Modern Democratic Societies Research Articles

INSON HUQUQLARINI HIMOYA QILISHDA NODAVLAT NOTIJORAT TASHKILOTLARI ISHTIROKI TUSHUNCHASI VA TAVSIFI

This article examines the role, significance, and operational mechanisms of non-governmental non-profit organizations (NGOs) in protecting human rights. In modern democratic societies, NGOs have become an integral part of the human rights protection system, serving as a key institution of civil society. The article analyzes the theoretical and legal foundations of NGOs’ activities in the field of human rights, as well as their distinctive characteristics and functions, such as independence, adaptability, and specialization. It also explores the regulation of NGOs’ activities in protecting human rights under the legislation of Uzbekistan and foreign countries. The research results indicate that NGOs perform numerous critical functions, including monitoring human rights, providing legal assistance, developing proposals for legislative improvements, enhancing legal literacy, and exercising public oversight. The article comprehensively analyzes the current state of NGO participation in human rights protection in Uzbekistan, highlighting achievements and existing challenges. Identified issues include a lack of financial resources and qualified personnel, imperfect mechanisms for collaboration with state authorities, and certain deficiencies in the legal framework. In conclusion, the article offers practical recommendations to enhance the role of NGOs in human rights protection, including strengthening their financial foundations, improving cooperation with state bodies, expanding opportunities for public oversight, refining legislation, and enhancing personnel capacity.

THE LIMITS OF TOLERANCE: COLLISIONS OF THE CANCEL CULTURE

While philosophers have been studying the phenomenon of tolerance for quite a long time and fruitfully, cancel culture has aroused philosophical interest relatively recently. The article reveals the essential connection between the need to make exceptions to the tolerance guideline in order to achieve social justice and the appeal to the cancel culture as inherent in a modern democratic society, in which there are developed information and communication technologies and the corresponding power of influence of social networks. The ethical and social positions of both those who support the cancel culture and those against whom it is directed are analyzed. The need for an involved study of the situation of oppressed social groups is specified in order to achieve an epistemological position sufficient for adequate ethical judgments regarding the parties to the conflict in the situation of cancellation. It is revealed that the partial success of identity politics is due to the fact that it begins to use the cancel culture to stigmatize opponents and apply the principle of toxicity to those who are not direct perpetrators of a gross violation of social justice. It is proven that the cancel culture can excessively exceed the limits of tolerance and in this case cause a counter-reaction with the demand to cancel those who abuse the cancel culture. It is argued that within the framework of its justified and adequate application, not only does cancel culture act as an effective tool for restoring social justice, it is also capable of generating socially beneficial collective ecstatic states and facilitating the creation of constructive, emotionally rich shared experiences. There is noted that the cancel culture as a joint proactive public position contributes to the development of civil society and needs its institutionalization for its further normalization.

Integrity and legal ideology: a question of correlation

It is indicated that the basis of the legal ideology of a modern democratic society is integrity as a moral principle and a legal category. It creates an ethical basis for the formation of a system of legal norms and values that regulate relations between the state and its citizens. Legal ideology is a set of ideas and principles that reflect the public attitude to law. Its close connection with integrity is manifested in a common value basis through which fundamental legal principles are formed - justice, equality and legality. The article examines integrity as a fundamental principle of law and its role in the formation of the legal ideology of a democratic society. The theoretical principles of the relationship between integrity and legal ideology are considered, their mutual influence and mechanisms of practical implementation are analyzed. The author analyzes various approaches to understanding integrity, in particular through the prism of the interaction of morality and law. The works of domestic and foreign scholars on the nature of integrity, its multicomponent nature and functioning as an ethical standard for representatives of power are studied. Special attention is paid to the analysis of integrity as an evaluation category, which is interpreted depending on the subject, situation and context. The practical aspects of implementing the principle of integrity in the civil service system of Ukraine are revealed, in particular through anti-corruption legislation and the creation of specialized bodies. A comprehensive approach to ensuring the integrity of public servants through mechanisms for preventing conflicts of interest, a financial control system and ethical principles is highlighted. The importance of integrity as a preventive anti-corruption mechanism and its role in building public trust in government institutions is substantiated. The importance of moral and ethical qualities of civil servants along with their professional competence is emphasized. It is indicated that the practical implementation of the principle of integrity in Ukraine is ensured through a comprehensive system of mechanisms, including anti-corruption legislation, codes of ethics, electronic declaration and monitoring of the lifestyle of civil servants, which contributes to increasing public trust in government institutions.

