Vol 23, No 4 (2023)

Theory, Methodology and History of Sociological Research

Towards a cosmopolitan social theory: An epistemological inquiry

Jong A.

Abstract

The increasing significance of transnational and global phenomena determines the need in a new social theory that, while considering the particularity and unique characteristics of social phenomena, makes them scientifically meaningful on a transnational and global scale and in relation to each other. The fluid, indeterminate and multi-dimensional nature of global phenomena, which has become the basis for deep uncertainty and insecurity throughout the world, has increased the need to understand transnational and global phenomena. This made social and global studies revisit and reformulate social theory in relation to globalization and ever-increasing global interconnectedness [1; 33]. In general, there are two approaches: the revisionist approach seeks to reformulate and modify social sciences based on the new ontology of the contemporary world and referring to the roots and foundations of social sciences, especially sociology, to be reconstructed and restored [2; 17; 30; 34]; radical approaches argue that, given the historical-social background of social sciences and their epistemological-theoretical characteristics, it is impossible to modify and adapt them to the contemporary world; thereby, they strive to substitute these sciences [1; 4; 18; 23; 35-37]. The paper presents an attempt to find a balance between these two extremes, criticizing the epistemological foundations of social sciences and retrieving them from post-foundationalist philosophy, in order to develop a cosmopolitan social theory. Global cosmopolitanization and the increasing role of indeterminacy, mutual communication and interdependence of social phenomena, determine the need in a social theory that takes into account singularity and conceptualizes it in relation to transnational and global trends through concepts of fluidity and indeterminacy. The author argues that social sciences and theories are based on three epistemes - modern, national, and imperial - as the epistemological-historical foundations. Any cosmopolitan social theory needs primarily to criticize and go beyond these epistemes, which the author shows by interrogating two epistemological antinomies - universalism/singularism and essentialism/relativism. Postfoundationalism and the idea of social configurations are presented as the cores of cosmopolitan social theory, which can overcome the predicaments imposed by three epistemes and provide a solution for the above-mentioned antinomies. .

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):683-703
pages 683-703 views

Medieval urban citizenship in the West in Max Weber’s historical sociology

Dmitriev T.A.

Abstract

Recent decades in social sciences have been marked by the interest in citizenship as the most important phenomenon of the contemporary world due to its current problems associated with globalization, relations between world centers of power along the North-South and West-East lines and growing migration flows between countries and continents, and also due to the urgent, politically relevant, human rights problems. The search for solutions to these problems has led to debates in both academic circles and wider intellectual public about the extent to which the democratic model of citizenship, which historically developed in the West in modernity, can meet the new global challenges of our time. Although such debates focus on the contemporary issues of citizenship, civil rights and civic identity, they also have an important historical-sociological dimension according to Max Weber’s question formulated about a century ago: what was the universal potential of the democratic idea of citizenship that emerged in the West in the modern era, and what were the premises of this model of citizenship at the previous stages of the Western historical development? Thus, Weber considers the institution of citizenship in the broader context of comparative historical sociology which studies the difference in the paths of historical development of the West and the East. One of the closest predecessors to the modern model of citizenship in the West is medieval urban citizenship. To understand the evolution of pre-modern models of citizenship in Western Europe in the Middle Ages, Weber’s ideas remain essential in the theoretical and heuristic perspective, forming the historical sociology of ancient and medieval citizenship in his works The City and General Economic History . The article presents an attempt to reconstruct the ideal-typical model of medieval urban citizenship in Weber’s interpretation, supplementing it with some necessary materials from other relevant sources.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):704-719
pages 704-719 views

Contemporary society: the urgent issues and prospects for development

Consolidation of the Russian society under contemporary challenges: Social-historical and value contexts

Gorshkov M.K., Tyurina I.O.

