What Russians think about a career in science

Accepting the importance of S&T development for Russia, most of the country’s residents believe a career in science wouldn’t be the best choice for their children. Only a third of the Russians would support their child’s decision to become a researcher. This was discovered by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge through the opinion poll covering 1 670 respondents, conducted in November, 2014 as part of the Monitoring innovation behaviour of the population project.

A vast majority of Russians accept the importance of S&T development. 84% of the country’s residents believe science and technology make life easier and more comfortable. Almost the same share (83%) see that progress of science and new technologies open wide opportunities for next generations. 72% of the Russians think that researchers’ work is very important: they agreed with the statement that scientists are selfless people who work for the benefit of the humankind.

At the same time, 57% of the respondents believe scientists are “peculiar” people, and according to 42%, they earn less than members of other professions with a similar workload. Researchers’ work is seen as boring and also dangerous by 53% and 52% of the Russians, respectively; scientists have no fun (50%), and no interests other than work (45%).

Many Russians see the choice of a career in science as not the best possible decision: only about a third of the respondents (32%) would be happy if their son or daughter decided to become a researcher. Almost the same share (29%) wouldn’t welcome such a choice by their child. To compare, in China, 36% of parents would support their children’s intention to build a career in science, while in the US and Israel, the shares are much higher – 80% and 77%, respectively.

Who approves of a career in science most strongly?

Russians who have any kind of connection with the world of science show a more positive attitude to a research career than other population groups. E.g. among those who have contacts with scientists or post-graduate students (10% of the whole sample), practically every second respondent (45%) would welcome their child’s choice of a career in science. Among those interested in science (people who regularly follow science news, discuss scientific discoveries with their friends, etc. – 16% of the sample), 52% would be happy if they child would like to become a researcher.

Stereotypes about researchers’ work and attitude to children’s career choice

The poll results show that Russians’ opinions about the nature of researchers’ work is not the decisive factor of their attitude to their children’s choice of career in science. Even among those who’d support such career, many share negative stereotypes about researchers’ work. The same is true for the groups of Russians interested in science and socialising with scientists (see the table below).

Table. Prevalence of stereotypes about researchers’ work in different population groups (% of the number of respondents in relevant groups)

		All respondents			Wouldn’t welcome child’s career in science			Would welcome child’s career in science			Personally know researchers			Interested in science
	A. I would find researcher’s work boring	53			63			47			43			43
	B. Researchers have less fun than other people	50			58			52			47			44
	C. Researchers have few interests in life apart from their work	45			54			47			42			49
	D. Researchers earn less than members of other professions with a similar workload	42			47			39			39			43

The authors of the study suggest that emergence of such stereotype opinions about the nature of researchers’ work and their lifestyle was largely affected by the media and cinema, while on the other hand, the image of socially redundant scientist could emerge in the public opinion due to the R&D funding cuts in the 1990s, the subsequent decline of research work prestige, and the outflow of human recourses from the sector.

What could make a career in science look more attractive?

The public opinion may change when a large number of successful research career examples is accumulated, the authors of the monitoring study believe. This primarily requires improvement of researchers’ work conditions. However, the authors think that promotion of science and its results in the society would be even more important. A career in science would look more attractive in people’s eyes if they were deeper involved in the popular science culture. The more often Russians would go to science museums, watch popular science shows, attend popular lectures, and meet scientists, the higher the probability they’d welcome their children’s choice of a career in science – because they’d see it not just socially important, but interesting and rewarding as well.

By Elena Chernovich