Comparative Sociological Study Research Articles

Opinion of medical and pharmaceutical professionals on the quality of pharmaceutical care for patients with diabetes mellitus in the Novosibirsk region: a comparative sociological study

Relevance. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Russian Federation have the right to receive free medications. Despite this, some patients with DM experiencing difficulties at various stages of preferential treatment are forced to purchase medications at their own expense. Medical workers (MW) who receive patients and pharmaceutical workers (PW) of preferential dispensing points (PDP), who dispense drugs on preferential terms and provide pharmaceutical information (PI) to patients, are of considerable interest as competent sources of opinion about the quality of the organization of drug provision.Objective. To conduct a comparative sociological study of the organization of PDP for patients with DM in the Novosibirsk region (NSR) using the method of questioning MW and PW.Materials and methods. The materials used were the MW and PW questionnaires developed by the authors. During the study, the following methods were used: sociological survey (questioning), content analysis, comparative analysis, induction, and logical method.Results and discussion. 71% of MW must deal with various difficulties when issuing preferential prescriptions for drugs. These include: absence of drugs in the preferential list (29%), funding limit (29%), and absence of drugs in the PDP (35%). An average level of compliance in taking medications by patients with DM according to the MW was revealed, with a low interest in PI according to PDP workers. 45% of PW experience difficulties when conducting PI of patients with DM. The majority of PW (88%) consider the range of PDP in which they work to be rich in international nonproprietary names, trade names, and release forms of both oral hypoglycemic drugs and insulins.Conclusions. The results obtained allow us to conclude that the drug provision system for patients with DM in the NSR needs to be optimized. Based on the results of the survey, the main directions of optimization can be identified: increasing the availability of drugs in the PDP and increasing the competence of the PDP’s PW through the development of additional training materials and activities.

Homo tolerant in the value system “essentialism - existentialism”

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.

Enhanced recovery after spine surgery: state of the art in the Russian Federation

Objective. To analyze the attitude of neurosurgeons to the technology of enhanced recovery after spine and spinal cord surgery in the Russian Federation.Material and Methods. In March 2022, a continuous cohort comparative sociological study was conducted among 83 neurosurgeons of the Russian Federation, during which they were asked to fill out a specially designed online questionnaire consisting of 22 questions on the Google Forms platform.Results. The vast majority of respondents (95.2 %) noted the lack of information in the Russian literature on the technology of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). Nevertheless, most neurosurgeons, regardless of specialization, are familiar with the terms “fast track” (79.5 %) and “ERAS” (60.2 %). Only 44.6 % of specialists declared the implementation of ERAS recommendations into their daily clinical practice, while 78.3 % of neurosurgeons draw attention to the existence of problems that hamper adoption of enhanced recovery protocols (ERP) in Russia. The interviewed respondents are confident that it is possible to introduce ERP into spinal neurosurgery in adults (91.6 %) and children (85.5 %) in Russia. Every second respondent (50.6 %) considers it possible to directly extrapolate foreign ERP into clinical practice in Russian healthcare. Spinal neurosurgeons are more aware of ERAS than cerebral neurosurgeons (p = 0.017), and they also more often use elements of ERAS in their clinical practice (p = 0.002). In other parameters, the respondents did not differ significantly depending on their specialization. Only 7.2 % of interviewed neurosurgeons work in private clinics. All of them are engaged in spinal surgery and introduce the ERAS technology into their clinical practice. Less than half (40.0 %) of neurosurgeons in public clinics implement elements of the ERAS (p = 0.007). More than half (69.7 %) of specialists and every second manager consider the introduction of ERAS in a neurosurgical clinic to be progressive, and only a few of them (3.6 %), on the contrary, believe that the quality of medical care may decrease with the introduction of ERAS. Neurosurgeons (n = 13) identified 7 clinics of the Russian Federation, where the enhanced recovery protocol after spine surgery is implemented. In total, according to the results of the study, 23 elements of the ERAS protocol are implemented in the practice of respondents (n = 20) in the conditions of Russian healthcare.Conclusions. Despite the lack of publications in the Russian literature and the existing organizational problems in the context of domestic healthcare, neurosurgeons have a positive attitude towards the introduction of ERAS protocol into clinical practice. This protocol or its individual elements are already successfully implemented in a group of clinics in Russia.

