LAWS OF CONSUMPTION UNDER SOCIAL-ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

Objective: Scientific grounding of theoretical-methodological approaches to the essence of consumption and revealing the main laws of consumption inte modern Russian economy. Methods: Systemic and structural-level approaches, methods of logical, comparative and statistical analysis were used in the work. Results: basing on the study and summarizing various concepts of consumption theories, the individualistic and holistic approaches to this problem are marked out. The puposefullness of research of consumption relations are grounded by various features: by the functional role in reproduction process, in labor force reproduction and by levels of implementation. Scientific novelty: The corrective and implementative functions of consumption relations are revealed. It is proved that the distributional relations fulfill the stimulating function most fully if the consumption relations are perfect. The features of consumption behaviour are revealed under transformation economy, among which is consumption polarization towards its elitarization and pauperization. Thus, for one part of the population “the survival behaviour” is characteristic, while elite consumption is characteristic for the most well-to-do part. Practical value: The presented theoretical conclusions and proposals can serve as the theoretical-methodological basis for further research of the content and forms of state regulation of the modern Russian economy.