In Makhachkala, results of study of Dagestani values provoke debate at presentation

In Dagestan, among the social values, residents give the first place to family issues, independently of their religion. However, in relation to other values, there is large difference between the various groups of Dagestani residents. Meanwhile, young people are more conservative than the older generation. These results are obtained by a study aimed at monitoring the values of the Dagestani society.

The study was carried out by the joint research group of the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy (IEP) and the Centre for Regional and Urban Studies of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA) under the Russian President. The authors of the study are Irina Starodubrovskaya, the head of the scientific direction "Political Economy and Regional Development" of the IEP and Evgeny Varshaver, the director of the Centre for Migration and Ethnicity Studies of the RANEPA.

The survey was conducted through Internet questionnaires. Assistance in conducting the survey was provided by the "Caucasian Knot" and newspapers "Novoe Delo" and "Chernovik" (Draft).

About 60% of respondents noted the importance of secular or religious education.

Besides, residents of Dagestan have also noted that they would not like to live next door to drug addicts, homosexuals or alcoholics. Meanwhile, it turns out that residents of the republic are tolerant towards other ethnic groups and followers of other religions.

Irina Starodubrovskaya has also noted that a group of non-traditional Muslims is more archaic under many criteria.

According to the survey results, 85% of respondents consider themselves as happy, and 60% as protected.

A lot of participants of the presentation disagreed with the above results. Sulaiman Uladiev, a public activist, has suggested that the above results may be explained by the mentality of Dagestanis, in particular, of men.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.