Abstract

Civil identity is one of the key resources for uniting Russian society. It is based on the historical self-awareness, common historical memory, joint commemoration of significant historical events and achievements of the state and society. Civil identity of the Russian nation is concentrated around the Soviet legacy: Russian reality is filled with Soviet reminiscences and markers of historical memory, many of which act as ‘links’ for the differentiated social space. However, the Soviet period is becoming increasingly distant, full of myths and simplified interpretations. Therefore, the increased attention to the interpretation of ambiguous events of the Soviet history may cause a critical revision of the Soviet value paradigm in relation to the historical heritage and the policy of memory and become a catalyst for centrifugal sentiments, creating threats to the state security and integrity. The efficiency of state institutions and prospects of civil society structures depend on the dominant identity markers in the mass consciousness and on the most important reference groups for self-identification. Thus, the study of the historical consciousness and memory of Russians as the basic principles of national consensus and the analysis of the features of the post-crisis historical worldview of different groups in the Russian society are of particular relevance. Based on the monitoring research data from the IS FCTAS RAS surveys (conducted in 2020-2023 on the representative all-Russian regionalized quota sample; N = 2000) and an integrated approach, the authors assess the historical and value consciousness of Russians under contemporary challenges: interest in history and historical facts, perception of historical periods and leading historical figures; attitude to national history, formation of the all-Russian identity and the role of family memory in this process; a ‘new vision’ of Russia and its future, a trend to rethink the idea of change and the path of national development, understood in the mass consciousness through the original model of the world order and civilizational sovereignty; ideas about key social groups that contribute to or hinder national development, and about the tasks to be solved on the path to creating future Russia. The main conclusions of the research are presented in the article in the form of postulates.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):720-739
pages 720-739 views

Homo tolerant in the value system “essentialism - existentialism”

Belov A.A., Danilov A.N., Rotman D.G.

Abstract

The article is based on the data of the comparative sociological study of the latest wave of the EVS and WVS (2017-2022) and considers values through the opposition “essentialism - existentialism”. The authors use the methodological approach to identifying a system of values, which was developed by R. Inglehart and K. Welzel. According to the level of tolerance, 82 countries were placed on the “essentialism - existentialism” scale: in most cases, intolerance to the other is poorly differentiated. Intolerance extends to all objects that differ from the accepted standard. The authors identify two groups of indicators of tolerance - to origin (racial or ethnic) and to behavior patterns - based on correlation and factor analysis. To identify the number of factors, the authors used the procedure based on the values of the correlation matrix, then the orthogonal rotation method (varimax). The resulting model has high quality characteristics and shows a strong connection between the level of tolerance to other behavior patterns and the level of economic well-being of the country. The level of social trust also affects the level of tolerance: the higher the level of social trust, the higher the tolerance to other behavior patterns, and, on the contrary, the higher the level of distrust (disunity), the higher the level of intolerance to differences, i.e., disunity, atomization and mistrust determine intolerance to others. People supporting the existentialist principle are more tolerant to differences in the worldview, lifestyle, behavior and customs. The dominance of essentialism or existentialism in society leads to specific legal consequences, for example, in the state migration, marriage-family and religious policies. Thus, the study of tolerance allows to locate the country on the “essentialism - existentialism” scale.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):740-753
pages 740-753 views

Civilizational identity of contemporary Russia: In search for research tools

Belyaeva L.A.

Abstract

The failed catch-up development of Russia, which implied joining the ranks of developed, modernized countries, again raised the question of how much civilizational type determines either Western or one’s own path of development, and for Russia the latter means the values of collectivism and strong power. Under the confrontation between these two paths, the issues of identity (as a field of political aspirations of the elites and masses) become especially important and relevant for most post-Soviet countries which show a complex interaction of group interests and identities due to the spread of individualistic, market, predominantly rational (mostly materially interpreted) meanings of life. For Russia, this interaction has become a challenge - to continue development according to the Western model or to find one’s own path, which means a return to traditional values and collectivist ideology and a rejection of liberal ideology. The article considers the features of the Russian civilizational identity and the possibilities of studying them based on the empirical data. The author emphasizes the civilizational heterogeneity of the Russian society as deeply differentiated by most economic, social and cultural criteria, which divides society into groups with specific lifestyles and value systems. Russian civilization is a heterogeneous, not fully formed and still developing multi-subject entity united by the state preserving cultural, national, religious and linguistic diversity. The article is based on the results of the representative all-Russian sociological survey conducted in 2023 and regional surveys in frontier regions - in the Northwestern, Southern and North Caucasus Federal Districts. This data helps to identify the civilizational vector of the country’s development, proving the complementarity of the ideas of the elites and the rest of society, age and settlement cohorts, residents of central and frontier, mononational and multiethnic regions.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):754-769
pages 754-769 views

Stabilization consciousness in the changing Russian society

Savin S.D.

