Science Cities as Small Towns in Russia: Does the Status of a City Affect Public Engagement?

Abstract

The article presents a sociological approach to the study of science cities, which allows defining the place and role of individuals and social groups in the urban space in its broadest sense, including the space of social relations and subjective meanings. The purpose of the study is a sociological understanding of the science city phenomenon by revealing patterns between the perception of the socio-economic situation of the city, the level of civic engagement of the population, and territorial identity. The author analyses the dual nature of the science city, which embraces the concepts of “city” and “science”. The concept of “city” allows attributing science cities to small cities or a single-industry cities and comparing its status with the status of a closed administrative-territorial entities, as well as utopian models of a social city and a garden city. As science becomes the backbone of the science city economy, this type of city is comparable to the so-called development areas. At the same time, the study shows that the attention of the state is focused on the development of innopolises, and science cities are perceived as a legacy of a past era.

To analyze the perception of the status of science cities from the perspective of representatives of government, business, and the public, the author conducted an expert survey in the cities of Protvino and Pushchino, Moscow Region (May—June 2021). The study revealed a low expert assessment of the socio-economic situation of their cities and its dynamics. Despite they recognize the relatively high level of the development of social infrastructure, the prospects for employment of young people are assessed negatively, which leads to the break of scientific dynasties and the search for work in larger cities. As a result, the science city is turning into a sleeping quarter without a characteristic “scientific” identity, which neither the authorities nor business seek to develop. According to the study, the level of social activity among the science cities residents remains low, while scientists, according to representatives of other target groups, do not play a special role in maintaining the specifics of the socio-cultural space of the city and do not influence public opinion. In conclusion, the author proposes three scenarios for the development of science cities, considering their internal resources and competitiveness potential.