Book chapter
Дорога на Ближний Север - не ближний путь
The results of a comprehensive study of the socio-economic, socio-geographical, ecological, socio-cultural and demographic processes occurring in Near North European part of Russia. The current state of urban and rural areas, the problem of the crisis of agriculture, power dynamics, natural attrition and migration, the ways of adaptation to the new socio-economic conditions of the past twenty years. The problems of business development and the role of urban summer residents in the preservation of dying villages, especially info-communication and media consumption of rural residents. The questions of biodiversity, natural and social capital of the region, the provision of ecosystem services. Possibilities of recreational use of the Trans-Volga and development of ecological tourism. The controversy over the impact of globalization on the rural economy and society, a trend towards the revival of economic and social archaism. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the situation in the area Manturovsky Kostroma region, and especially in Ugory-Leontiev rural settlement, which became the main testing ground for interdisciplinary research "Ugory project."
The author examines the processes of globalization (‘cellular globalization’) in the Near North of Russia in the context of the increasing role of natural capital and the impact of the environment on the life of urban and rural communities. In the article it is discussed the transfer of the curriculum of a large modern university of the countryside ecological milieu as a part of large-scale migration trend, i.e. the invariant of the process of the transition of megapolis to the non-urban environment. The new information and communication technologies of distance learning enhance this process.
The author examines the processes of globalization (‘cellular globalization’) in the Near North of Russia in the context of the increasing role of natural capital and the impact of the environment on the life of urban and rural communities. In the article it is discussed the transfer of the curriculum of a large modern university to the countryside ecological milieu as a part of large-scale migration trend, i.e. the invariant of the process of the transition of megapolis to the non-urban environment. The new information and communication technologies of distance learning enhance this process.
The chapter presents the first summarized results of the interdisciplinary research project on the prospects of development of modern Russian Near North (on the example of a number of settlements in the Kostroma region). Author's conceptualization of these results is generalized in the notion of "cellular globalization". The first results obtained by the group of researchers are formulated in the key notions and future research tasks. Certain business model, allowing avoiding strict aggravation of social problems, demographic depopulation, are proposed.
For an objective assessment and prediction of the actual processes taking place in the Middle North, need to see broad panoramas and further prospects of a global trend in which the Near North necessarily built - with more or less success. These trends in the world, despite their apparent distance from the local rural communities and small towns penetrate into local life, modifying it from within. This is the general logic of social change in the world. "Cell" structure of society (small community, everyday practices, traditional and new values, personal biographies of people) is not isolated from the highest levels of the social system. "Cells" carry a large reflection and logic processes. Economic relations, trade (international brands), migration (circulation of the population), information communications (cellular, Internet, satellite TV) - all in one form or another goes to each, arbitrarily small "cell" of society, modifying it. In this sense, trends in world development most directly refracted in reflections of small, local communities. However, the course of globalization has demonstrated a much more complex picture of social change in the world and in some communities: a modernization, linear upward trend appeared not the only brighter processes manifest themselves counter-modernization, counter-globalization and archaism.
The paper presents the history of the rise, as well as themes and theoretical foundations os Ugory project, a complex interdisciplinary study of rural communities and the natural capital in one of the regions of the Russian Near North. The article defines the main objectives of the project, as well as its major conceptual approaches.