PERCEPTION OF CORRUPTION BY RESIDENTS OF PENZA REGION 

Yurasov Igor' Alekseevich, Doctor of sociological sciences, associate professor, professor of sub-department of public administration and regional sociology, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia); director of the Center of Applied Research, Institute of Regional Development of Penza region (40 Popova street, Penza, Russia), jurassow@mail.ru
Kosharnyy Valeriy Pavlovich, Doctor of philosophy, professor, head of sub-department of philosophy, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), dep-ph@pnzgu.ru
Yurasova Ol'ga Nikolaevna, Associate professor, sub-department of English language, Penza State University (40 Krasnaya street, Penza, Russia), jurassow@mail.ru

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Background. The problem of corruption is currently becoming a systemic one. It covers more spheres of social life of Russians, penetrating into areas which it has not been typical for previously. State authorities are adopting more laws and legal regulations, but it is still impossible to tackle corruption by legal methods in the current conditions. To counteract this negative phenomenon it is necessary to learn about the causes of corruption and the attitude of the majority of Russian citizens to corrupt practices. The executive bodies of state power indicate a reducing level of corruption at the state and municipal services. But it remains strong in health-care systems, secondary and higher education. The sociological measurement of corruption, of course, is important for taking effective measures to combat this negative social phenomenon. The Purpose of the work is to reveal the attitude of Penza region residents to corruption in various spheres of life.
Materials and methods. The study used massive and expert interviews, as well as in-depth interviews.
Results. The study revealed a specific attitude of the population of Penza region to corrupt practices.
Conclusions. The study revealed a generally positive attitude of the population of Penza and Penza region to corruption, especially at the low, everyday level. According to the survey, people of the region themselves often are the initiators of bribery.

corruption, bribery, corruption cause, sociological assessment of corruption, types of corruption.

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