Kuznetsova. [Collective memory of significant events and figures of Russian history in various social groups. Dissertation abstract for the degree of Candidate of Psychological Sciences. Ph. D. (Psychology)]

Abstract:
The paper investigated the collective memory of significant events and figures of Russian history in various social groups. The following methods were used: research interview, method of verbal associations, questionnaire survey using open-ended questions, scale assessments. The structure and content of collective memories were analyzed separately, the specifics of respondents` political preferences and attitudes, the peculiarities of their social perceptions of political power were studied. The level of attitudes to paternalistic attitude to power was determined using a four-scale questionnaire "Paternalism" (T. G. Stefanenko, E. P. Belinskaya, O. A. Tikhomandritskaya, 2003). There were 405 participants in the study, which included: students, working adults, and non-working pensioners. According to the results of the study, it was found that in the process of constructing collective memories, those associated with the great achievements of the country (the Great Patriotic War, human space flight) more often prevail. Moreover, the Great Patriotic War occupies the central place in the representations of collective memory (regardless of the social group). The process of transmitting representations is aimed at transmitting positive events that form the image of the group. Respondents consider Peter the Great, Stalin (positive image — won the war), and Lenin as the most significant political figures. Categories for describing political figures among respondents have their own specificity (students are not inclined to negative assessments, unlike working adults). The most significant events for the country, according to the majority of respondents, took place during the Soviet Union. The majority of working adults consider themselves not interested in politics (in contrast to students and non-working pensioners). Social perceptions of political power contain predominantly negative emotional component (corruption, wealth, permissiveness and power). In contrast, pensioners have a positive emotional component, which correlates with their level of paternalism. Students (but not pensioners and not working people) have the concept of "democracy". Also, a high level of attitude to paternalism is characteristic of respondents from the group of non-working pensioners, and a low level of paternalism — of students and working adults.