Nuclear Industry in the Eyes of Russians: Trust and Its Determinants
https://doi.org/10.22394/2074-0492-2024-4-103-134
Abstract
Over the past decade, there has been growing positive interest in nuclear technologies as a sustainable source of clean electricity for the West and as a factor of industrial and social growth in Southeast Asia. Both developed and developing countries face the need to meet growing energy consumption needs, which is especially difficult in the context of gas market shocks and large-scale green transition plans. The social dimension of this problem, especially in the reactor-building countries, often remains “behind the scenes”. Russia is one of the oldest countries with a powerful nuclear plant system, but even here the public’s attitude to the “peaceful atom” is ambiguous. Socio-political radiophobia has accompanied the development of the nuclear industry since at least the Chernobyl accident, and sociological publications that would topicalize the mood of Russian citizens, their level of anxiety and trust in nuclear energy are still sparse. The article examines Russians’ perception of nuclear technology in general and specifically regarding the “Development of Engineering, Technologies and Scientific Research in the Use of Nuclear Energy in the Russian Federation” (DETSR) program and the Rosatom state corporation’s activities. Based on two waves of representative surveys conducted in April-May 2023-2024, we assess the factors that contribute to the formation of trust in the industry. Using factor regression analysis, structural equations, and nonparametric tests, we outline a demographic profile of a Russian “nuclear optimist” — such optimism being typical primarily for the well-off segments of the population. A key role in the interpretation is given to the awareness factor, the increase of which (in the long term) should smooth out the inequality in support for the industry. The issue of (dis)trust in the state and its impact on this support is also discussed.
About the Authors
I. A. Ankudinov
Rosatom ; National Research University Higher School of Economics
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Ivan A. Ankudinov — chief specialist, postgraduate student of the Doctoral School of Political Science
Moscow
R. N. Abramov
National Research University Higher School of Economics; Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Roman N. Abramov — Dr. Sci. (Soc.), Professor at the School of Sociology of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Leading Research Fellow at the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, Leading Research Fellow at the Department of Theory and History of Sociology, Institute of Sociology
Moscow
References
1. Vorontsov N. (2024) Participation of Far Eastern Scientists in the Discussion about the Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant in the Khabarovsk Territory (Late 1980s — Early 1990s). Proceedings of theFEB RAS Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnology, 45: 181-202. — in Russ. https://doi.org/10.24412/2658-5960-2024-45-181-202
2. Golovikhina O., Gorin N., Igin I., Medyantsev N. (2021) A Dialogue between State Atomic Energy Corporation “Rosatom” and Civil Society: Key Initiatives and Challenges. Moscow University Bulletin. Series 12. Political Science, (3): 78-97. — in Russ. EDN: IAMWXT.
3. Golovikhina O. (2021) Developing Constructive Interaction with the Stakeholders and Public (the Example of the Nuclear Industry of Russia). Russian Social and Humanitarian Journal, (4): 49-61. — in Russ. EDN: YMMCAV. https://doi.org/10.18384/2224-0209-2021-4-1099
4. Gorin N., Abramova N., Nechaeva S., Golovikhina O. (2021) Fostering Respectful Attitudetowards Nuclear Industry. Public Administration. E-Journal, (87): 7-18. — in Russ. EDN: RAMYNW. https://doi.org/10.24412/2070-1381-2021-87-7-18
5. Gorin N., Golovikhina O., Glazov Y., Ekidin A., Nechaeva S. (2021) Awareness- Raising as a Tool in Developing the Atomic Industry. Public Administration. E-Journal, (85): 6-24. — in Russ. EDN: LTHTJZ. https://doi.org/10.24412/2070-1381-2021-85-6-24\
6. Zhuravlev A., Kitova D. (2020) Attitude Towards Nuclear Energy of Twitter Users. “Knowledge. Understanding. Skill” Journal, (4): 210-225. — in Russ. EDN: CCCESZ. — in Russ.
7. Kahneman D., Slovic P., Tversky A. (2005) Judgment under Uncertainty. Heuristics and Biases, Kharkiv: Institute of Applied Psychology “Humanitarian centre” Publishing House. — in Russ.
8. Klimova A., Artamonov G., Chmel K. (2021) Measuring Political Knowledge: Development and Testing the Scale in Russia. Sociology: methodology, methods, mathematical modeling (Sociology: 4M), (52): 61-94. — in Russ. EDN: ARWFHV. https://doi.org/10.19181/4m.2021.52.3
9. Maksimova S., Akulich M., Pit V. (2018) Social Mood in the Regions of Nuclear Power Plants. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Studies], (4): 118-126. — in Russ. EDN: ORXQGX. https://doi.org/10.7868/S013216251804013X
10. Nikishina E., Pripuzova N. (2022) Institutional Trust as a Factor in Attitudes toward New Technologies. Journal of Institutional Studies, 14 (2): 22-35. — in Russ. EDN: JJZWWX. https://doi.org/10.17835/2076-6297.2022.14.2.022-035
11. Popov A. (2019) “The Crimea and the Nuclear Power Plant are Incompatible!”: Protest Ecological Movement in the Second Half of the 1980s and Mobilization of the Regional Community. Perm University Herald. History, 45 (2): 122-131. — in Russ. EDN: QYSDWH. https://doi.org/10.17072/2219-3111-2019-2-122-131
12. Steptchenko T. (2014) Public Perception of the Nuclear Power Development (by the example of Rostov-on-Don Nuclear Power Plant). Practical Marketing, 7 (209): 35-40. — in Russ. EDN: QLLJAG.