Abstract

In recent decades, the growing dynamics of social processes requires a new theoretical-methodological approach to the analysis of the mass consciousness reaction to these changes. In what cases are such changes determined by expectations or requests for change, and in what cases do changes determine a reaction to stabilize the social system? How does public opinion strive to maintain or restore stability in the changing world? The complex structure of society as a system predetermines the dynamics of social sentiments, setting the logic of change and highlighting the dominant functions of different spheres of social life in different historical periods. Russian society has entered the political phase of its development - when changes caused by political goal setting affect all other spheres: political involvement, politicization of various aspects of society and of public opinion are increasing. Changes affect the life of the common man, forcing him to choose strategies for the future. However, at the same time, the mass consciousness, conservative by nature, inevitably hopes for quick stabilization. The article is based on the data of the opinion polls conducted by the Center for Comprehensive Social Studies of the Institute of Sociology of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2016-2023 and analyzes the dynamics of public consciousness through its expectations and requests for change and stability. The author emphasizes the contradictory nature of changes in the Russian society, since the public consciousness was not ready for such a type, depth and pace of changes. There is a clear social segmentation - those who have already accepted changes and those who still try to distance themselves from changes. Stabilization consciousness plays a dual role by appealing to both the past and the future.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):770-786
pages 770-786 views

Risk-reflexive determinants of adaptation under threats: An empirical study

Abgadzhava D.A., Aleinikov A.V., Pinkevich A.G.

Abstract

The article considers the specifics and role of risk reflections in the adaptation to new threats and dangers in the contemporary realities. The authors argue that traditional risk-analysis strategies partially reflect the qualitative changes in the impact of the perception of threats by risk consumers, risk producers, risk beneficiaries and risk outsiders on their behavior. The authors emphasize the importance of analyzing the ‘dominant narrative’ of risks for assessing their social acceptability/ unacceptability for various interest groups. The initial methodological provisions of the article are the distinction between “positive and negative privilege” proposed by M. Weber, theoretical and practical explications of the contemporary concepts of choosing reflexive strategies for adapting to threats as a criterion for success or failure in life, and promising strategies for the formation of a positive or negative ‘risk’ identity. The empirical section of the article presents the results of the applied research conducted by the authors on the equipment of the Resource Center of the Science Park of the Saint Petersburg State University “Sociological and Internet Studies” (all-Russian telephone survey and focus groups). The authors conducted qualitative analysis to identify factors affecting the attitudes towards main threats and their influence on the ability to control and prevent risks and on the processes of adaptation and self-preservation. The article stresses the importance of P. Sztompka research program of trust as a means of reducing uncertainty and neutralizing risks (grounds for classifying reflexive strategies for avoiding uncertainty, influence of individual social-demographic characteristics of risk consumers on their choice). The analysis of the empirical data showed that the spread of one or another model of behavior in the risk society is a mobilization resource for strengthening political positions. Therefore, ‘failures’ in risk management determine a special type of social stratification - relationship of risk beneficiaries and risk outsiders, who have specific interests, opportunities and limitations of their adaptation strategies in a situation of threat.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):787-799
pages 787-799 views

Perception of fake news by students with different psychological characteristics: Results of the methodological experiment

Puzanova Z.V., Larina T.I., Starostina A.A.

Abstract

The perception of fake news has become the focus of social-humanitarian research as affecting people’s behavior. Students have always been a reactive force of society, so the question of what characteristics determine students’ perception of fake news is quite relevant. The authors consider as such characteristics the level of emotional intelligence (EI), suggestibility and psychotype. To check how these characteristics determine the perception of fake news, the Laboratory of Sociological and Focus Group Research of the RUDN University conducted a methodological experiment with the focus group method in 2022. Two groups were randomized according to the psychotype: the first group consisted of participants with a high level of EI, the second group - with a low level of EI. The groups included only those students who considered themselves capable of distinguishing fake news from real situations. Both groups watched videos that presented fake news as real. The moderator was to make participants doubt, to convince them of the reality of the news. After the group discussion, the design of the experiment was revealed to its participants. The discussion and tests before and after the discussion allowed to conclude that EI and psychotype weakly affect the capability to identify fake news under external influences, but a high level of EI determines both critical perception and ability to change one’s position, i.e. suggestibility. The participants’ logical argumentation depends on the psychotype and level of EI, but the quality of the argument seems to depend on the general erudition and education. The authors’ findings are consistent with the results of related studies, but the suggestion component of the experiment is close to everyday situations and provides opportunities for developing media literacy programs for students.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):800-811
pages 800-811 views

Approaches to assessing and increasing housing affordability in Russia

Golodova Z.G., Smirnov P.A.

