No 4 (2013)
- Year: 2013
- Articles: 14
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2313-2272/issue/view/23082
ARTICLES
Heuristic resources of the ‘classics’: Perspectives of sociological enlightenment
Abstract
The article discusses the methodological question traditional for the humanities and social sciences (and, above all, sociology), namely, the question about their world view status, functions and aims. According to the author, ‘sociological enlightenment’ provides a chance to justify the purport of scientific research on the theory and history of sociology (research that is culturally significant beyond the narrow professional frames of sociology). The most important component of this ‘enlightenment’ is the demonstration of ‘heuristic resources’ of classical and modern theoretical sociology as a means of scientific explanation and conceptualization of social problems at a level comprehensible to non-academic audiences.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):5-14
5-14
Performative studies in the actor-network theory (“technological performativity” in works of G. Kien)
Abstract
The article considers some theoretical and methodological prerequisites of shaping the concept of «technological performativity» in the works of modern researcher G. Kien whose approach can be characterized as interdisciplinary. Among the numerous existing preconditions of this concept, the author focuses primarily on G. Austin`s theory of speech acts, as well as G. Butler`s gender studies.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):15-23
15-23
The use of nonverbal information in a focus group research
Abstract
The article identifies the possibilities and the necessity to analyze the nonverbal reactions in the focus groups studies. The authors analyze the key nonverbal expressions of the respondents in the focus group research, the possibilities of their interpretation, as well as the problems of their identification and evaluation. Thus, the authors focus on the group dynamics and gestures as specific features of the focus groups.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):24-33
24-33
Personal socialization: the problem of violence
Abstract
Violence today has become quite wide-spread. It acquires various forms and appears in countries with different social-economic conditions, cultures, religions and types of family relations. The reasons for school violence should be looked for not only in the distorted family relations or failures in the educational policy — educational work and poor management of schools. They should also be considered in the context of their social environment. The article substantiates the need to consider the problems of school violence as the problems of modern civilization — a cognitive community. It is possible to solve the problem of school violence on the local level and in concrete conditions only if it is considered in a broader way in terms of modern civilization, leaning on modern ideas of man and socialization.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):34-44
34-44
Russia’s national security: the outside threats and mechanisms of counteracting them
Abstract
The national security of Russia is a priority sphere of social studies, with the problem of studying the mechanisms of counteracting the outside threats as the most urgent one. On the basis of the analysis of the existing ideas of outside threats to Russia, as described by different authors, the article classifies the notions, formed in sociology, social philosophy and political science, of the structure of the outside threats to Russia's national security and the ways to eliminate them.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):45-51
45-51
‘We’ and ‘Others’: Stereotype attitudes of Serbian student youth
Abstract
The paper analyzes the data obtained in the course of two empirical studies of Serbian students’ attitudes. The first research of auto- and hetero-stereotypes was conducted in 2012 on the quota sample of 363 students of Pristina University with temporary Head Office in Kosovska Mitrovica. The results regarding the ethnic stereotypes of Russians were analyzed and compared with the data from the research conducted in the same year on the sample of 603 students of the state universities of the Republic of Serbia. The results indicated that extremely positive auto-stereotypes dominated among the students as well as extremely positive stereotypes of Russians — not only among the students that study in Kosovo and Metohija, but also in other high-school institutions in Serbia. Moreover, moderately negative stereotypes of Montenegrins were revealed, as well as those of Germans and Americans, with significant differences in the disposition of attributes’ frequencies that, however, do not form the core of the stereotypes.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):52-65
52-65
Russian students’ main fears: the results of an empirical study
Abstract
The article presents the second part of the sociological study of fears, the first results of which were published in the previous issue of the journal. The authors briefly summarize the major formats of the conceptualization and empirical interpretation of the concepts ‘value orientations’ and ‘fears’, described in detail previously, and show how they can be used in representative sociological surveys to identify the fundamental values and behavioral patterns through the respondents’ fears and routinized optimal strategies to overcome socially and psychologically uncomfortable situations. On the results of the survey conducted in the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia the authors propose to ‘measure’ fears by the following sets of questions: students’ life priorities; the repertoire of fears of a young person; the general level of anxiety and strategies to overcome uncomfortable situations, etc. (and the distribution of answers to the questions in each set can be analyzed in the light of socio-demographic and other differences). The results of the study, in particular, showed that the students dominant fear is the fear to lose their loved ones due to the impressive number of social risks that are considered as actual threats. Almost every second respondent evaluates his emotional state as restless and anxious, but seldom follows a specific behavioral strategy to overcome an uncomfortable situation although in the case of a strong fear he would ask his closest people for advice and support.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):66-78
66-78
Career aspirations of managers in Russian business: an empirical research of organizations of different types
Abstract
The paper presents the results of the empirical research aimed to reveal, compare and analyze the characteristics of career aspirations of managers in Russian business depending on the type of organization. The research was conducted in 17 business companies (of prestigious and non-prestigious industries, located in Moscow and the regions, having a Russian or foreign owner). More than 250 low and middle managers were interviewed, and 35 in-depth interviews were conducted. The findings allow the authors to identify the differences in the career successes of managers with different career aspirations depending on the features of the organization.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):79-93
79-93
Health management: scientific approaches to the study of students’ health and self-preservation behavior
Abstract
The article presents the results of the analysis of the main scientific approaches to the study of students’ attitudes towards health and self-preservation behavior. The authors analyze the sociologically relevant theories and approaches to the formation of healthy lifestyles and self-preservation behavior. The paper states that the sociological approach to the self-preservation behavior is the most promising way to the promotion of healthy living. Despite the students diverse motivation for self-preservation behavior there are still serious problems in its formation due to both social and cultural factors.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):94-103
94-103
Social control as a mechanism for improving the quality of public and municipal services
Abstract
The article presents the main results of the monitoring of the public and municipal services quality that has been conducted with the participation of the authors since 2011. The authors consider such a research as one of the most effective ways of social control over the authorities. Such studies and the use of their results in management improve the quality of public and municipal services.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):104-116
104-116
Comparative analysis of verbal and non-verbal methods to obtain managerial information
Abstract
Obtaining information on an employee’s emotional state may present a significant task for the manager in planning everyday organizational processes, because the emotional component affects business relations and, to a certain extent, the quality of the work done. The article focuses on determining the possibilities of applying the analysis of non-verbal information (compared to verbal methods), and on considering the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):117-126
117-126
From turbulence to the crisis’ diagnostics: limits and potential of sociological critique (new agenda for the European sociology)
Abstract
The article provides an overview of key issues of the last 11th Conference of the European Sociological Association “Crisis, Critique and Change” (Turin, August, 2013). The authors conduct a preliminary analysis of the concepts ‘critique’ and ‘crisis’ that quite regularly become fundamentally important and disputable in the scientific community at different stages of the history of sociological ideas. The ‘crisis-critical’ attitude is considered as one of the typical forms of sociological discourse, which has a number of specific features and is dramatically different from its ‘antipode’ — the ‘stabilization-integration’ cognitive perspective.
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):127-141
127-141
Šubrt J., Vinopal J. a kolektiv. Historické vědomí obyvatel České republiky perspektivou sociologického výzkumu. — Praha: Karolinum, 2013. — S. 256 (Šubrt J., Vinopal J. et al. Historical Consciousness of the Czechs: Sociological Evaluation. — Prague: Carolinum, 2013. — P. 256)
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):142-145
142-145
Authors
RUDN journal of sociology. 2013;(4):146-147
146-147