Insecure Collective Identity and Illiberal Attitudes in Putin’s Russia

• In Event: Identity, Belonging, and Nation-Building in Eastern Europe and Russia

Abstract

This paper explores the impact of media’s agenda-setting power on political preferences and the role of identity politics in Putin’s Russia. The main hypotheses are drawn from social identity theory and deal (1) with the increased salience of collective (national) identity and (2) with the concepts of secure and insecure identity. Relying on focus group interviews and a survey experiment conducted in Russia in November 2017, the study shows that illiberal attitudes and political preferences are grounded in perception of insecure national identity, while support for Vladimir Putin rests on perceiving his role in securing Russia’s collective identity. The study thereby highlights the role of political leadership and media control in shaping public preferences in Russia.

Author

• Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, King's College London