Abstract

Improving the quality of life is one of the priority tasks of Russia’s social-economic development, which requires solving the housing problem, since housing is one of the basic human needs. Based on the generalization of various approaches to ensuring housing affordability, the article shows that, in addition to the study of social-political and economic aspects, a kind of sociology of housing develops. Based on the results of sociological surveys, the authors identify the preferences of different groups (parents with children and youth) in housing. Thus, 70 % of Russians are ready to use mortgage lending to solve the housing problem. There is a paradox: on the one hand, 66 % of multi-apartment houses cannot be sold; on the other hand, there is a low level of housing supply (lower than in Eastern Europe and some CIS countries) and a high level of dilapidated housing stock and communal infrastructure. Previously, housing conditions were improved mainly at the expense of the state, now the purchase or construction of housing is ensured mainly by the population’s savings and borrowed funds, primarily mortgage lending. However, despite the growth in the volume of mortgages and their improved conditions, the housing affordability coefficient for 2000-2022 indicates a deterioration in housing possibilities. This is explained, first, by the low level of incomes and their significant differentiation - only a small share of Russians can take advantage of mortgage lending; second, housing prices grow much faster than incomes and wages. In addition, the low quality of new housing and social infrastructure, a high share of dilapidated housing and of families in need of relocation, and a number of other factors must be taken into account when implementing housing policy and solving the housing problem. The empirical basis of the article is the data of the Federal State Statistics Service, Bank of Russia, National Bureau of Credit Histories and Accounts Chamber.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):812-824
pages 812-824 views

Interdisciplinary study of the medium-term fertility trend in Latvia (1970-2022)

Menshikov V., Kudins J., Kokarevica A., Komarova V., Cizo E.

Abstract

The article aims at identifying the medium-term fertility trend in Latvia. The main research question is whether it is possible in the near future to increase fertility in Latvia, as planned in the “Strategy for the Reproduction of the Nation FAMILY - LATVIA - 2030 (2050)”. The authors conducted the mathematical analysis of fertility in Latvia for the medium-term period of 1970-2022 (53 years), which includes two decades of the so-called “Soviet era” and the period of independence after the collapse of the USSR. The study is based on the available data of the official Latvian statistics on the total fertility rate. The novelty of this interdisciplinary - demographic, economic and sociological - study is determined by the use of mathematical analysis to identify demographic trends, which is not typical for the publications of Latvian and foreign researchers. The study is also based on the theory of economic cycles to identify demographic fertility cycles and their phases in Latvia and to predict fertility rates in Latvia for the near future. Furthermore, the analysis of the sociological surveys data allowed to understand the main reason for the steady - in the medium-term perspective - linear decline in fertility in Latvia. This reason is value changes in the society, in which children are no longer at the center of the life value system of men and especially women in Latvia, i.e., are no longer considered necessary for the realization of their life goals and ambitions. Based on the results of the mathematical analysis of the medium-term fertility trend in Latvia, the authors believe that the decline in fertility in Latvia will continue for several more years before the bottom of the next demographic fertility cycle will be reached (and this bottom will be lower than the previous one, i.e., below 1.22 -1.25), and there will be an upturn in a linearly declining fertility trend. However, even this expected rise will not reach the previous peak; the next peak is likely to be below 1.74. Thus, the desired and even expected by the creators of the “Strategy for the Reproduction of the Nation” increase in fertility in Latvia to the level of 1.77 by 2027 is considered by the authors unattainable.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):825-838
pages 825-838 views

Social-cultural features of the suicidal behaviour in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Milošević Šošo B., Taljanović A.

