Interdisciplinary approach to the study of shadow economy

Currently the institutional factors of economic development are updated. The problem of neutralizing the impact of informal institutions is becoming paramount. In order to develop adequate measures to influence the shadow economy and the development of the concept of anti-shadow policies requires a deep and comprehensive study of the shadow socio-economic processes in Russia. It is necessary to recognize the fact that the methods of struggle against the shadow economy have not yet had the desired effect, that implies the conclusion - the causes of the shadow economy have deep roots and are out of the sphere of economic relations. Shadow economic processes are the result of the behavioral characteristics of people, socio-psychological reasons as a consequence of the low cultural level, marginality, inefficient conjugation of institutions and culture, lack of confidence in the society, the specific characteristics of economic mentality, etc. Therefore, if the causes of the shadow relations are rooted in completely different spheres, then the methods of research should also belong to different sciences. The article considers the methodological possibilities in the study of the Russian shadow economy. The logical sequence of the shadow economy research includes empirical and theoretical stages. The level of the empirical phase of gathering facts about the shadow economy has a number of complexities and peculiarities. On a theoretical level there is necessity of multi-methodological approach. The authors proved the usefulness of the methodological system and the results of research in the fields of sociology, psychology, criminology, statistics and mathematics, as well as related to the economy of sciences - economic psychology, behavioral economics, economic teratology, and others. The article proposes to carry out studies of the shadow economy at the different levels of architectonics of the institutional structure of shadow economy: the nano-level, the micro-level, the meso-level, the macro-level and the global level. In addition, we prove the feasibility of studies at the regional level due to the prevalence of a number of cultural and mental factors in the shadow economy. This approach not only promotes a deep and comprehensive study of the shadow economy in Russia but also the development of an adequate system of anti-shadow policy.