Challenges and prospects for the development of social entrepreneurship in Russia

Abstract

The relevance of the problem concerning the development of social entrepreneurship in Russia considered in the article is determined by the increasing social difficulties that the state cannot tackle. The standard of living in Russia is declining, whereas unemployment and social tension are rising. The low efficiency of the methods utilized in solving social problems, the growing number of needy citizens and increasing social needs have led to the emergence of social entrepreneurship - a new form of socially oriented activities. That is why it is necessary to study and popularize the practices of social entrepreneurship. Therefore, in this article, the authors aim to develop proposals that would promote these activities that are imperative to Russia. The research involves a sociological study of youth awareness regarding social entrepreneurship. It also aims to determine the immediate prospects for the development of these ideas. The authors explore the development of social entrepreneurship in the Russian Federation as an innovative way to solve social problems through businesses. For instance, the article justifies the need for and proposes effective ways of promoting social entrepreneurship among Russian youth. Moreover, it identifies effective sources of financing social activity within the business framework. The study revealed that most students do not differentiate social entrepreneurship from charity. Concurrently, they are not ignorant of the idea of helping other people. In such conditions when the state provides no support, crowdfunding and crowdinvesting become the most appropriate ways to finance social projects. Besides that, the mass media, public service awards and the system of higher and additional education can significantly increase the number of young people involved in socialentrepreneurship, which indicates the practical significance of the research findings