This article cites the results of a comparative analysis of the dynamics of economic-social, material-property, self-identification and leisure-recreational inequality criteria during the years 2011-2013 among the population of Bryansk, Lipetsk and Orel provinces. The population of each of these three regions is unsatisfied with the socio-economic situation. The amount of unsatisfied people among the population has increased by 5% during the period in question. The majority of the population considers that the socio-economic situation is not changing at all. Despite such assessments, and despite the generally negative dynamics of satisfaction with the socio-economic situation in the region, many respondents are hoping to improve their own well-being during the next year. In 2013 optimistic expectations have decreased insignificantly compared to 2011, the amount of pessimistic expectations have seriously decreased in two years, while the amount of conservative expectations have noticeably increased. Such contradictory results confirm the appropriateness of utilizing a multidimensional hierarchical approach, which became the basis for this study, since when we analyze the dynamics of social inequality based on various criteria we cannot obtain a comprehensive social portrait of inequality. Using a multidimensional hierarchical approach as a basis, a social portrait of inequality for the regional population was composed. As a result of analyzing its structure, identified were social groups which are unequal compared to one another in terms of material-property, socio-professional and self-identification criteria: the lowest group is called “extremely dysfunctional”; the below-average group – “dysfunctional”; the average group – “partially fortunate”; the above-average group – “fortunate”; and the highest group – “the most fortunate”.

social inequality, social stratification, stratification criteria, social expectations, living standards, social profile.

Aleksejonok A. A., Kaira Y. V., Baranochnikov V. A. Social'noe neravenstvo i social'naja napriazhionnost' [Social Inequality and Social Tensions: Scientific Monograph]. Oriol, RANEPA publ., 2016. 244 p.

Golenkova Z. T. Izbrannye trudy [Selected Works]. Moscow, Novy khronograph, 2014. 343 p.

Gorshkov M. K. Obschestvennye neravenstva kak obieckt sociologicheskogo analiza [Social Inequality as an Object of Sociological Analysis]. Sociologicheskie issledovanija, 2014, no 7, pp. 20–31.

Gorshkov M. K. Rossiyskoe obschestvo kak ono est': opyt sociologicheskoy diagnostiki [Russian Society as it is: the Experience of Sociological Diagnosis]. Moscow, Novy khronograph, 2011. 672 p