Handbook on Social Stratification in the BRIC Countries: Change and Perspective

World Scientific, 2013.

Under the general editorship: P. Li, Gorshkov M., C. Scalon, K. L. Sharma

Along with the fast growing economy, the term «BRICs» was coined to represent the newly emerging countries — Brazil, Russia, India and China. The enhanced economy in these countries has largely improved peoples life; at the same time, it has also strongly influenced the transformation of social structure, norms and values. However, as the worlds attention centers on their economic development at the micro level, the social changes at the micro level have often been neglected, and a specific comparative study of these four countries is even more rare. This handbooks contributing authors are leading sociologists in the four countries. They fill the gap in existing literature and examine specifically the changes in each society from the perspective of social stratification, with topics covering the main social classes, the inequality of education and income, and the different styles of consumption as well as the class consciousness and values. Under every topic, it gathers articles from authors of each country. Such a comparative study could not only help us achieve a better understanding of the economic growth and social development in these countries, but also lead us to unveil the mystery of how these emerging powers with dramatic differences in history, geography, culture, language, religion and politics could share a common will and take joint action. In general, the handbook takes a unique perspective to show readers that it is the profound social structural changes in these countries that determine their future, and to a large extent, will shape the socio-economic landscape of the future world.

Chapters

Consumption and Lifestyle in Russia

Kozyreva P. M., Nizamova A. E., Smirnov A. I., , in: Handbook on Social Stratification in the BRIC Countries: Change and Perspective.: World Scientific, 2013. P. 611–636.

The purpose of this study was to investigate consumption patterns and their association with the lifestyle characteristics of Russian households. The research based on the data of Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey – HSE (RLMS–HSE) was collected between 1992 and 2008. Over this period total household expenditure on food increased by 40%, while total expenditure on durables ...

Added: November 19, 2013

The Middle Class in Russian Society: Homogeneity or Heterogeneity?

Tichonova N., Mareyeva S., , in: Handbook on Social Stratification in the BRIC Countries: Change and Perspective.: World Scientific, 2013. Ch. 18 P. 359–377.

This handbook's contributing autors are leading sociologists in the four countries. They fill the gap in existing literature and examine specifically the changes in each society from the perspective of social stratifications. ...

Added: November 21, 2013

Keywords: предпринимательство, средний класс, социальное неравенство, страны БРИК, потребление, entrepreneurship, values, ценности, consumption, социальная стратификация, Middle class, working class, рабочий класс, educational inequality, consciousness, social stratification, income inequality, BRIC countries, крестьянство, peasants, классовое сознание