ASSESSMENT OF SOCIAL ASPECTS OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT OF CERTAIN TYPES OF CITIES IN THE MURMANSK REGION BASED ON SOCIOLOGICAL INFORMATION

The article presents the results of a sociological study of social aspects of self-development of a number of single-industry towns and towns with a diversified economy in the Arctic region — the Murmansk region. Structured sociological information on the population's assessment of social aspects of self-development makes it possible to adequately assess the dynamics of public opinion and use this knowledge in solving the problems of modernizing the system of public relations and the processes of self-development of local communities. Similar studies performed by the authors in 2008–2010 revealed a weaker level of social activity of the population, low estimates of the current life situation in single-industry towns, compared with estimates of the population in towns with a diversified economy. This article analyzes self-assessments of the population in relation to territorial and civil identity, which contributed to understanding the degree of social cohesion of local communities, examines assessments of significance of factors of the Northern specificity, determines the motives for participation in socially significant activities, and identifies the rating of problems that affect life quality in local communities. It is found out that over the past decade there has been a significant convergence of residents’ opinions in single-industry towns and tons with a diversified economy on important issues of life organization. It can be assumed that this indicates the success of the state policy to improve the socio-economic situation in single-profile territorial entities. In addition, a certain uniformity of the social environment of living in the studied groups of towns can contribute to forming innovative social technologies for self-development of the social potential of local societies throughout the Arctic region — the Murmansk region.