Trial by jury in Russia and international experience

Criminal proceedings before a jury are the most important constitutional guarantee of citizens' direct participation in the administration of justice. Scientists discover the roots of the jury trial in the 4th century BC in Athens. Subsequently, the jury trial manifested itself in a more developed form in England in 829 A.D. and subsequently spread in one form or another to a number of European countries, including Russia, as well as the United States. The Soviet period of the development of the Russian state was not associated with the development of this institution. However, in the Russian Federation, the jury trial was reborn and returned to domestic criminal proceedings. When writing the article, the author applied a dialectical approach to the study of the phenomenon in its development and constant movement. Thus, the development of the domestic jury trial was traced, taking into account the prerequisites arising from the world experience of its development. The historical method, the method of system analysis and the statistical method were also applied. The main conclusions of the study are the establishment of a link between the emergence of other democratic principles in state building and the emergence of the jury trial. According to the idea of the reformers of the Russian criminal justice system, the jury trial at the apogee of its development should maximize the participation of the popular element in the administration of justice before the crown court, and even more so in a modern democratic society. The functioning of the jury trial is fraught with a number of problems, the main of which is the qualitative potential of the jury and the ability of the public prosecutor to present evidence in their interrelation, on which the fairness of the verdict directly depends. A special contribution of the author to the research of the topic is the introduction into the scientific discourse of rare historical sources that had not previously been found in publications on this topic. The novelty of the research lies in studying the experience of the domestic jury trial from the perspective of the functioning of the prosecutor – public prosecutor in it, analyzing the methodological recommendations of practicing lawyers of the 19th and early 20th centuries in relation to the current stage of development of this institution.

Inclusive Education: Essence, Prerequisites for Its Emergence, Challenges and Opportunities

Educational systems around the world are challenged to provide effective education for all the children. This has led to increased interest in the idea of inclusive education. More broadly, it is seen as a reform that supports and welcomes diversity among all learners. Behind the idea of inclusion lies something inherent in every person – respect for the personality of the other and sharing a common world. Inclusion, besides being a leading value in the modern democratic society, is also a fundamental term for the social model. In the concept of inclusive education, it is of key importance to note that inclusion in education also means inclusion in society. The present article examines the essence of the inclusive education, its principles and components. It analyzes and systemizes the prerequisites for its emergence, summarizes the concept of inclusion, while at the same time the article highlights some challenges and opportunities in the field of inclusive education.

Reloading Civil Disobedience In India - A Gandhian Legacy

There are many factors which shape people’s compliance with laws. Through various studies it was established that the major factors shaping compliance with laws are morality, social pressure, deterrence and legitimacy. In different societies the factor shaping compliance with laws may vary. Early societies largely depend on morality and social pressure for compliance, whereas state centric societies depend on deterrence and modern Democratic Republican societies depend on legitimacy. In India, however, deterrence remains the dominant factor shaping compliance with laws despite India's long-standing democratic republican system. The people in India are often hesitant to follow their own government’s laws. The Gandhian legacy of freedom struggle, particularly the civil disobedience and non-cooperation movement might have legitimized civil disobedience. The civil disobedience movement later suppressed voluntary compliance with laws. This reflects a culture of lack of voluntary compliance with laws among the Indian people. This may be the reason why the state has to rely more on deterrence than legitimacy. If legitimacy shapes compliance with laws then people would have practiced voluntary compliance with laws

Law enforcement bodies in the mechanism of functioning of state power

It is noted that in a modern democratic society, law enforcement agencies play a key role in ensuring legality, law and order, and the safety of citizens. They are an integral part of the mechanism of functioning of state power, acting as a tool for implementing the legal policy of the state and protecting the constitutional rights and freedoms of citizens. A special place in the system of law enforcement agencies is occupied by the police, which is on the front line of interaction between the state and citizens in the sphere of law enforcement. The police, as the central element of the law enforcement system, has a wide range of powers and responsibilities, covering crime prevention, crime investigation, public order and security. The article examines the role of law enforcement agencies, particularly the police, in ensuring legality, law and order, and the safety of citizens in a modern democratic society. Special attention is paid to the analysis of legal, organizational and technological aspects of police activity in the context of growing challenges such as cybercrime, international terrorism and organized crime. The functions of the police as a key element of the law enforcement system, its interaction with other state bodies and society are considered. The author emphasizes the importance of reforming the law enforcement system of Ukraine to meet international standards and growing social needs. It is noted that the functioning of the police in a democratic society should balance between ensuring security and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens. Particular attention was paid to the need to improve the legal and organizational mechanisms of police work, which ensure their accountability to society and compliance with the principles of the rule of law. The article also raises questions regarding the legal definition of law enforcement agencies and their functional role in the modern state, the problems of normative and legal regulation of their activities. The importance of creating an effective system of police control and accountability in the context of democratic transformations taking place in Ukraine is discussed.

