Interethnic Relations on the Municipality Level as Assessed by Mass Consciousness (The Case of Novosibirsk)
The article analyzes the outcomes of a mass opinion poll held among the population of Novosibirsk and covering the urgent issues of interethnic relations. In our analysis, we generalize the current mass beliefs concerning these relations, their status, problem areas and dynamics, as well as motivations in interpersonal communications and the opinion city residents have of migrants. On the level of interpersonal contact, residents show a highly friendly attitude to other ethnic groups. Most of the respondents emphasize that ethnicity, unlike business qualities, is of little importance for them. At the same time, there are some alarming trends in the dynamics of interethnic relations as they are imagined in the present-day mass consciousness. Although the complementariness level in the links between people of various ethnicities is quite high within the city, interethnic relations are generally considered tolerable rather than good. We can expect a further increase in this tension as migration soars. Almost half of the respondents believe ethnic conflicts are possible. The main zones of potential interethnic tension are street markets and adjacent areas, where a higher concentration of ethnic minorities is conspicuous. The urban community of Novosibirsk has developed negative stereotyping of migrants. We prove that this stereotype is impossible to overcome unless the welfare of host community is improved. On many issues, the opinion of ethnically Russian population is more judgmental than those of other ethnic groups. This is largely due to the feeling of decreased social well-being which ethnic Russians experience. Whether this feeling is caused by higher level of status claims or real dysfunction, it has a strong influence on ethnic Russians’ critical assessment on the current situation. Russians are the ethnic community to experience the highest degree of subjective discomfort and to be most worried about the state of interethnic relations. In conclusion, we call for a set of measures to help both migrants and local residents adapt to this ethnosocial situation neither of them have previously experienced.