A ban on science?

The Ministry of Justice of St. Petersburg ordered the Center for Independent Sociological Research ( CNSI) from St. Petersburg until April 20 to register as the so- called foreign agent. The agent’s criteria are named in the law baked by the State Duma- receiving funding from the border and at the same time engaging in “political activity”. In case of refusal, the Ministry of Justice himself will bring the Central House of Sciences to the appropriate register, while the center is threatened by huge cash fines for refusing to make this voluntarily.

TsNSI was created a quarter of a century ago. In the late 1980s, several employees of the Academy of Sciences, not satisfied with the conditions and possibilities of studying quick social changes in society, created a new (non-state and non-profit) research organization. The word "independent" in the name is a monument of that era. It was important to emphasize that we do not serve the interests of the state (as Soviet sociology did). Our studies claimed openness, professionalism and compliance with the criteria of scientificity and ethics adopted in the global sociological community.

TsNSI quickly grew up in a significant research organization with his face and achieved international recognition in the professional community. Today, it includes more than 20 researchers. Almost all of them belong to the post -Soviet generations (the unspoken rule of affiliation with the center at the dawn of its existence was a demand for knowledge of languages ​​and “not a single day of work in Soviet sociology”). Employees of the Central Administrative District adhere to constructivist positions, work within the framework of understanding sociology and have made a serious contribution to the development of qualitative research methods (unlike the quantitatively dominated until recently). The most advanced studies were in the areas of migration, ethnicity, city, gender, borders, social aspects of ecology, economics and law.

In 2000, the TsNSI received the medal of the German-Russian forum for his contribution to the preparation of the young generation of sociologists, and in 2009 the fund of J. and K. Makarturov handed the center a prestigious prize as one of the most creative and effective institutions in the world. CNSI not only conducts serious research (on average about 30 projects annually), organizes conferences, and actively publishes the results of the work. It also plays the role of a resource center, creating the conditions for the research work of Russian and foreign scientists, for the development of international networks, internships of young scientists, promoting civilian initiatives. The sixth year, the authoritative in the international community, established by the Center, the Laboratory Journal of Social Research ( www.soclabo.org ).

The states have borders. Science has no state borders. Employees of the Central Construction Center conduct many research together with scientists of various countries, including abroad. The support of our work is provided by many charity scientific funds around the world. For a quarter century, the center exists almost exclusively on international grants. Of course, a grant existence is largely uncomfortable. But this is a happy fate - to do your favorite thing with people who are interesting and pleasant to you.

Sociology is a reflective science in essence. An independent (= non -state!) Sociologist explores society from a critical perspective. He does not flatter the authorities to be eager, even if he invites them to get acquainted with the results of his research. But the sociologist and official compete for symbolic capital in the same field. Therefore, the official strives for the national state of sociology. He does not like to have an uncontrolled scientific group under his nose, without his knowledge developing instruments of public control.

This, in our opinion, was the main reason for the persecution of such uncontrolled (independent) organizations on the part of the state. Getting grants of foreign funds, we not only engage in science and develop it, but also publish the results of research that can be interesting and useful to the general public (including the state). No self -respecting fund, focused on supporting scientific research, of course, does not dictate what these results should be (but this is often required by our state institutions when financing research, censorship restrictions are imposed on the contractor, he is forced to self -censor!). In these conditions, if the Russian sociologist is forced to be someone's “agent”, then only Russian.

Of course, every scientist has a certain civil position. But the professionalism of the sociologist is that he knows how to distance himself from his civic position, skillfully reflect it. Sociological and political activities are incompatible.

The worst of all. Since practically any public activity is announced to our scientific activity (and politics in Russia today is announced), this means a ban on professional activities to a disloyal state to researchers. TsNSI is charged with politics, since it is equated, for example, the study of political processes (and what else should political sociology explore?! Or, God forbid, political science?). Claims of ignorant (or cynical?) Officials were presented, for example, to the report of our employee “Russian trade unions in search of levers of political influence” read at the scientific conference.

According to the Ministry of Justice, we are engaged in politics when we study the social, cultural or educational policy (the very mention of the word “politician” is already declared an act of unauthorized (and hostile) invasion in the region, allegedly only state, and recommendations on the possible improvement of the situation become, according to the logic of the Ministry of Justice, an act of pressure on the state “according to the order of some hostile funds "). And we are not just exploring, but also allow us to critically treat it. Thus, officials can declare almost any social research political activities, and if foreign financing there is a scientific organization may be ranked to “foreign agents”. Or it may not be considered if it correctly emphasizes its loyalty. And from this, the stigma will not even save the clarification of the Constitutional Court that the scientific organization does not fall under the action of this anti -constitutional law.

Already at least three research organizations are inscribed in a shameful register. Among the first, according to the far -fetched and absurd grounds, a well -known and authoritative center of social policy and gender research (Saratov) was introduced into it. This research center was tortured and forced to liquidate. About a month ago, the Center for Civil Analysis and Independent Studies of the City from Perm and the Samara Center for Gender Studies was included in the register.

This is not to say that the decision of the Ministry of Justice was a complete surprise for us. Until recently, the checks of the checks were not significant for us, but our last open statement about the attitude to the law on foreign agents (this text, as well as a copy of the Ministry of Justice’s instruction, can be viewed on the website of the Central Department Store www.cisr.ru ) caused severe irritation, which one of the officials informally hinted to us.

What follows from attributing the status of "Foreign Agent"? Everywhere we will have to demonstrate this “yellow star”. Control over the center will intensify, reports will significantly complicate and increase, new expenses will come, etc. However, the most sad thing is that access to the field will become more complicated. Schools, hospitals, governing bodies, etc. will become inaccessible to empirical research. It can be assumed that part of ordinary citizens will be suspected of "foreign agents" with suspicion.

What are we going to do? Naturally, to continue to do your professional business - to explore. At the same time, we will dispute the warning of the Ministry of Justice. They will bring it to the register - we will dispute this decision in court. We do not really believe in victory and prepare for further repression (for example, exorbitant fines), but we use our civil rights to the end. As Antonio Gramsha said, you need to be able to combine the pessimism of the mind with the optimism of the will. There are still very few experience with “foreign agents” (there are 48 of them in the register). So we will investigate what it means to be an “agent”, in our own skin. And at the same time develop the method of auto -ethnography.