Innovative Practices as a Factor of Transformation of the Rural Everyday Life

The paper addresses the social consequences of dissemination of innovative practices in the contemporary rural society. The focus is made on the impact of dissemination of information and computer technologies on the processes of social differentiation, including the processes of elimination of the "digital inequality" among individual social strata of the rural population. The paper is based on the results of the sociological surveys of the processes of proliferation of and familiarization with innovation practices in local rural communities conducted by the Institute of Agrarian Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences in one of the Russian regions (Saratov's oblast) in 2010-2011 with personal involvement of the author. The analysis of the obtained empirical information enabled to identify the features of dissemination of individual innovative practices, high-tech goods and services in local rural communities; to form the basic social groups differentiated by the intensity of use of innovative practices in the fields of production, consumption and leisure; make a comparative analysis of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of these groups, their lifestyle and employment strategies; to describe the different models of innovative behavior of the rural population. The author pays particular attention to drawing a portrait of the rural Internet user. It is found out that Internet users are the most active social group of rural population demonstrating a high level of professional education and innovative culture. They know how to derive social and economic benefits from new technologies and knowledge. The deepening "digital inequality" among local rural communities cannot be overcome only through providing technical and economic access to new technologies. All population groups and strata should have equal opportunities of acquiring the new proficiencies and skills they need to familiarize themselves with innovative technologies.