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Экологическая мобилизация в российских регионах: общие тенденции и региональные особенности
Most studies investigating involvement in collective action in environmental protection relate it either to general sociocultural attitudes in society at the macro level or to the strategic actions of eco-activists in specific cases at the micro level. In the first case, this makes it possible to explain variations in environmental actions between different societies/countries; in the second, the success or failure of a particular campaign. Nevertheless, some studies show
that even under conditions of similar beliefs and environmental problems, regional variation may persist in the degree of residents’ environmental mobilization and in the forms of eco-activism they use, which may, in turn, be explained by the specific features of the regional agenda.
This study aims to close this gap and answers the question of what regional features of environmental mobilization in Russia can be identified and what factors account for them. Five Russian regions are considered as cases: regions with high levels of environmental pollution – Krasnoyarsk Region, Zabaikalsky Region, and Sverdlovsk Region – and regions with low levels of environmental pollution – the Chuvash Republic and Kostroma Region. The study was based on a mixed-methods design. The main research methods were a survey, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews with eco-activists. Based on the survey data, general trends in environmental mobilization in Russian regions were identified, and the dominant environmental perceptions, motives for participation in collective environmental actions, their forms, and their prevalence were described. Based on field data, the specific conditions for environmental mobilization were identified, and the main strategies and narratives related to the environmental
agenda were reconstructed.
The field research showed that existential eco-activism predominates in Krasnoyarsk Region, due to the high level of environmental problems. Sverdlovsk Region is an example of the politicization of the environmental agenda. In Zabaikalsky Region, patriotic eco-activism is widespread, linking environmental protection activities with national interests. The Chuvash Republic is an example of family-patriarchal eco-activism focused on maintaining family values. Kostroma Region is, to a greater extent, an example of “paper” eco-activism related to the fulfillment of bureaucratic indicators.