying the state of mind of the young, upwardly mobile and well-off residents of Russian megapolises.
The sociologists claim the root reason why so many are
emigration-minded is the wealthy Russians' feeling of insecurity in the
face of the authorities' arbitrariness.
The poll had been ordered by the EU-Russia Center of Analysis, created
two years ago for monitoring the liberal values situation in Russia.
The pollsters focused not on Russia's entire middle class, which,
according to different estimates, ranges 20 to 40 percent of the
population, but only its upper layer - the young and highly-salaried urban
dwellers. The questions were put only to respondents with college
education aged 24-35, only in 14 biggest cities of the nation, and to only
those with a high per-capita income - 1,500 euros per one member of the
family in Moscow, 1,000 euros in St. Petersburg and 800 euros in other
cities.
In this way the pollsters probed into the state of mind and mentality
of the young middle class elite having at its disposal all the makings of
success - young age, high level of education and material status and the
vast opportunities opening up in big cities.
The pollsters found out that the most successful Russians are not
interested in politics and feel angry about the level of corruption, but
at the same time do not hesitate to give bribes. Some of them never stop
thinking about emigration.
The deputy chief of the socio-political studies section at the Levada
Center, Boris Dubin, told the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta the results are
little different from the sentiment of most members of the middle class,
whose train of thought is approximately the same. What catches one's
attention at once, though, is the respondents' insecurity about their
current status and the fear that the basis of the achieved well-being may
be ruined overnight.
Despite the eight years of economic growth a mere 13 percent of the
polled agree that Russia has entered a period of lasting stability, and 59
percent of the wealthy and successful suspect that the situation may make
a U-turn for the worse any minute.
Sociologists attribute their findings to the lack of the feeling of
protection. About 76 percent of the polled believe they are unable to
protect themselves from arbitrariness of the authorities, in particular,
the police, and 65 percent are uncertain whether they will manage to
protect their rights and interests in a court of law.
Many respondents say they are unable to influence political processes
in the country and will not stop at using unfair or illegal methods in
resolving conflicts and problems. The readiness of the Russian middle
class to give bribes and use personal connections is very high. About half
of the polled believe that in case of false charges of tax evasion it is
far better to grease somebody's palm, rather than take the case to court.
Seventy six percent of the polled say the authorities ignore the law.
But at the same time 50 acknowledged they would violate the law
themselves, should they face wrong charges of tax evasion, and 60 percent
would do so to make their son exempt from army service.
This is not exactly the type of middle class one can count on too much
in politics, says the RBC Daily. One-third of the respondents said they
never participate in elections, and 83 percent believe they are unable to
cause any influence on political processes, and precisely for this reason
they prefer to stay out.
The upper middle class is most angry about the high level of crime and
aggression in society (59 percent), corruption (54 percent), and poor
quality of the medical services (52 percent).
Uncertainty keeps fuelling emigrationist sentiment. Half of the polled
contemplate the possibility of leaving Russia forever, or at least for a
while. Seventy five percent of such potential emigrants are under 35 years
of age, and 15 percent belong to the upper middle class, are resident in
Moscow (29 percent) and in 70 percent of cases have command of one or
several foreign languages.
Many respondents are uncertain about the future of their children.
Two-thirds of the polled say they would like them to send their offspring
abroad for studies or to look for a job. And one-third of the upper middle
class consider the possibility of resettling their children abroad forever.
This widely spread emigrationist sentiment, sociologists say, is
evidence something is very wrong with Russian society.
"Central to the mentality of the middle class is the awareness of the
uncertainty of one's own existence and a radical conflict between the mode
of life and the mode of thought," said Boris Dubin, adding that without
radical changes in society the chances the middle class will grow and turn
into a large and stable social stratum look very slim.
As far as emigrationist sentiment in general is concerned, not only
Russians, but many citizens of other states have nothing against seeking
better fortune elsewhere.
A Gallup poll has found, says NEWSru.com, that 26 percent of citizens
in 82 countries are prepared to emigrate. In fact, a quarter of the Earth'
s population are unhappy with the countries where they live.
The shares of potential migrants vary considerably from country to
country. In Africa, they are the biggest. The wish to start packing
suitcases is the strongest in Sierra Leone, where 65 percent of the polled
would like to resettle elsewhere.
In the post-Soviet space the situation looks as follows. Thirty four
percent would emigrate from Moldova, 28 percent, from Azerbaijan, 26
percent, from Lithuania, 20 percent from Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Estonia
each, 19 percent from Latvia, 13 percent from Kazakhstan, and 12 percent
from Tajikistan.
In Russia, the rate of potential migrants is 17 percent.
In contrast to this, likely emigrants in Iran number 30 percent, in
Britain and Germany, 27 percent each, in Israel, 20 percent, in France, 18
percent, and in Japan, 12 percent.
Alexandrova) -- Is there a place in the whole world that is truly good? Yes, there is. It's the one we are absent from. The irony of this wisdom from Wit Works Woe, by Russian 19th century playwright Alexander Griboyedov, is as relevant as ever, opinion polls indicate.
