Ethnosociological Studies in the Republic of Mordovia in 1990–2010: A Retrospective Analysis

Introduction. Ethnosociological monitoring in a polyethnic region is conducted not only due to the need for an assessment of the public policy regulation in this field, but also due to the increase in the heuristic potential for preventing various kinds of social conflicts. The objective of the paper is to identify the dynamics of the development of interethnic relations in the Republic of Mordovia and the influence of various stratification processes on the development of ethnic relations, based on a comparative analysis of scientific studies. Materials and Methods. Regular sociological measurements carried out by the Research Institute of Regionology under Ogarev Mordovia State University and by the Scientific Center for Social and Economic Monitoring in 1990–2010 were used as the research materials. The interpretation of the results was carried out using the institutional, comparative and natural historical methods. Results. The main trends in the development of mass consciousness of the population of a polyethnic region in the context of various socio-political periods of the development of Russia have been revealed: from the ‘parade of sovereignties’ that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union to the reactualization of the ideology of a strong multiethnic Russian state. It has been emphasized that over the years, the main reasons exerting a negative impact on the nature of interethnic relations have mainly been not the interethnic conflicts, but the politically or economically marked factors (the economic crisis, inflation, appointment to managerial posts based on the ethnicity of a person, income inequality between representatives of different ethnic origins, etc.). Discussion and Conclusion. Although interethnic relations in the Republic of Mordovia has almost never achieved an increased level of conflict, the republic’s leadership was able to build an effective system for regulating them, which made it possible to minimize the degree of social and ethnic tension in society. The article may be useful to scientists and practitioners in the field of the development of interethnic relations and to all those interested in the issues of ethnosociology.

Perceptions of Unrestricted Gift Giving and the Integrity of Public Servants in Nigeria

Public policy regulation in Nigeria allows public servants to accept gifts without restriction based on local culture. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand this cultural practice and its implications for the integrity of public servants. Using Mettler and SoRelle’s conceptualization of policy feedback theory, the research questions focused on the perceptions of civic organization leaders on this cultural practice in relation to the integrity of high-level public servants in a region of Nigeria. Data were collected from 10 purposely selected public administrator leaders using open-ended, semistructured interview protocols, and an analysis of publicly available documents. The data were subjected to an inductive coding procedure followed by thematic analysis. Findings suggested that the perceptions of the cultural practice of unrestricted gift giving in the public service were negative and unethical. Consequently, the findings also suggested an amendment to the relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution to provide for a restricted monetary value of gifts allowable in the public service. The implications for positive social change include a better understanding of ethics in public administration. Policy makers and practitioners can utilize findings to bring about ethical, effective, and efficient public service in Nigeria. Other nations can learn from the Nigerian experience of unrestricted gift giving in the public sector.