Social functions of rural farmers (on the example of the Altai Region)

The article focuses on the social functions of rural farmers. The significance of this perspective is determined by the possibilities of revaluating social processes in the contemporary Russian countryside. Features of rural life predetermine various options for rural farmers to support villagers. The article aims at identifying those social groups and communities that can take an active part in everyday rural life, thus, changing the value system of the village and affecting the consequences of alienation and disunity. The theoretical analysis allowed the author to define rural farmers are a social-professional group with specific value priorities which lead to its active participation in the life of rural society. Such an involvement in solving the problems of rural settlements is of both social-economic and moral nature (help, support, responsibility). The article considers the heuristic potential of the concept ‘social function’ in assessing the role of farmers in the daily life of Russian villages. The author conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers in the Altai Region - to identify the key social functions associated with the activities of the representatives of this social-professional group. The author interviewed 66 male farmers of different age to assess their actions for consolidating the villagers, supporting people in difficult life situations, and expanding cooperation with the local government to solve the most important tasks of rural settlements. Based on the empirical data, the author identifies a number of social functions of farmers, which explain the features and directions of their activities in the development of Russian villages.