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No 3 (2023)
Social philosophy
Civil society: liberal or diverse?
Abstract
The article discusses the concept of civil society. The evolution of ideas is studied, including the creation of L- and M- conceptions. As part of the M-concept, in which civil society is understood as public organizations relatively autonomous from the state and diverse connections between them, normative and positivist approaches are distinguished. It is substantiated that the normative approach, in which civil society is understood as a community of organizations with liberal views, is associated with the L-concept. Modern Russian trends related to the division “from above” of civil society organizations according to the criterion of loyalty are analyzed. The first steps have been taken to single out the categories of non-liberal civil organizations. The conclusion is made about the expediency of using the concept of a “diverse civil society” in scientific analysis.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):7-22
7-22
Human model as a key to understanding ideology (on the non-marxist alternative to liberalism)
Abstract
The author proposes his undestanding of ideology. It is shown that the existence of global ideological alternatives (liberalism and socialism) is based on two fundamentally different sets of human values. Criticism of Marxism as paneconomism is given. It is substantiated that the main conflict in society is connected not with relations to property, but with values (life goals).
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):23-38
23-38
Problems of security
Regional Missile Defense Architecture of the US and Their Partners In the Western Pacifi Security
Abstract
China has the largest arsenal of missiles with a range of less than 5,500 km. In 2019, the US withdrew from the INF Treaty and decided to deploy the same kind of missiles in East Asia. At the same time Washington plans to strengthen the theater missile defense architecture in the region. The purpose of the article is to determine the potential impact of missile defense strengthening by the US and their partners in East Asia on regional security. It is necessary to understand the prospects of the situation, given the presence of several hotbeds of potential conflict in the Western Pacific. A critical analysis of the expected actions of China and the US in the region, the role of regional missile defense systems in those scenarios, and both sides’ doctrines of non-nuclear missile use is provided. In certain situations, an enhanced theater missile defense could help the US and their partners to strengthen regional deterrence, but not in all situations. The analysis of both sides’ doctrinal provisions help to understand how strengthening the regional missile defense by the US and their partners can destabilize the situation. It is concluded that theater missile defense, unlike arms control measures, is not a reliable tool for ensuring regional stability.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):39-53
39-53
Communication studies
Political mentality and mental traps of political communication
Abstract
Political mentality is considered a kind of mental activity that provides an understanding of political reality, determines the content of observed political events and the meaning of the actions of their participants. It is shown how mental activity of a person is organized, helping to navigate in the political space. Attention is drawn to the fact that perception is subject to the “rut law” concept based on mental traps that capture the mind, which form judgments about a political phenomenon and subordinate it to its own logic. The nature of mental traps is revealed and their types are characterized. The heterogeneity of the political and cultural environment contributes to the emergence of political mentalities that differ in their content, as well as in interpreting political processes and phenomena. Political polymentality can become a serious problem for society. It leads to the emergence of groups that have different perceptions of the unfolding political processes, interpretations of the content of ongoing events, and evaluation of the actions of the authorities.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):54-67
54-67
External information pressure on russian youth as a tool of global confrontation
Abstract
The results of a socio-political research studying the phenomenon of external information pressure on Russian youth in conditions of growing geopolitical tension and information confrontation between states are presented. Young people, as the most vulnerable social group, are exposed to the negative effects of the digitalization of information about military and political processes, including the transition of the concept of “hybrid warfare” into a new form. This new form is defined by the dominance of information and psychological impact and other methods of a predominantly non-military nature. Multi-stage methodology is used, including cognitive mapping of digital content, automated social media analysis of information flows, unstructured group interviews, as well as methods of metaphorical associative cards and online questionnaires. It is revealed that the number of Russian regions targeted by external information pressure on young people increased. The scheme of relevant content circulation and the active role of foreign media structures in this process are identified. The semantics of information flows and features of targeted impact on different age groups are defined. The results of the study show a weak perception of fake information on the Internet by young people and highlight the formed demand for the development of modern competences of digital literacy and information security.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):68-82
68-82
Communication problem in risk society: challenges of the media reality
Abstract
Philosophical foundations for the analysis of social communication within the risk society are studied. The development of media and the multiplication of risks in modern society, multiplied by the impact of the pandemic, impact communication in the modern world. Both positive and negative aspects of the impact of technology on communication are revealed. The influence of the deformation of tolerance on various social structures is studied, based on the works of Russian and Western philosophers (representatives of the Frankfurt School in particular). It is concluded that critical attitude to one’s actions is extremely important today both in the real world and in virtual space, since consequences of carelessly expressed ambiguous opinions or actions can cause unpredictable consequences.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):83-93
