Social issues in Russia’s Arctic Zone: population self-assessement

The article reveals social problems associated with the development of oil and gas in Arctic region of Russia. It also justifies possibilities of their solution based on sociological studies conducted by the authors in representative surveys 2005, 2010 and 2015. Stressing the role and significance of sociological research in the general problem of the circumpolar regions’ scientific study, authors show the need for a sociological diagnosis of their results in the context of different social groups of respondents (old-timers, including representatives of indigenous ethnic groups, newcomers, shift personnel). They do so to identify characteristics of social problems inherent to the Arctic region and requirements for scientific support of possible technologies to solve them. The authors studied the Northern specificity of the life quality in oil and gas Arctic region of Russia, the conditions of life of indigenous peoples, of shift workers who lead the mobile multi local way of life, and other social groups of participants who develop this territory. They draw conclusions about necessary significant strengthening of sociological and informational scientific support for planned Arctic projects and offer a methodological approach to the selection of the most relevant research topics.