Analysis of integration processes in provision of medical care in rural health care of the region (on the material of Saratov region)

Chronic diseases, which form the somatic and social deprivation of patients, imply the provision of integrated medical and social care. National health care systems are actively pursuing processes aimed at overcoming the fragmentation of health care delivery and forming a model of integrated health care. The purpose of the study. Analysis of interaction of medical organizations and continuity in the treatment of patients in rural health care in the Saratov region.Material and methods. The authors conducted a comparative sociological study, which involved 319 physicians working in the district medical organizations of the Saratov region. The study was preceded by the construction of the medical and social portrait of the respondents.Results. The majority (73.7 %) of the respondents assessed the degree of continuity of patient care between inpatient and outpatient facilities in the district of the region as average.Conclusion. The study reveals the peculiarities of the organization of medical care for the rural population, which consist in the limited implementation of the principles of continuity in the management of patients, the presence of barriers to digitalization. The analysis of the degree of interaction between doctors when providing medical care to the rural population in inpatient and outpatient conditions reveals the fragmentation of rural and regional health systems.

Features of developing corporate social responsibility strategies of foreign brands

The article discusses the features of the development of corporate social responsibility strategies of foreign brands. The purpose of the strategy is to manage projects and processes in the field of corporate social responsibility and define the basic principles and priorities of the business. The strategy ensures the sustainable development and improvement of the efficiency of corporate socially responsible business using the norms enshrined in international standards. Our main task is to identify strategic directions for the formation of social responsibility of Kazakhstan business in modern conditions. In this regard, a comparative analysis and results of the implementation of corporate social responsibility strategies of foreign brands are given. Here are the studies of Starbucks, H&M and IKEA based on literature, including information collected from the analysis of scientific publications and scientific articles. These comparative analyzes and results can serve as an example of the formation of social responsibility strategies of Kazakh business. In the future, serious sociological studies of strategies of corporate social responsibility of foreign brands operating in Kazakhstan are necessary. It is important to determine the strategic directions of the development of social responsibility of the Kazakh business by means of comparative sociological studies. The fact is that the environment, opportunities and framework of business functioning are changing now, and time requires continuous changes. In principle, the strategy should be built with an emphasis not only on the interests and success of the business, but on the interests of the collective, more precisely, society.  Keywords: social responsibility of Business, Corporate Social Responsibility, brand, strategy, EFQM.

Socio-economic well-being of the youth of Europe and Russia as the basis for building life strategies

Based on the data of the author's comparative sociological study conducted in 2019 in 4 countries (Russia, Poland, Italy, Germany), the author describes the life strategies of young people in the context of the current socio-economic situation and modern social policy. Young people were asked questions about the significance for them of various areas of their lives, about their self-identification and social well-being now and in the future for 10-15 years, their vision of the country's development and about how and what kind of future they plan for themselves. The author shows that the level of social optimism of young citizens in 4 countries is associated with both objective indicators of social well-being and subjective ideas about their place on the social ladder. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of planning horizons and prospects for their economic well-being, career growth, civic activity in connection with the possible future of the country. There is an acute sensitivity of young people in comparison with other demographic and social groups to events taking place in society. The study of changes in youth assessments of their place in society, existing prospects, the structure of values makes it possible to trace the direction and speed of changes that are now taking place in the public consciousness. And also, to identify key values for society, not only transmitted from generation to generation, serving as a kind socio-cultural basis and national marker, but also changing, especially in the context of globalization and global transformation. As a result, this makes it possible to present the image of the future as it is seen by the current generation of young people.

The sociology of conversion narratives: a conundrum, a theory, and an opportunity

ABSTRACT Using Paul Ricoeur’s theory of narrative to consider John Lofland and Rodney Stark’s classic “Becoming a World-Saver”, I address a fundamental conundrum in the sociology of conversion. If the conversion story is told in the light of the new discourse—brought about by the conversion—how can sociologists use it to explain the conversion and the factors that led to it? I consider the extent to which the sociology of religion has conflated the necessary elements of narrative structure for the stages of conversion. Taking into consideration more recent research, the article makes a case for the careful and comparative sociological study of conversion narratives—considered as narrative accounts. I argue that doing so further opens up avenues for research, particularly if the audiences are considered for whom the stories are told and the purposes the stories serve, and ultimately constitutes a sound basis for considering the processes of conversion themselves.

