This book analyses social change in Russia, in particular the development of a middle class, one of the most important social and political projects of Putin’s administration.

Using unique survey data collected in 1998, 2007 and 2015, the authors make extensive and theoretically justified analyses of the changing social distinctions in Russia over the past 20 years. Offering a sophisticated analysis of classes and class they acknowledge that in class analysis there are different phases, requiring different concepts. The first phase is the analysis of class positions; the second is the study of the work and reproduction situations of class groups and the final step is the analysis of class interests. While acknowledging that there are a number Russian-specific factors that seriously complicate traditional class analysis, the authors maintain that the basic tenets of class analysis still hold true.

The book will be of interest to students and scholars of sociology, political science, transition studies, social policy and Russian studies and anyone who wants to understand the internal divisions and organization of the middle class in Russia.

This book analyses social change in Russia, and in particular the development of a middle class, one of the most important social and political projects of Putin’s administration.

Introduction Jouko Nikula and Mikhail Chernysh Chapter 1: Specifities of middle-class structuration in Russia. Markku Kivinen Chapter 2: The structure of the Russian middle class Mikhail Chernysh Chapter 3: The scale and dynamics of employment precarity in Russian society from 1998 to 2015. Yulia Epikhina Chapter 4: Social mobility: A theoretical and empirical perspective Mikhail Chernysh Chapter 5: The role of the state and performance of the welfare state in Russian people’s opinions: What lessons can be learned with respect to the welfare regime and class situation? Markku Sippola and Katri-Maria Jarvinen Chapter 6: Working life in Russia Harri Melin Chapter 7: Housing the middle class Marina Khmelnitskaya and Aleksandra Burdyak Chapter 8: Poverty and confidence in Russia Simo Mannila and Markus Kainu Chapter 9: The structure of Russians’ values in the context of social modernization.. Natalia Mastikova Chapter 10: Waiting for the Middle class society? Jouko Nikula and Mikhail Chernysh