Stratification Transformation of Russian Society: New Estate Models of Stratification

The stratification transformation of Russian society, which is influenced by the specific socio-economic processes of social and economic archaisation, expresses itself in the development of capitalist relations in atypical areas and forms of social practices. It leads to the feudalisation of many forms of socio-economic life and forms new specific models of social structure. According to archaic class models, the Russian society is stratified, transforming the former class social structure into an estate one. The new Russian classes are characterised by internal heterogeneity, and both are expressed in quasisocialisation and quasi-institutionalisation. Within each Russian class emerges its own elite, its own small middle class and a large group, shadow workers and self-employed. All of them are subject to processes of marginalisation and precarization. Shadow entrepreneurship within the marginalised lower strata of each class becomes a factor in the overall development of excellent social and labour relations in all areas of Russian life. These processes pseudo-institutionalise archaic socioeconomic practices that degrade the entire social structure of Russian society. 

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