Актуальность идей чикагской школы в фокусе процессов урбанизации и рурализации

The relevance of the ideas of the Chicago School of Sociology is explained by the fragmentation of comparative sociological studies of city and village and increases many times against the background of modern processes of urbanization and ruralization. The history of urban and rural sociology of city begins in the 19th century, but today authoritative centers for the study of urban and rural communities, urban and rural cultures are not actively developing. The authors show that modern parallel but multi-directional processes of urbanization and ruralization increase the relevance of the ideas of the Chicago School.

ПОЛІТИЧНА ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ОСОБИСТОСТІ ЯК ПОКАЗНИК СПЕЦИФІКИ ЇЇ ПОЛІТИЧНОЇ УЧАСТІ ТА ПОЛІТИЧНОЇ ПОВЕДІНКИ: СОЦІОЛОГІЧНИЙ АСПЕКТ

<p><strong><em>The purpose of the study</em></strong><em> is to analyze the problems of the essence and indicators of individual political effectiveness, implemented in the processes of political participation and political behavior.</em></p><p><strong><em>Research methodology.</em></strong><em> The following methods and approaches were used in the research: system analysis – to analyze the problems of the essence of individual political efficiency; structural and functional analysis – to study the forms of political participation and political behavior of citizens. The empirical basis of the study is the results of the international comparative sociological study «European Social Survey».</em></p><p><strong><em>Results</em></strong><em>. The article considers an important and practically unexplored problem in sociology related to the effectiveness of individual political activity of ordinary citizens. Such political efficiency is considered as the correspondence of the results achieved in the process of political activity to the set goals. Various (including conventional and unconventional) forms of political participation and political behavior of citizens are analyzed. The results of sociological research show the greatest effectiveness of political electoral behavior at the level of decision-making regarding voting using the technology of «voice of thought» in contrast to the technologies of «voice of belonging» and «voice of change».</em></p><p><strong><em>Novelty. </em></strong><em>It is determined that in the political activity of individuals there are both conventional and unconventional forms of political behavior, while the first, conventional (legal) in modern Ukraine, according to sociological research, are the most effective and it is in them a large number of citizens agree to participate.</em></p><p><strong><em>Practical significance.</em></strong><em> The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of their use to determine the essence and indicators of individual political efficiency, which is realized in the processes of political participation and political behavior of society.</em></p><p><strong><em>Key words: </em></strong><em>political participation, political behavior, political efficiency, individual political efficiency.</em><em></em></p>

Aspects of assessing the quality of education at a university

The present research is aimed at identifying the quality of education from the perspective of students’ vision as participants in this educational process (according to the following criteria: fundamentality, sufficiency, modernity, level of digitalization of the quality of education), its impact on their educational level, and the study of students’ motivation to learn, based on their assessment of the content level of educational curricula. The main research method is a comparative sociological study, which compares the research data of students of the M. Akmulla Bashkir State Pedagogical University (BSPU) with the results of other monitoring studies conducted in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Bashkortostan. In addition to the questionnaire method, the focus group method was also used. The study revealed students’ attitudes to the quality of education, motivation to study, assessment of the content and quality of education, attitude to technologies, and learning conditions. According to the results of the 2019 study, 75% of students of BSPU were generally satisfied with the level of education quality. The novelty of the research is based on the following facts: quantitative parameters dominate over qualitative ones, which, as a result, leads to the information overload of the educational process subjects and a decrease in the level of competencies that determine the ability of students to think independently and analyze information.

Доверие и ответственность в региональном измерении

The issue of developing strategic trust at different levels of self-organization of territorial communities gains increasing importance in Russia. This article considers trust and responsibility as integral components of forming a sustainable society and implementation of modernization processes. The author turns to the problem of the relationship between these concepts and reveals trends in the dynamics of trust relationships in Russia and its regions. This article relies on the results of comparative sociological and cultural studies in the Tomsk (2015), Kursk (2016), and Tyumen (2016) regions, as well as in Russia overall (2015). The comparison of results from sociological researches shows the characteristics of institutional and interpersonal trust. The author notes that the new challenges to the development of society associated with the tasks of transition to system modernization create an increased demand for strengthening social partnership and the establishment of qualitative and constructive public policy. There is a trend to activate the position of citizens in defending their rights, as well as in helping vulnerable categories of the population. In conclusion, the author shows practical steps of individual regions on the way of creation of solidary society.

