Vol 31, No 1 (2025)
SOCIOLOGICAL DIMENSION OF HISTORICAL MEMORY
Veterans about the Victory: a sociological analysis of historical memory
Abstract
On the threshold of celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, we propose to assess the picture of those years from the perspective of real participants of military operations from the position of the current geopolitical situation. For this purpose, we present a fragment of the repeatedly republished book by V.N.Ivanov and V.K.Sergeev “Always a Great Victory”. It discusses the results of an interregional sociological study conducted by the Institute of Socio-Political Research of the FCTAS RAS together with the Moscow Institute of Socio-Cultural Programmes in March-June 2005 among 1400 combat veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Even then, the results of the research showed significant discrepancies between the opinions of veterans and the assessments of outside experts. Many of these discrepancies, in particular regarding the role of the USSR and the merits of the Allies, have reached a climax in the last three years, in the course of attempts to ‘cancel’ the significance of the contribution of Soviet soldiers to the achievement of victory. A sociological excursion into the history of our country and an analytical approach to key events of the past are necessary both for the preservation of historical memory and the education of patriotism in modern generations, and for a logical understanding of the events of the present.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):6-25
6-25
POLITICS AND SOCIAL SPHERE OF SOCIETY
The theory of the social compact and its reflection in the public and political space of Russia
Abstract
This article examines the foundations of the coexistence and interaction of state power, society, individual social groups and communities within the framework of the concept of a “social compact”. The author shows that the theory of the social compact is the ideological basis of the relationship between the state, society and citizens. The article explains the origin of the state as an institution within which the rights and freedoms of citizens are realized and their protection and security are ensured. The social contract is considered as a kind of ideological structure that ensures a balance between the interests of the majority of the population and political power and serves as an indicator of the stability and stability of the state. This concept is becoming particularly relevant both in the situation of government elections and in the general understanding of the problems of public trust, solidarity, and citizens' support for the existing political course. The author considers the possibility of the existence of a social compact in the public and political space of modern Russia through the following parameters: the public goal/idea of building a society, means and methods of achieving it, people's approval of the current government and trust in it, compliance of the policy with the interests of citizens, coordination of interests and priorities of various social groups and communities.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):26-35
26-35
Dynamics of socio-economic attitudes of Russians under the conditions of the SWO: sociological measurement
Abstract
The article presents a sociological analysis of the key indicators characterising the dynamics of socio-economic attitudes of Russians during the special military operation. The empirical base of the study is the data of sociological monitoring ‘How are you, Russia?’, conducted by the Institute of Socio-Political Research of FCTAS RAS, for 2022 and 2024. The author's model of sociological research includes the study of the structure of public anxieties, the nature of relations between the state and society in the context of the implementation of socio-economic transformations, the features of deprivation and citizens' assessments of their own financial situation. It was found that during the period under study there was a partial redistribution of priority fears for Russians. The importance of security problems at various levels has increased, while at the same time a decrease in the importance of economic threats has been noted against the background of an increase in citizens' assessment of the effectiveness of state policy in the sphere of economic transformation. Despite the decrease in significance, economic worries remain in the lead, forcing citizens to resort to self-restraint. The factor analysis allowed us to identify the key components describing the nature of citizens' deprivations. The first factor was restrictions related to vital needs. Russians tried not to save money to satisfy these needs. The second factor includes social needs of citizens, the temporary restriction of which did not cause significant changes in their life activities. Statistical analysis showed stabilisation of the material situation of the population with a decrease in the poverty rate. As a positive trend, the growth of money wealth of the middle class was recorded as a result of increased labour motivation. The results obtained can be used to adjust the state social policy and develop measures to maintain social stability in crisis conditions.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):36-49
36-49
CURRENT PROBLEMS OF MANAGEMENT IN THE FIELDS OF EDUCATION AND LABOR
Social potential of Russian teachers and problems of its realisation
Abstract
Russian teachers as a social group are experiencing problems in fulfilling their main mission of educating and educating future generations. The teacher acts as the main agent of socialization of students, influencing the formation of their worldview and value orientations, and controls the level and quality of knowledge acquired at the school level. The article presents the social potential of teaching in the public and personal dimensions; a number of objective and subjective reasons considered that complicate the successful implementation of this potential. It concludes, that the factors that positively influence the social potential of Russian teachers are the high level of their education, the historical mission of the profession, and unconditional support from society. At the same time, negative factors include underfunding of school education by the state, a high level of bureaucratization and low prestige of the profession. Creating conditions for the development of the social potential of teachers is an integral part of the social contract between this part of the intelligentsia and the authorities.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):50-58