Interpretation of legal duty in the American legal tradition

Human rights, as enshrined in current international legal instruments, are the result of long-term historical development and the gradual formation of standards that have become the norm in modern democratic society. The formation of such unified standards for regulating social life has led to the modern doctrine of human rights being based on universal principles and values, including freedom, equality, justice, and the inalienability of fundamental human rights. However, despite the commonality of these values and principles on which the modern idea of human rights is founded, its formation and gradual development occurred under the influence of cultural, historical, political, and sociological factors of individual states or entire regions. These factors led to the emergence of distinct legal traditions. A legal tradition is understood as a deeply rooted and historically conditioned attitude of people towards the role of law in society, the nature of law, as well as the organization and functioning of the legal system as a whole. The legal tradition, in turn, leads to certain differences or authenticity in the interpretation of various legal categories, as their formation occurred through the prism of unique circumstances characteristic of a particular legal tradition. Studying approaches to interpreting certain legal phenomena in specific legal traditions allows for a broader understanding of a given legal concept, revealing its peculiarities in the legal systems of individual states, and conducting a comparative analysis of its interpretation alongside other legal traditions. Today, when discussing human rights and obligations, we often refer to sources of the European legal tradition, which undoubtedly play an important role in the modern understanding of human rights. However, it would be incorrect to overlook the contributions of other legal traditions, particularly the American one. The emergence of the modern system of human rights and obligations on the American continent is associated with the activities of the Organization of American States, as well as the adoption of such acts as the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man of 1948 and the American Convention on Human Rights of 1969. It should be noted that the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man preceded the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 by six months, which underscores the significance of this act in the process of establishing an international system of human rights and their protection. A characteristic feature of this Declaration, which distinguishes it from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and a number of other European human rights acts, is its extensive list of duties impos ed on individuals. Thus, to identify the peculiarities of interpreting the category of legal duty, it would be appropriate to study this fundamental normative legal act of the American legal tradition in the field of human rights and duties. Furthermore, studying normative legal acts that regulate both human rights and duties will allow us to outline the mechanism of establishing and normatively formulating key human duties in the American legal tradition.

Legal problems of state regulation economic activities in a special period

The paper reveals the role and problems of determining the peculiarities of solving legal problems of state regulation of economic activity in a special period as one of the conditions for the development of a modern democratic society. A detailed study of this issue was conducted, aspects of the regulatory and legal environment and the problems of Ukrainian business work in such difficult conditions were considered. The last few years, the most difficult in the history of the state, have shown that there is a need to move from direct administrative assistance to the formation of a favorable economic and social environment for the improvement of mechanisms and tools for stimulating the development of business entities. It is the priority of state regulation and support of entrepreneurship in such conditions that will provide an opportunity not only to preserve business, but also to expand it with a simultaneous increase in the number of jobs, which is one of the foundations of the functioning of the welfare state. Any difficulties in economic activity quite often give rise to new opportunities for growth, the economy is being restructured, new niches are opening that can be used for growth, and in the future, filling the state and local budgets. The historical experience of the states that have gone through the war shows that the economic system and business development is a key area of further reform and modernization, and the main goal of this process is to create favorable conditions for economic activity, to activate the investment potential of the country and to create comfortable conditions for the functioning of the capital involved. One of the fundamental elements of creating a favorable business environment in Ukraine is the deregulation of economic activity, that is, the maximum simplification of business and government cooperation, the formation of a free market, a transparent permit system, and partnership relations with state regulatory and supervisory bodies. An important aspect of state regulation of economic activity in a special period of state development is, first of all, the conscious formation by state structures of appropriate direct and indirect business support tools, in particular, the creation of incentives, the use of material, financial and other resources that are attracted to its subjects. Special attention was paid to the need to develop and implement specialized legal acts that would regulate the protection of business activities in such emergency situations.

