Values are defined on definitions suggested by M. Rokeach in 1970-s as ‘enduring, deeply internalized, and abstract beliefs that guide, justify, or explain opinions, attitudes, and behavior of people” [Rokeach, 1973].

 

Values are studied using Schwartz Value scale which includes 10 value dimensions: security, tradition, conformity, stimulation, self-direction, hedonism, achievement, power, benevolence and universalism. Each of these dimensions is measured by questions-indicators (21 items in total).

To study the different types of social identities in societies and their dynamic the survey includes questions about ethnic, civic and religious identities. In European tradition a lot of attention is given to traditional civic and new European identities. In Russia the major focus is the national and ethnic identities. The survey includes questions about the level of religiosity and belonging to religious denomination, native language, country of origins, citizenship, country of parent’s origins and ethnic identification. Starting from wave 8 the question about emotional attachment to the country was included.

The survey measures the achieved level of general and professional education and number of years spent in the education.

Other characteristics included in the survey are the position in the labor relations, profession, size and type of employer, industry, level of autonomy and managerial functions. The profession of respondents are asked as open-ended question and then coded in International classification of socio-professional status ISCO-08 which can also be recoded into the variable of social class and professional prestige scale (Ericsson-Goldthorpe class schema [Tillmann, 2020].

 

To account for household characteristics, the survey includes information about profession and employment position of the partner of respondent, social-demographic characteristics of all household members. Questions about social origin of respondent – profession and education of parents in time of respondent socialization provide the data to study the sources of human capital, life chances of people with different social origin and estimate intergenerational mobility.

 

Questions about marriage status, official and non-officially registered relations, the results of former relations (divorces, separations, widow) are included to evaluate the changes in the marriage structure, durability relations, social characteristics of partners.

The basic part of the questionnaire contains the questions about interpersonal trust and frequency of social contacts.

Indicators which describe the relations between citizens and government, political system include questions about interest in politics, the subjective political efficacy and competence, the attachment to political ideology (left-right scale), party preferences and party attachment. The behavior aspects are measured by the participation in different forms of political actions – electoral as well as non-electoral. The evaluation of governing performance is done using the questions about satisfaction with the state of economy, health services and state of education, and also evaluation of the performance of the government, functioning of democracy in general. In addition the confidence in political, state, civic and international institutions are included.

The core questions include social attitudes in relations to different groups – homosexuals, migrants and migrations, opinions about the policy to reduce economic inequality. Since wave 8, the core module includes questions about the attitudes toward climate change. As integrated indicators of social wellbeing the survey includes questions about the satisfaction with life as a whole and level of happiness.

The survey studies social insecurity in several domains: in labor relations (questions about the experience of unemployment, the type of labor contract), material provision and wellbeing, state of health, social ties and physical safety. It also asks about discrimination experience and the reasons of discrimination.

The survey provides information to analyze the impact of mass media on forming the attitudes and values of population, political and social identities. The questionnaire includes questions about the usages of traditional media (television, radio, newspapers) and new media (Internet).