Suchergebnisse

The article considers the ineffective balance of Russian informal institutions, which is blocking economic development. The possibilities of overcoming the inefficient equilibrium are limited by social norms, which are reproduced, among other things, in the system of higher education. Higher education is one of the most effective channels for transmitting social norms. According to the hypothesis of socialization by R. Inglehart and the hypothesis of "impressionable years" by P. Giuliano and A. Spilimbergo, the period of greatest mental plasticity, when values and behavioral attitudes are formed, falls on the period of early adulthood — from 18 to 25 years. The change in social norms in Russian universities was demonstrated on the basis of a longitudinal sociological survey of students of Russian universities conducted in 2014—2016 in 10 regions of Russia. It is proved that Russian students increase their loyalty to opportunism and violation of the rules as they grow older — there is a reproduction of inefficient social norms.

The paper analyzes key achievements in sociocultural research of economic development for the last twenty years. Firstly, the paper describes the main approaches in sociocultural studies and key trends in empirical research (including causality issues). Secondly, it poses critical open questions in sociocultural research concerning the relationship between culture and institutions, within-country cultural differences, and culture in dynamics. It demonstrates how the research into culture is connected to the studies of social capital. Finally, the paper formulates the theses of the sociocultural economics research field.