Social capital: trust and public participation (case study of Tyumen Region)

The study presents findings of an investigation into the growing potential factors of public activity based on regional sociological surveys. It demonstrates dynamics and structures of institutional and generalized trust in the Tyumen region from 2013 to 2023. Comparative interregional assessments of institutional and generalized trust, as well as the potential for growth of public activity across seven Russian regions in 2023, are offered, too. The analysis addresses contradictions in the interrelationships among key social capital resources. A typology of public participation – categorized into “active,” “political participants,” “public activists,” and “passives” – was developed using the example of the Tyumen region residents and subsequently used to evaluate its connection to social capital. The study illustrates increasing public activity levels, primarily linked to generalized trust and communicative resources. Barriers to the growth of engagement in socially beneficial activities are identified.