Abstract

The paper considers specific factors related to suicide and the influence of general, social-cultural factors on suicide in a typical post-war society - Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH). Many researchers focus on the life history of a person that committed suicide in order to get a better understanding of its social-psychological and other factors. However, the authors consider the social-economic factors of suicide based on the survey on social-cultural characteristics of suicide in BH. Part of the sample consisted of respondents that were friends or neighbours of the suicider. BH is a multicultural society that suffered war events not so long ago, which determined social-economic devastation and misery. The consequences are post-traumatic syndrome, high unemployment, social disorders, and social-pathological phenomena, including suicide. In BH, suicide is largely determined by the social circumstances, while certain social-psychological factors seem to be less important (individual pain and suffering caused by accidents or discomforts). Therefore, to understand the causes of increased suicide rates in certain periods and societies, we need to analyse the very nature of the particular society. The suicide rate in BH was considered through the social-cultural determinants of suicide. The ten-year timeframe does not exclude the impact of the previous turbulent period, including a decade of great political turmoil and economic crisis in the post-war society. Thus, the authors studied the statistical data collected by the relevant public institutions and the survey data collected with three questionnaires. Based on that data, the authors analysed in detail the causes of suicide in BH and the effects of specific social-cultural factors in the society trying to overcome the consequences of war after two decades of interethnic conflicts and strong international involvement. By considering the biography, interpersonal relationships, physical and mental health, lifestyle and other aspects of life of the person that committed suicide, the authors identify the most significant risk factors of suicidal behaviour, which may influence a personal decision to commit suicide (including ‘triggers’ and the level of suicidal intent). The social-cultural aspects of suicide prove that this phenomenon has a historical, cultural, religious and global social dimension, which means the need in its multidisciplinary study.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):839-850
pages 839-850 views

Sociological lectures

Sociological study of cyber threats as an integrated part of the general data protection regulation

Muqsith M.A., Muzykant V.L., Pratomo R.R.

Abstract

Sociology studies society and the patterns of its development, social processes, institutions, relations, structures, communities and certain cultural values which determine its development. Sociology also studies human behavior - how it affects society, and how people behave in social groups. There are many understandings of sovereignty in academic circles but mainly as absolute and hierarchical. As time passes, the concept of sovereignty, which prioritizes territory, has begun to lose relevance due to massive technological developments. In the context of technology and national security, territorial rules are irrelevant for three reasons: technology makes consistent and predictable territorial definitions difficult, data often moves in ways unrelated to the interests of users and legislators, and technology makes it easier for public and private actors to circumvent territorial rules, often without detection [12]. Another consequence of technological development is new actors with strong international influence due to globalization, free markets, and technological developments. Of all these actors, the most interesting are multinational companies. They do not operate on a territorial basis, which creates problems of jurisdictional asymmetry, overlap and control rather than of sovereignty in its formal sense [40]. Is sovereignty still relevant for the state? Since the advent of the Internet, the relevance of the nation-state concept has been questioned, and state actors have gradually lost their dominance. The Internet supports many international actors, and technology companies are the most significant. Their domination creates economic, legal, political, and social challenges; thereby, the state tries to regulate technology companies. The authors argue that the state sovereignty is still relevant despite many arguments saying otherwise. The paper explains the relevancy of the state sovereignty by presenting two cases: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the New Media Bargaining Code (NMBC). The nation-state demonstrates its sovereignty by the law affecting national companies; thus, showing that the state can restrain the power of technology companies, i.e., state sovereignty is still relevant in the contemporary era.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):851-865
pages 851-865 views

Combination of focus group and experiment methods: opportunities and limitations

Puzanova Z.V., Larina T.I., Ignatova T.A.

Abstract

The use of several sociological techniques can be an effective way to obtain more representative data. The combination of focus group and experiment allows to expand the cognitive capabilities of each method, to better understand complex social phenomena, and to obtain a more complete picture of social objects and processes, and perceptions of them. The advantages and disadvantages of the combination of focus group and experiment were formulated mainly based on the research in which the main indicators were such characteristics as psychotypes, emotional intelligence and suggestibility. The advantage of combining two methods is the in-depth analysis of the phenomenon under study, since focus group provides context and insight into the opinions and experiences of participants, while experiment allows to control the conditions and impact on respondents, test hypotheses and identify cause-and-effect relationships. The combination of methods increases the validity of research practices; however, this combination has several limitations: the timing of focus group can affect the duration of experiment; group dynamics during the focus group can affect the results of experiment and lead to distortions; the presence of a moderator and videotaping of the focus group can affect the behavior of participants and the data. Based on the analysis of several cases, the authors provide recommendations on combining two methods such as: improving the criteria for selecting respondents during recruitment; placing focus group participants taking into account their psychotypes and personality characteristics, and also placing ‘decoy ducks’ according to a certain plan; providing stimulus material in printed form to each focus group participant. Combination of focus group and experiment is a rare research approach; therefore, the main conclusions are based on the authors’ research conducted at the RUDN University.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):866-874
pages 866-874 views

Ideal image of the head of the educational complex: Research methodology and results

Oseev A.A.