83-93
Postsoviet space
Historical policy and memorial culture in Latvia in the early 2020s
Abstract
The politics of memory in the Latvian Republic in the early 2020s are analyzed. The role and place of intellectual communities is studied. These communities act as the main spaces of the genesis and functioning of memorial culture and collective historical memory in modern social and political thought in Latvia. The novelty of the study lies in the examination of the current stage in the development of the historical policy of the Latvian society in the context of a lack of original sources-based interdisciplinary works focused on the analysis of the memorial cultures of the post-Soviet space in Russian historiography. It is shown that: 1) as one of the systemic segments of modern Latvian society, the intellectual community significantly contributes to the development and transformation of memorial culture; 2) the range of memorial practices of Latvian intellectuals varies from historical revisionism to attempts to form a liberal memorial canon; 3) memorial practices of modern intellectual community are interconnected with the development of civil and ethnic nationalist discourse; 4) the participation of intellectuals in memorial politics actualizes the political and ideological heterogeneity of modern society, contributing to the parallel development of various forms and dimensions of historical memory. It is assumed that the role of the Latvian civil society in the historical politics of modern Latvia will increase, and the intellectual community will remain an active participant in collective memory policy.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):94-108
94-108
Public Opinion in Armenia on the Greater Russian Space Before and After the Second Karabakh War
Abstract
The problem of Armenia’s geopolitical choice in the context of world-system analysis and the history of Armenia in the 20th and early 21st centuries is considered. It is concluded that geopolitical configuration in Transcaucasia today and 100 years ago are similar, and said similarity determines an adequate geopolitical choice for Armenia in modern conditions - integration with the Greater Russian space. The dynamics of attitudes in Armenian society towards Russia as the best ally of Armenia, and France as the main competitor of Russia during 2011-2022 is given. In this context, the impact of the 44-day Karabakh war on attitudes towards the Greater Russian space is estimated. The analysis is based on two indicators - the attitude towards the USSR and the attitude towards Armenia’s accession to the Union State of Russia-Belarus. The systems of argumentation of supporters and opponents of the USSR are identified, as well as their transformation after the 44-day war and the factors influencing the attitude of society towards the Greater Russian space. Armenian society was segmented into pro-Russian, pro-Western, mixed, and not having an accentuated orientation sectors. An assessment of the sizes of these segments, as well as a comparative analysis of their main characteristics was carried out. These characteristics include (but not limited to): the level of loyalty to the country’s political course, electoral participation, information preferences, trust in state and public institutions. The presented empirical material was obtained by secondary analysis of the databases of nationwide representative sociological surveys “Caucasian Barometer” for 2011-2022, carried out by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers. The results of other sociological surveys are also presented.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):109-130
109-130
Gender studies
Representation of women in regional parliaments: testing the model of traditional gender roles
Abstract
The reasons for the limited women’s representation in the parliaments of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are studied. Statistics show that in some Russian regions the proportion of women deputies in regional assemblies is higher than in the others. The classical point of view states that women’s participation in politics as people’s representatives is determined by gender norms and roles. Assessments of the influence of traditional gender roles were carried out based on Russian statistics. Information on the subjects of the Russian Federation was used in analysis. The regression analysis (step-by-step regression method) was used as a research method. The theoretical and methodological basis of the work is the theory of gender roles by A. Eagly. The conducted research refutes the formulated hypothesis. Traditional gender views have at most indirect influence on the parliamentary representation of women, mediated by the procedure of selection of candidates by political parties and civil society organizations. Provisions of the “resource” model of women’s political activism also weren’t confirmed. It is shown that the share of women deputies in the legislatures of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation which use the system of party lists during the election is less than in regional legislative bodies formed according to the majority or mixed electoral system.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):131-145
131-145
Values and innovation
Value orientations of managers and innovation management at enterprises
Abstract
Values and value orientations are key components of the individual’s development: they reflect the characteristics of his/her personality and determine personal behavior. At one time value orientations fell out of the focus of social sciences in Russia, but at present this topic has particular importance and relevance. The results of a study of value orientations in the innovation activity of the CEO’s of Russian enterprises (case studies of foundry and metallurgy enterprises) are presented. This analysis is a continuation of studies of innovative values of leaders in the knowledge economy conducted in 2011-2012. It is aimed at finding the innovative development problems of modern enterprises in the context of value orientations. What innovations are required by enterprises in the first place, what managers value in subordinates, whether corporate values correspond to the enterprise development strategy, what problems creative people face and what methods of recognition of talents are used, what forms of organization of innovative activity are prioritized and which are not, - these questions were answered in this study. The results are compared with the best practices and features of the leading companies in Japan and South Korea in order to develop recommendations and proposals.
Obŝestvennye nauki i sovremennostʹ. 2023;(3):146-164
146-164