Family and the Sexual Identity Development of Youth: A Comparative Sociological Study of the Semi-urban and Rural Youth in Ratnapura District of Sri Lanka

The study captures the impact of structured relationships within the family on sexual identity development of youth. Research problem stems from the quarry whether the semi-urban and rural families exposed to the social dynamics of globalization, differ in their role constructing the sexual identities of youth. Parent-youth communication, social class and style of parenting, family role in the resolution of sexual identity crisis, and inter sibling relations are considered pertaining to the sexual identity development. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted. Multi staged simple random sampling technique is employed representing semi-urban and rural youth (n=225) in the postal survey. Informal interviews and ten in-depth case studies of youth with unresolved sexual identities were carried out. The study substantiates that although, semi-urban and rural families do not drastically contrast with each other, and they constitute two different contexts of sexual identity development. Although, social class is not correlated, gender role socialization, style of parenting cause the semi-urban and rural difference pertaining to family role in sexual identity development. Qualitative analysis revealed the precursors of negative sexual identity development within the family. Sri Lankan families leave little margin and are emotionally less supportive in case of negative sexual identities.

Transformative and Selective Systems: A Study in Comparative Sociology of Academic Markets Careers

The article explores the relationship between academic career structure and labor market organization characterizing different national academic systems. Selective and transformative systems are described as two opposite ideal types. The principal constitutive difference between them is that the selective system requires scholars to move between organizations at least ones during their academic career, and introduces time limits for staying at the lower steps of the academic ladder, while transformative systems do not prohibit inbreeding or ban staying indefinitely at lower academic ranks. The academic systems of Great Britain, Germany, Russia, USA, and France are used to demonstrate how this fundamental difference is related to many other parameters of institutional organization of national academic worlds, such as labor market competitiveness, selection procedures complexity, whether the labor market is driven by supply or demand, the level of geographic mobility, the presence of tenure, the role of formal indicators in academic productivity assessment, and the overall status of the academic profession.

In This Issue: Comparative Studies in Sociology and Political Economy

In This Issue: Comparative Studies in Sociology and Political Economy

Bridging continents, cultures, and crip theories: teaching Comparative and International Disability Studies in education and sociology

ABSTRACTThis article deals with the question how to teach Disability Studies and Inclusive Education to international student populations in higher education (HE). It provides a glimpse into an example of teaching practice, namely a workshop on experiences and expectations of disabled international students in HE, organized by the second author. By referring to the notion of bridging, it reflects how various understandings of what disability is, can be linked up and made fruitful in the classroom. The proposal of this article is twofold: for the theorization of disability, that a variant of ‘Comparative and International Disability Studies’ shall come into being; and for the practice of inclusion in HE, that the time is ripe for a concrete and constructive discussion about the access, participation and educational achievement of international students with disabilities in universities abroad, as well as about appropriate forms of assistance for their mobility.

A Comparative Sociological Study of Japanese and Taiwanese Upper Secondary Education

A Comparative Sociological Study of Japanese and Taiwanese Upper Secondary Education

Consuming (through) the Other? Rethinking Fat and Eating in BBW Videos Online

Consuming (through) the Other? Rethinking Fat and Eating in BBW Videos Online

シム・チュン・キャット著 『シンガポールの教育とメリトクラシーに関する比較社会学的研究 ―選抜度の低い学校が果たす教育的・社会的機能と役割』

シム・チュン・キャット著 『シンガポールの教育とメリトクラシーに関する比較社会学的研究 ―選抜度の低い学校が果たす教育的・社会的機能と役割』

A comparative sociological study on the images of urban residence and the role of housing advertisement

A comparative sociological study on the images of urban residence and the role of housing advertisement

The Problem with Work: Feminism, Marxism, Antiwork Politics, and Postwork Imaginaries

The Problem with Work: Feminism, Marxism, Antiwork Politics, and Postwork Imaginaries