At least half of those who regard themselves as "the cream of the Russian middle class" dream of emigrating from the country - for a while, or for good, the Levada Center pollster said on Thursday after studying the state of mind of the young, upwardly mobile and well-off residents of Russian megapolises.
The sociologists claim the root reason why so many are
emigration-minded is the wealthy Russians' feeling of insecurity in the
face of the authorities' arbitrariness.
The poll had been ordered by the EU-Russia Center of Analysis, created
two years ago for monitoring the liberal values situation in Russia.
The pollsters focused not on Russia's entire middle class, which,
according to different estimates, ranges 20 to 40 percent of the
population, but only its upper layer - the young and highly-salaried urban
dwellers. The questions were put only to respondents with college
education aged 24-35, only in 14 biggest cities of the nation, and to only
those with a high per-capita income - 1,500 euros per one member of the
family in Moscow, 1,000 euros in St. Petersburg and 800 euros in other
cities.
In this way the pollsters probed into the state of mind and mentality
of the young middle class elite having at its disposal all the makings of
success - young age, high level of education and material status and the
vast opportunities opening up in big cities.
The pollsters found out that the most successful Russians are not
interested in politics and feel angry about the level of corruption, but
at the same time do not hesitate to give bribes. Some of them never stop
thinking about emigration.
The deputy chief of the socio-political studies section at the Levada
Center, Boris Dubin, told the daily Nezavisimaya Gazeta the results are
little different from the sentiment of most members of the middle class,
whose train of thought is approximately the same. What catches one's
attention at once, though, is the respondents' insecurity about their
current status and the fear that the basis of the achieved well-being may
be ruined overnight.
Despite the eight years of economic growth a mere 13 percent of the
polled agree that Russia has entered a period of lasting stability, and 59
percent of the wealthy and successful suspect that the situation may make
a U-turn for the worse any minute.
Sociologists attribute their findings to the lack of the feeling of
protection. About 76 percent of the polled believe they are unable to
protect themselves from arbitrariness of the authorities, in particular,
the police, and 65 percent are uncertain whether they will manage to
protect their rights and interests in a court of law.
Many respondents say they are unable to influence political processes
in the country and will not stop at using unfair or illegal methods in
resolving conflicts and problems. The readiness of the Russian middle
class to give bribes and use personal connections is very high. About half
of the polled believe that in case of false charges of tax evasion it is
far better to grease somebody's palm, rather than take the case to court.
Seventy six percent of the polled say the authorities ignore the law.
But at the same time 50 acknowledged they would violate the law
themselves, should they face wrong charges of tax evasion, and 60 percent
would do so to make their son exempt from army service.
This is not exactly the type of middle class one can count on too much
in politics, says the RBC Daily. One-third of the respondents said they
never participate in elections, and 83 percent believe they are unable to
cause any influence on political processes, and precisely for this reason
they prefer to stay out.
The upper middle class is most angry about the high level of crime and
aggression in society (59 percent), corruption (54 percent), and poor
quality of the medical services (52 percent).
Uncertainty keeps fuelling emigrationist sentiment. Half of the polled
contemplate the possibility of leaving Russia forever, or at least for a
while. Seventy five percent of such potential emigrants are under 35 years
of age, and 15 percent belong to the upper middle class, are resident in
Moscow (29 percent) and in 70 percent of cases have command of one or
several foreign languages.
Many respondents are uncertain about the future of their children.
Two-thirds of the polled say they would like them to send their offspring
abroad for studies or to look for a job. And one-third of the upper middle
class consider the possibility of resettling their children abroad forever.
This widely spread emigrationist sentiment, sociologists say, is
evidence something is very wrong with Russian society.
"Central to the mentality of the middle class is the awareness of the
uncertainty of one's own existence and a radical conflict between the mode
of life and the mode of thought," said Boris Dubin, adding that without
radical changes in society the chances the middle class will grow and turn
into a large and stable social stratum look very slim.
As far as emigrationist sentiment in general is concerned, not only
Russians, but many citizens of other states have nothing against seeking
better fortune elsewhere.
A Gallup poll has found, says NEWSru.com, that 26 percent of citizens
in 82 countries are prepared to emigrate. In fact, a quarter of the Earth'
s population are unhappy with the countries where they live.
The shares of potential migrants vary considerably from country to
country. In Africa, they are the biggest. The wish to start packing
suitcases is the strongest in Sierra Leone, where 65 percent of the polled
would like to resettle elsewhere.
In the post-Soviet space the situation looks as follows. Thirty four
percent would emigrate from Moldova, 28 percent, from Azerbaijan, 26
percent, from Lithuania, 20 percent from Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Estonia
each, 19 percent from Latvia, 13 percent from Kazakhstan, and 12 percent
from Tajikistan.
In Russia, the rate of potential migrants is 17 percent.
In contrast to this, likely emigrants in Iran number 30 percent, in
Britain and Germany, 27 percent each, in Israel, 20 percent, in France, 18
percent, and in Japan, 12 percent.
