Sociodynamics

The article examines the essential characteristics of the social contract as a practice of supporting the population in the Altai Krai. It identifies the fundamental features of the social contract within the region's support system and discusses the main issues and prospects for the implementation of the social contract in the lives of the Altai Krai population. Additionally, this work explores the social contract as an opportunity to overcome poverty in a depressed region of the Russian Federation. The data obtained during the sociological research provided a comprehensive understanding of the social contract as a practice of supporting the population: both objective and subjective components of this type of support were identified. The article presents the results of the authors' sociological research conducted from 2023 to 2025. The methodology of this work is based on a combination of a systemic approach and structural functionalism. The research on the social contract is grounded in a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. The qualitative method is represented by expert surveys in the form of in-depth interviews (n=15), while the quantitative method is represented by a mass questionnaire survey conducted both in a remote format and in a classical, face-to-face format (n=137). The data obtained from the empirical sociological research served as the foundation for characterizing the social contract as a practice of supporting the population in the region. Furthermore, the data allow for the characterization of the difficulties encountered in the process of obtaining a social contract, the overall effectiveness of this support practice, which in turn creates opportunities for formulating practice-oriented recommendations for improving and enhancing the social contract. The author concludes that the social contract, as a whole, is an effective and efficient measure of support for the population in the region. The social contract meets individuals' expectations; moreover, in the long term, entering into such a contract reduces the burden on the social sector of the state budget. At the same time, not all citizens who have entered into a social contract have improved their financial situation, which requires specific solutions and refinements. Further research in this area will allow for a better understanding of the essence of the social contract and identify additional opportunities for extrapolating this practice of social assistance to the population. Continued research will also make the social contract as a practice of support measures even more effective and efficient.

This study examines the social dynamics of women's adoption and use of digital technologies in the contrasting infrastructural and sociopolitical contexts of Ghana and Russia. It focuses on the processes of digital adaptation, the formation of digital subjectivity, and confidence in using technology in the context of accelerated digitalization. The author analyzes the influence of infrastructure, organizational culture, public policy, and gender norms on digital adoption trajectories. Particular attention is paid to how digital access is, or is not, transformed into women's social and professional agency. The study is based on a comparative analysis of two fundamentally different sociotechnical systems, revealing both universal and context-specific mechanisms for the reproduction of gender inequality. The work is based on an understanding of digital technologies as socially embedded tools shaped by power structures, culture, and social expectations. The study utilizes a comparative cross-sectional design. The empirical base includes an online survey of 517 respondents, conducted in 2024–2025. Descriptive statistics, the χ² test, independent-samples t-tests, and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used. The study's novelty lies in its identification of a robust gender gap in digital confidence that persists regardless of the level of infrastructural development and political regime. Based on comparable empirical data, it is shown that women in Ghana and Russia face sociodynamic constraints on digital agency that differ in form but have similar consequences. In Ghana, digital adoption is primarily mobile and survival-based, while in Russia, it occurs under institutional and geopolitical constraints, despite a high level of technical literacy. Statistical results confirm significant differences in infrastructure and social drivers of digital behavior; however, the lack of interaction between country and gender indicates the universality of the gender "confidence gap." It is concluded that digitalization expands access but does not eliminate structural gender inequalities, requiring a shift from inclusion policies to the development of women's digital agency and their participation in technology creation and decision-making.

The article is dedicated to the study of demographic processes in modern Britain. The object of research is the country's demographics, while the subject focuses on changes in the numerical, age, and ethnic composition of the population. The main source of information is data from official censuses conducted every ten years. A detailed analysis has been carried out on the dynamics of population size, birth rates, ethnic structure, age shifts, and the increasing practice of using foreign languages. Particular attention is paid to the degradation of the family institution and the increase in the average age of British citizens. The work is based on a significant volume of current statistical material that has not been previously presented in domestic historiography, which allowed for the identification of hidden interconnections between demographic processes and the determination of long-term trends in the transformation of the social structure of modern British society, taking into account its ethnocultural specificity and spatial distribution. The methodological foundation of the study consists of comparative-historical and statistical analysis methods combined with elements of predictive modeling. The main trend identified is the absolute and relative growth of the share of communities of African, Asian, and European descent, primarily among the younger generation. By the early 2020s, up to half of all newborns were born to mothers of foreign origin. Names not belonging to the British cultural sphere are rapidly gaining popularity. Immigrants provide the main increase in the working-age population, while the birth rate among indigenous Britons has consistently remained below the level of simple reproduction for the past forty years. A demographic shift toward the descendants of migrants is forming. The long-term nature of the identified changes indicates their stability and structural resilience. The work may be of interest to a wide range of readers, as well as specialists in the fields of demography, political science, and ethnography.

This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the state of political culture in the Russian Federation, focusing on its historical roots, current trends, and development prospects. The subject of the study, therefore, is the specific characteristics of our country's political culture at different stages of its development. The methodological foundations and methods used in this study include comparative and structural-functional analysis, as well as a historical approach and sociological modeling. Using these tools, the following key trends in Russian political culture are identified: the persistence of a high level of authoritarian attitudes among the population, conditioned by both historical factors and contemporary challenges; growing interest among young people in digital forms of political participation; declining trust in traditional media and the growing influence of independent online resources; a contradictory perception of democratic norms, combining their declarative support with a practical unpreparedness for active political action; and the formation of a new type of political identity based on patriotic discourse and resistance to external information pressure. Possible scenarios for the evolution of the Russian political system in the coming decades have been identified and analyzed, in accordance with which variants for the transformation of political culture are also predicted. The obtained results allow the authors to conclude that the study of political culture in Russia requires a comprehensive approach, taking into account not only changes in legislation and governance, but also profound cultural, educational, socioeconomic, and technological factors. The concept of political culture is increasingly important from both theoretical and practical perspectives, particularly in the context of the need to modernize political institutions and strengthen civic participation. At the same time, achieving a balanced combination of tradition and innovation in modernization processes to foster public and governmental consensus is a prerequisite for the country's continued successful development.