| Abstract [eng] |
This research focuses on exploring, discussing, categorizing, and analyzing the culture of the FSB emphasizing behavior that may impact the agencies informal goals. This thesis seeks to gather cultural data from a variety of sources and then analyzing that data through cultural analysis in order to determine whether or not the data gathered has an impact on the FSBs ability to maintain goals. Additionally, this thesis will determine whether the data gathered, that is determined to have influence, has a positive or negative effect on FSB behavior. Therefore, this thesis is concerned with understanding the cultural aspects that influence the FSBs behavior and goals. The purpose of this research is to bridge the gap between researching the FSB with a focus on actions and understanding the cultural aspects behind the agency’s behavior. While many authors have written about and discussed the FSBs behavior in conjunction with specific actions this research aims to understand how the FSB attains and maintains its informal goals. Informal goals being the goals that are not codified by Russian law but are vital for the FSB to maintain in order to remain relevant within the Russian security apparatus. The informal goals that will be analyzed for the purpose of this research are as follows: 1) Maintain the current security apparatus hierarchy with the FSB at the top; 2) Maintain the current regime; 3) Expand the power and influence of the FSB. Each of these goals can be found throughout the texts detailing FSB actions and should be considered informal but highly important in understanding the FSBs culturally encoded behavior and how this behavior effects the agencies informal goals. The method used for this research is the cultural topography method as way to analyze strategic culture. This method categorizes cultural data which can be gathered through both academic and non-academic sources and includes narratives, normality’s, world views, historical legacies, historical impacts, ideational goods, etc... This data is then categorized, according to the method, into four separate cultural attributes: identity, norms, values, and perceptual lens. After categorization the data will be analyzed according to its category to determine whether or not the data has an impact on FSB goals and whether that impact is positive or negative. Then the data will be reported within each paper section with the results of either positive or negative impacts towards behavior and goals. The conclusions of this paper show that the cultural data does have an impact on the FSBs behavior and therefore it has an impact on the goals of the agency. The research shows that these impacts can be both positive and negative when focusing on the FSBs ability to attain and maintain agency goals. Positive impacts include the cultural trait being used as a motivating force for these goals. As well as having a cultural priority towards some goals that ensure the FSB will be resourceful when focusing on the accomplishment of those goals. However, some cultural traits have negative impacts on FSB goals; this can be due to a number of reasons including short-term benefit, distraction, and hyper-focus. At times, the culturally encoded behavior of the FSB is not beneficial towards the agencies goals and can be seen as weaknesses. |