Abstract

The requirements for the professional and personal qualities of teachers are presented in the Federal Law “On Education in the Russian Federation”. However, the article focuses on the “ideal portrait of the head of the educational complex” as both a leader and a teacher. The analysis of the results of studies conducted in recent years has revealed a number of requirements for the personal and business qualities of leaders-teacher, and two problems. First, many authors consider ideal portraits, on which the research is theoretically based, to be “ideal types” (according to M. Weber), i.e. “utopian by nature”, “models that cannot be verified” [1], since they “cannot be found in everyday life” [2. P. 207]. Second, the pressing methodological issue of ways to identify and measure ideal qualities of real workers remains unresolved. The article aims at identifying the professionally important personal qualities of leaders-teachers, at developing an ideal portrait of the head of the educational complex, and at proposing a mathematical model for assessing the strength of personal qualities. Therefore, the following tasks were set: to identify the degree of compliance of the leaders-teachers’ personal qualities with the author’s “ideal model”; to form an empirical database for the subsequent development of a model of the effective leader-teacher of the educational complex, and to successfully solve functional problems of educational organizations. The author presents a method for identifying personal qualities of the leader-teacher, which correspond to the results of sociological surveys of employees of state educational complexes and parents; ways and methods to verify the selected requirements; and an applied empirical model of the “ideal portrait of the head of the educational complex”. This ideal portrait has some unique features: out of 16 possible personal qualities, 11 became distinctive and dominant, which is significantly more than that of the “average person”, including representatives of other professional groups.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):875-887
pages 875-887 views

What is the social efficiency of education in Russia?

Osipov A.M., Naran B.

Abstract

The article emphasizes the importance of assessing the social efficiency of education as an issue of sociology of education and a theoretical prerequisite for overcoming systemic bureaupathologies and ensuring scientific management of education in the interests of the Russian society. Social efficiency can be defined through the concept of mission (institutional functions) - as a ratio of socially significant results to public costs of education. The interpretation of the social efficiency of education as an object of social sciences presupposes: the central role of sociology in solving this scientific-practical problem; taking into account the entire spectrum, content and features of the institutional functions of education (impact on all spheres of society; delay of some results in time; irreducibility to a market service, pedocentric and “competence-based” schemes, etc.); interdisciplinary cooperation to conceptualize societal costs and outcomes. In the state education policy, the absence of the concept “social efficiency of education” in the Russian legislation creates an ideological and normative space for sectoral bureaucracy and systemic bureaupathologies, i.e., the social efficiency of education as a multi-component quality of macro-management is replaced by the primitive and profitable bureaucratic management. Such management ignores the social responsibility of education and divides it into short projects in which actions of bureaucrats correspond to neoliberal market “modernizations” and pedocentric “reforms”, contributing to the stagnation and crisis of the education system, the waste of public resources and the country’s lag in the global competition. The article considers the methodological features of the analysis of the identified problem’s components - public costs and social results - through the institutional functions of education and proposes a general logical scheme of such functions and expected results. The authors believe that the analysis of the social efficiency of education would ensure the development of this scientific-practical area in Russia, taking into account global scientific trends and the priorities of the Russian society, education and social-humanitarian knowledge.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):888-900
pages 888-900 views

Moral foundations of the municipal employees work

Mukhametzhanova V.S.