50-58
RESEARCH OF SOCIO-CULTURAL PROCESSES IN CIVIL SOCIETY
Individual perceptions of equity in the context of institutional and interpersonal trust in medicine by the older
Abstract
The article examines individual perceptions of older people about fairness in the health care system through the prism of institutional and interpersonal trust. The empirical base of the study includes 40 semi-structured interviews with residents of St. Petersburg and rural areas of the Republic of Karelia aged 66-85. The results obtained allowed us to identify markers within the framework of the analysis of institutional and interpersonal trust that characterise similarities and differences in attitudes to the health care system among the considered category of citizens. The common markers of institutional trust for all respondents are the availability of modern equipment and competent staff. Older people in rural areas show significant distrust in local medicine, preferring ambulance services as a more reliable channel for receiving quality medical care. Attitudes towards the status of and trust in medical institutions vary significantly depending on the place of residence. Common interpersonal markers of trust include the presence of interactions and contacts with doctors and minimisation of bureaucratised communication. The integration of medical workers into the rural community and neighbourly help, which mitigated distrust in rural medicine and its possible problems, also proved to be important for rural residents. The study showed that individual perceptions of fairness were quite strongly influenced by trust in health care, and lack of trust affected older people's understanding of fairness. The close relationship between objective characteristics of medical care and subjective perception of its fairness requires the development of differentiated approaches to improving the health care system, taking into account regional peculiarities.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):59-70
59-70
MANAGEMENT IN A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Self-representation of social sphere organizations on VKontakte: routinization and loss of authenticity
Abstract
The article presents a study of communicative practices of social sphere organisations in VKontakte after the adoption of the law on state publics. On the material of a qualitative study of communities in the city of Pechory (Pskov region) the key trends of changes in the self-representation of local communities in the digital space are revealed. The study was conducted in the paradigm of digital anthropology with the support of D.Miller and M.Madiana's theory of polymedia and K.Tagg and A.Lyons' concept of polymedia repertoire. For the empirical study, three communities in a small regional city were selected, their posts were chronologically analysed, and a series of semi-structured interviews with the administrators of these communities were conducted. Particular attention was paid to the influence of unified centralised, top-down requirements on content creation practices and the consequences of this standardisation. The contradiction between the declared goal of creating publics as open communication channels and the actual result in the form of formal fulfilment of requirements through the publication of standardised, emasculated texts that broadcast the daily routine inside and outside the organisation, which often does not resonate with the audience, has been revealed. At the same time, authentic ways of creating original content based on the creativity of administrators are being displaced, despite their greater effectiveness in engaging audiences. There are consequences of the tendency to involve ordinary employees without special skills in administration, which increases their workload while reducing user engagement, as well as accelerating the processes of algorithmicisation and formalisation of content.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):71-84
71-84
REVIEWS
New knowledge in the study of the Russian precariat (review of the book: The lifeworld of workers: sustainability versus precarity / ed. by Zh. T. Toshchenko. M.: Ves’ mir Publ., 2024. 462 p.)
Abstract
The review highlights the key ideas and provisions of the collective monograph “The life world of workers: sustainability versus precarity” published in 2024 and edited by corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences J.T.Toshchenko (Moscow: Ves’ Mir Publ., 2024. 462 p.). The monograph completes the series of publications devoted to precarisation, a special aspect of labour in modern society, characterised by instability of professional employment of large groups of the population. In today's society, where the boundaries between work and private life are increasingly “blurred”, the concepts of “sustainability” and “precarity” are becoming central to understanding the life world of employees. Sustainability implies stable employment, clear career prospects and social protection; it creates confidence and promotes the development of talents, professional skills and personal identity. Precarity, on the other hand, reflects uncertainty and instability. Workers trapped in temporary contracts, freelance projects and/or underemployment are exposed to stress, which has a negative impact on their mental and physical health, which creates not only economic vulnerability, but also social isolation, significantly reducing the quality of life. In this monograph, the team of authors attempts to provide a comprehensive coverage of this phenomenon. The reviewers highlight the structure of the monograph, consider its basic concept of “lifeworld” and its evolutionary development in the depths of historical sociological and philosophical thought. In addition, a brief analysis of transformational changes in employment in Russia and abroad, as well as in the education system is given. The reviewers believe that this collective monograph will be of interest not only to representatives of teaching and research staff, but will also be of interest to doctoral students, postgraduates, specialists and students, managers who study social problems of employment.
Science. Culture. Society. 2025;31(1):85-93
85-93