The Nation and the Citizens: Exploring the Functions of Communications in Russian People's Perception of the Political and Economic Transitions

• In Event: Communication and Power in the Changing Societies of Russia and Eurasia

Abstract

Indeed, the drastic transition of the political landscape from the former USSR to Russia in 1991 is not only a milestone in Russian history but also a critical event in the world stage. The essence and impacts of that transition has also long been a topic of hot discussion in academia in neighboring societies such as China. Because of the vital role that the media has played in that transition, it has also attracted my attention as a media researcher.

I am planning to add to the panel with my analysis of the World Value Survey data to show the changes of feelings of happiness, national identity, and the function of the mass media in such changes. The World Value Survey is presided by University of Michigan political scientist Donald Inglehart, and has collected data from Russia for four rounds, 1990, 1995, 2006, and 2011, with about 2000 responses in reach round. The questions cover feeling of happiness, identification with the globe, the nation (refers to the former USSR in the 1990 round and the Russian Federation in the rest three rounds), satisfaction with life, health situation, trust in people, confidence in the political institutions and the media system, and the usage of different type of media. I am interested to compare the 1990 round and the other three round to see how the 1991 transition changed Russian people's feeling of happiness, life satisfaction, and other major social aspects and how media consumption shaped the changes.

Author

• Qingjiang (Q. J.) Yao, Lamar University