Sociopolitical Life in the North Caucasus and Problems of Its Ethnicization

Introduction. The current ethnopolitical situation in the North Caucasus is characterized by instability. In sociopolitical life of region, it is ethnicization that tends to come to the foreground. Goals. The paper aims at clarifying functional essentials of ethnicization in the macroregion’s social life in the context of ethnopolitical dynamics. Materials and methods. The work employs a number of conflictology and riskology research methods. The empirical base rests on results of an expert survey. Results. The obtained research materials make it possible to comprehensively analyze functioning patterns inherent to ethnopolitical processes in the North Caucasian Federal District and outline conclusions as to impacts of ethnicization trends in the polyethnic environment. Most experts consider the ethnicization process has resulted from political and administrative miscalculations that ultimately give rise to ethnopolitical conflictogenity in the North Caucasus. The ethnicization is facilitated by ‘decision making risks’, such as absolutization of the ethnoterritorial principle in politics, imbalances of socioeconomic programs and projects, mythologization of ethnic histories, inefficient language policies. Some experts point out that this process is natural and objectively determined, with both progressive and destabilizing effects. The ratio between these characteristics is determined by the quality of ‘decision making’. The duality of assessments ultimately resumes that the phenomenon is functionally determined by subjective administrative efforts undertaken by contemporary political elites. The conflictogenity level of the ethnicization in sociopolitical life depends on the adequacy of decisions made, efficiency of administrative policy at large, and specifically the qualitative features of political elites

Ethnic group · Political science · Politics · Population · Socioeconomic status · Sociology · Demography · History · Law · Regional Socio-Economic Development Trends · Security, Politics, and Digital Transformation · Sociopolitical Dynamics in Russia