Sustainable Development Strategy as a Paradigm for Social and Cultural Stability

The issue of sustainable development of the world and individual countries has advanced since the 1970s, and its relevance is still growing. Globalization, digitalization, stratification of society, and poverty problems cause the need for research and practical steps to implement sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development has been transformed and expanded in several UN documents published from the 1980s to the present, all of which are analyzed in this research. The authors considered the main guidelines of the Russian Federation for maintaining social and cultural stability. The findings of this research are based on a secondary analysis of empirical data obtained from international and nationwide surveys on sustainable development and its goals conducted among the populations of various countries and representatives of Russian small and medium-sized businesses. The authors also conducted a comparative analysis of the importance of Sustainable Development Goals for Russians and the population of other countries. Significant attention is also paid to the social responsibility of business. The authors state that it is important to consider the opinion of the population, employees, and employers of companies involved in sustainable development. Based on the analysis, the authors conclude that Russians are not ready to share the responsibility for implementing Sustainable Development Goals; they authorize government bodies at various levels.