Abstract

The article considers the current state of municipal service as a special type of professional activity with a specific ethical complex. The increased interest in the development of local self-government in Russia is determined by a new stage in the reform of municipal service as a social-legal institution and one of the most important types of professional activity in the contemporary society. The efficiency of local self-government directly depends on the level of the local population involvement, on the one hand, and on the municipal employees’ moral awareness of their activities, on the other. Professional ethics, due to its applied nature, performs an important task - specifies the general ethical principles of practical activity in relation to a particular profession. Ethical complex of municipal service as a regulator of the officials’ work ensures the efficiency of management activities, contributing to its increase. High requirements of professional ethics are mandatory for all employees; their fulfillment is the main condition for professionalism. In the contemporary society, professionalism, together with the corresponding knowledge, skills and abilities, forms the value-normative, ethical priorities of the individual, allowing to choose optimal formats for fulfilling one’s professional duties. Based on the analysis of legislative documents and the code of ethics, the article examines the criteria of professionalism and competence of the municipal employee, which are to increase the efficiency of their professional activities. Knowledge and compliance with the provisions of the Code is one of the criteria for assessing the quality of professional activity and official behavior. Professional culture is closely related to professional ethics; therefore, the development of professional culture helps to become a professional. The development of professional culture of municipal employees is ensured, on the one hand, by the legislative requirements; on the other hand, by the subjective perception of certain knowledge, abilities, values and norms of the code of ethics.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):901-915
pages 901-915 views

Reviews

In search of a strategy for creating the future

Danilov A.N.

Abstract

The article is a review of the book by P.A. Vodopyanov At the Turning Point of the Epochs: In Search of a Strategy for Creating the Future (Minsk: Belorussian Science; 2023. 469 p.). The monograph is of great theoretical and practical significance and outlines new horizons for the future sufficient development. The author argues that the humans’ embedment in nature and subordination to the laws of nature, the search for ways to overcome new challenges and risks caused by the negative consequences of scientific and technological achievements determine the new main directions of the coevolutionary strategy for sufficient development, which are associated with the extraordinary and unpopular measures: demographic regulation; reduction of industrial pressure on the biosphere through the introduction of nature-like technologies; economical use of natural resources and their replacement with artificial ones; increasing resource productivity through the introduction of new technologies; the use of alternative energy sources instead of hydrocarbon fuels; the changing vector of the social-economic development based on the laws of nature; a new type of morality and a new humanism; transition to the era of ‘new Enlightenment’ based on the ecological consciousness and thinking. The book identifies the main factors of maintaining the stability of natural ecosystems and the biosphere, which explain the need to use the laws of the biosphere organization to choose a strategy for a secure future. The author presents the key directions for ensuring the future based on bio-anthropocentrism as the main condition for preserving the biosphere and focuses on the main factors of human life under global instability and the need in appropriate ideological universals.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):916-923
pages 916-923 views

Man against death: Identity, language, technology

Subbotina M.V.

Abstract

The article is a review of the book by D. Davies Death, Ritual, and Belief: The Rhetoric of Funerary Rites (Moscow: NLO, 2022. 480 p.). The author notes the growing interest of society in the phenomenon of death and makes an attempt to systematize the key aspects of this phenomenon: from funeral rites in various cultures to near-death experiences and theories of grief. In the review, the emphasis is placed on two main ideas of the book: how words and rituals influence our dealing with death and how the phenomenon of death affects our identity. The review identifies both the strengths of the book and those aspects that require a further study, such as the impact of technology on society’s perception of death (contemporary interdisciplinary studies called ‘digital death studies’).

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):924-931
pages 924-931 views

Antinomies of digitalization and visualization in the contemporary mass culture

Nimensky A.V., Gerasimov A.D.

Abstract

The article is a review of two books that differently assess the processes and results of informatization, networkization and digitalization of the mass society, which have given rise to many phenomena that are antinomic in nature, primarily due to the interweaving positive and negative consequences for social interaction. In the first book - Post-Truth or Fake: The Issue of Truth in Social Media (Saint Petersburg: Vladimir Dal; 2023. 303 p.) - N.A. Rhodossky conducts a ‘retrospective analysis’ of the concept and role of the media in “the development of philosophy of cyberculture”; the book is a ‘compendium’ of categories and conceptual approaches to the study of social media. The second book by A. Bruns Are Filter Bubbles Real? (Transl. from English by A. Arkhipova; ed. by A. Pavlov. Moscow: HSE Publishing House; 2023. 120 p.) focuses on one aspect in the functioning of social media - “the influence of the ideologically biased echo chambers and filter bubbles on the nature of public discussions”, and also systematizes the conflicting assessments of the consequences of the ever-increasing digitalization of our everyday life.

RUDN Journal of Sociology. 2023;23(4):932-938
pages 932-938 views

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