13. Bisconti A. S. (2018) Changing public attitudes toward nuclear energy. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 102: 103-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.07.002
14. Bollen K. A., Pearl J. (2013) Eight myths about causality and structural equation models.Handbook of Causal Analysis for Social Research. Dordrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6094-3_15
15. Choi Y. S., Kim J. S., Lee B. W. (2000) Public’s perception and judgment on nuclear power. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 27 (4): 295-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4549(99)00056-0
16. Chung W., Yeung I. M. H. (2013) Attitudes of Hong Kong residents toward the Daya Bay nuclear power plant. Energy Policy, 62: 1172-1186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2013.07.081
17. Contu D., Mourato S. (2020) Complementing choice experiment with contingent valuation data: Individual preferences and views towards IV generation nuclear energy in the UK. Energy Policy, 136: 111032. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2019.111032
18. Corner A., Venables D., Spence A., Poortinga W., Demski C., Pidgeon N. (2011) Nuclear power, climate change and energy security: Exploring British public attitudes. Energy Policy, 39 (9): 4823-4833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2011.06.037
19. Durdovic M., Turcanu C., Sala R., Geysmans R., López-Asensio S., Gonçalves L. (2024) The outlooks of nuclear energy in society: Unraveling public attitudes in the context of climate and energy security challenges. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 174: 105286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2024.105286
20. Goodfellow M. J., Williams H. R., Azapagic A. (2011) Nuclear renaissance, public perception and design criteria: An exploratory review. Energy Policy, 39 (10): 6199- 6210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2011.06.068
21. Goodfellow M. J., Dewick P., Wortley J., Azapagic A., Goodfellow M. J. (2015) Public perceptions of design options for new nuclear plants in the UK. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 94: 72-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2014.12.008
22. Greenhalgh C., Azapagic A. (2009) Review of drivers and barriers for nuclear power in the UK. Environmental Science & Policy, 12 (7): 1052-1067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2009.07.006
23. Iqbal M., Moss R., Van Woerden I. (2022) Peoples’ Perception towards Nuclear Energy. Energies, 15 (12): 4397. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15124397
24. Kardooni R., Yusoff S. B., Kari F. B. (2016) Renewable energy technology acceptance in Peninsular Malaysia. Energy Policy, 88: 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.10.005
25. Liu C., Zhang Z., Kidd S. (2008) Establishing an objective system for the assessment of public acceptance of nuclear power in China. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 238 (10): 2834-2838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2008.04.001
26. Mah D. N., Hills P., Tao J. (2014) Risk perception, trust and public engagement in nuclear decision-making in Hong Kong. Energy Policy, 73: 368-390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2014.05.019
27. Pellizzone A., Allansdottir A., De Franco R., Muttoni G., Manzella A. (2015) Exploring public engagement with geothermal energy in southern Italy: a case study. Energy Policy, 85: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2015.05.002
28. Poortinga W., Pidgeon N., Lorenzoni I., Poortinga W. (2006) Public perceptions of nuclear power, climate change and energy options in Britain: summary findings of a survey conducted during October and November 2005. Understanding Risk Working Paper 06-02, Norwich: Centre for Environmental Risk.
29. Roh S., Lee J. W. (2017) Differentiated influences of risk perceptions on nuclear power acceptance according to acceptance targets: Evidence from Korea. Nuclear Engineering and Technology, 49 (5): 1090-1094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.net.2017.04.005
30. Slovic P., Flynn J., Mertz C. K., Poumadère M., Mays C. (2000) Nuclear power and the public: A comparative study of risk perception in France and the United States. Cross-Cultural Risk Perception: A Survey of Empirical Studies, Boston: Springer .https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4891-8_2
31. Uslaner E. M. (2018) The study of trust. The Oxford Handbook of Social and Political Trust, NY: OUP.
32. Van der Meer T., Hakhverdian A. (2017) Political trust as the evaluation of process and performance: A cross-national study of 42 European countries. Political Studies, 65 (1): 81-102. https://doi.org/10.1177/0032321715607514
33. Wang S., Wang J., Lin S., Li J. (2019) Public perceptions and acceptance of nuclear energy in China: The role of public knowledge, perceived benefit, perceived risk and public engagement. Energy Policy, 126: 352-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2018.11.040
34. Webber D. J. (1982) Is nuclear power just another environmental issue? An analysis of California voters. Environment and Behavior, 14(1): 72-83. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916582141004
35. Wisnubroto D. S., Ruslan R., Irawan D., Erni T. (2019) Public opinion survey on nuclear energy in Indonesia. Understanding public perception on nuclear power plant program. AIP Conference Proceedings 2180, 020042-1–020042-9, Maryland: AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5135551
36. Wu H., Huang L., Yuan L., Wang D. W., Wang S. (2021) Young Chinese people’s perceptions of nuclear power: Connection with enthusiasm for information, perceptions of nuclear reactor technology and NIMBY. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 141: 103964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnucene.2021.103964
37. Wu Y. (2017) Public acceptance of constructing coastal/inland nuclear power plants in post-Fukushima China. EnergyPolicy, 101: 484-491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2016.11.008
Review
For citations:
Ankudinov I.A., Abramov R.N. Nuclear Industry in the Eyes of Russians: Trust and Its Determinants. Sociology of Power. 2024;36(4):103-134. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22394/2074-0492-2024-4-103-134
Views:
382
Email this article 