Population participation in public self-government: sociological analysis

The proposed article, based on the materials of a sociological study conducted among the local population and the activists of the territorial public self-government of Belgorod, highlights the dynamics of the population participation in this type of self-government. The degree of involvement in it is characterized by the intensity of citizens' interaction with its various institutions - city councils, territorial councils and TPSs, as well as the local administration. The majority of the population does not participate in activities to improve the state of their living environment and the organization of surroundings. At the same time, city residents are more inclined to participate in the improvement of the adjacent territory of a private house or the courtyard of an apartment building, as well as the entrance hall, as opposed to insufficient care for the condition of the neighbourhood and the city as a whole. Meanwhile, women, pensioners and middle-aged citizens are more involved in improving the state of the urban environment. It has also been revealed that citizens in general demonstrate a higher degree of readiness for social activity in the direction of public self-government than they actually implement.