Reciprocity and Patron-Clientelism as Forms of an Institution of Mutual Assistance Network in Villages of the Republic of Tatarstan

Abstract

The sustainability of the rural world of the Republic of Tatarstan today largely depends on the development and functioning of the institution of network mutual assistance. I attempt to study the situation, making use of network theories in sociology as well as concepts of reciprocal and patron-client relationships as key aspects in the reproduction of mutual assistance networks. Drawing on field interviews collected in various villages of Tatarstan, I examine the actors and practices of mutual assistance in reciprocal and patron-client rural relationships and argue for the necessity of further support and development of mutual assistance networks in rural areas as a way of securing collective mutual insurance in an unstable economic situation.