Management of social infrastructure as the formation factor for the migration behavior of the South Ossetia rural population

Abstract

The article describes indicators of the population dynamics and the demographic processes affecting it in South Ossetia in the context of the city-village. In the sphere the issue of intensive outflow of population from the villages of the republic is particularly acute. With the help of sociological research, main reasons for that negative process were identified. Among the reasons mentioned by the respondents, the underdevelopment of the village’s social infrastructure often appears. We have analyzed the level of provision of basic social infrastructure facilities for the rural population of the republic and their impact on the intensity of population outflow by administrative districts and village sizes. Against the background of the general underdevelopment of the social sphere, a particularly difficult situation is recorded in sparsely populated villages. The study showed that the number of sparsely populated villages is growing annually. The main reasons are: the deformed age and social structure of the population, the disrupted settlement system, etc., which is a serious obstacle to social and economic development of the village and the region as a whole.

In order to identify the factors and reasons for the intensive outflow of the rural population of South Ossetia, sociological surveys were conducted in 1980, 2010 and 2020. A comparative analysis of the results of those surveys and the data obtained from rural administrations is conducted for the first time.