The concept, signs and essence of extremism as a social phenomenon (on the results of a sociological study of citizens’ representations about extremism)

The paper examines the concept of extremism as a social phenomenon, highlights the signs of modern extremism. The article presents the results and conclusions of the author's sociological research, the purpose of which was to identify the perceptions of citizens about extremism. The survey was conducted in the Saratov region (the cities of Saratov, Engels, Balashov and Arkadak). The study showed that citizens are familiar with the problem of extremism and are ready to help in countering it, however, at the same time, the information received to date about extremism is insufficient for effective participation of the population in the process of countering this phenomenon. This suggests that the problem requires a more in-depth study and further education of the population.