Ideologies in the Discourses of Academic Economists (Based on Focus Group Data)

This article examines ideologies in the discourse of Russia’s academic community of economists. Drawing on the Schumpeterian tradition, ideology is conceptualized as an irreducible “pre-scientific cognitive act” that shapes both economic modelling and the content of educational curricula. The empirical material consists of three focus groups conducted between April and June 2026 with 24 members of the academic community representing six federal districts of Russia. The focus-group transcripts were analysed using latent thematic analysis aimed at identifying respondents’ implicit value orientations, conceptual frameworks, and the organizing meanings embedded in their statements. The analysis of the focus-group transcripts identified six themes: ideological commitment versus scientific neutrality; identity and the search for a “special path”; the boundaries of state intervention and ideology; economic and technological sovereignty; the evolution of the academic environment and economics education; and ideology and the internationalization of economics. The findings show that focus-group participants generally do not regard ideology solely as an external distorting influence on science. Rather, they understand ideology simultaneously as an unavoidable framework of economic inquiry, a potential source of constraints, and a possible stimulus for the development of new research agendas. The discourse of economists is characterized not by isolated ideological positions, but by combinations of different ideal types of ideology. The study opens new avenues for investigating the influence of ideological factors on the development of scholarly schools and educational practices. It underscores the need for further research into the ideological foundations of economic knowledge, the advancement of theoretical pluralism, and the expansion of dialogue among different strands of Russian economic thought.