Legal regulation of protection personal data in a special period

The paper reveals the role and problems of determining the peculiarities of solving the problems of legal regulation of personal data protection in a special period as one of the conditions for the development of a modern democratic society. A detailed study of this issue was conducted, aspects of the regulatory environment and levels of personal data protection in such complex conditions were considered. Acceleration of the scale and intensity of collection and use of personal data by state bodies and economic entities to achieve the goals of their activities, as well as the expansion of opportunities and strengthening of incentives for unauthorized access to personal data and their abuse, causes the need for the state to use the most effective means and methods guarantee the right of individuals to protect their personal data. In a special period, the protection of personal data should be a priority task for the state, legal entities and individuals. Not only the information security of the state and its citizens depends on this, but also their rights and freedoms. The basic legal act regulating the protection of personal data in our country is the Law of Ukraine "On Personal Data", which aims to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens of Ukraine against improper use of their personal data. The law establishes rules for the collection, storage, processing and transfer of personal data, as well as responsibility for their improper use. In today's special conditions in Ukraine, a significant number of changes and innovations have been made to the current legislation in the field of personal data protection, a significant part of which restricts the activities of citizens. Only some of them are progressive measures aimed at the future, while others act only as a means of correcting modern uncoordinated norms and unresolved problems, which in the future may significantly hinder the building of a democratic and legal state in Ukraine, because, as historical experience shows, in special periods it is quite easy to introduce certain restrictions, but it is quite difficult to remove them afterwards. Special attention was paid to the need to develop and implement specialized legal acts that would regulate the protection of personal data in such emergency situations.

Placing Behavior in Context: Political Interpretations of Individual Behavior in Countering Information Warfare in Finland

Malign information influence often targets large segments of the population, with the intent to manipulate individual behavior for the benefit of the actors disseminating this harmful information. However, in a liberal society like Finland, individual behavior is closely tied to personal freedoms and liberties, making the commentary and regulation of individual behavior for the sake of security a complex endeavor. This paper investigates how Finnish politicians and officials perceive individual behavior within the context of information warfare. We examine the emergence of particular discourses that interpret, critique, and potentially seek to influence individual behavior. Our research draws from parliamentary debates and legislative documents, as well as executive branch materials, providing insight into contemporary political thought. By exploring the evolving landscape of political discourse in Finland, our paper contributes to a better understanding of the environment in which countermeasures against information warfare are developed and the roots of national security policy. It underscores the intricate challenges of safeguarding cognitive security while respecting individual freedoms in a modern democratic society.

Political Extremism and Its Implications: An Inquiry into Violence, Struggle, and Self-Sacrifice

This research paper draws upon English novelist George Orwell’s observations on human proclivities toward struggle and self-sacrifice, as seen in his criticism of “Mein Kampf”, and uses them to explore the complex nature of political extremism. By analyzing the evolution of the political narrative since the 1970s, from economic to cultural issues, it investigates the foundations of extreme nationalism within contemporary liberal democracies. In order to show the features and motives of this phenomenon, the study observes several European far-right groups through the lens of extreme nationalism, uncovering similar themes of anti-globalization, immigration, and European Union views. It delves further into the examination of human beings by taking a closer look at the way culture shaped our development as a species and the fundamental urge for identification and belonging, providing insights into the psychological underpinnings of extreme beliefs and behavior. It also looks at the foundations of group violence, discussing it as a morally motivated behavior meant to maintain and preserve social ties and the concept of struggle as behavioral mechanisms exploited by extreme nationalists. To thoroughly assess the validity of Orwell’s ideas, the research combines the theoretical framework with a case study of the contemporary tendencies towards extremism in the U.S. political system. The analysis leads to the conclusion that George Orwell’s findings that the attractiveness of political extremism has its roots in basic features of human nature are still applicable in modern democratic societies.

Police, Victim and Co-victim Interaction: Insights from Australia

Interacting with victims and co-victims of crime and other calls for help are a daily routine for police forces, and there have been many attempts to improve this vital function of policing in modern democratic societies. However, some groups in Australia remain unconvinced by police actions when they report incidents and are suspicious of the response they receive. This article provides insights concerning the way in which the police deal with victims and co-victims in Australia, utilizing a particular focus on high-profile sections of the community. These examples highlight some of the issues; the article concludes by suggesting that policing in Australia needs to be refocused to ensure officers understand the important role victims and co-victims play in reducing and detecting criminality, whilst also supporting the legitimization of the police role.

Royalty and Its Representation in Popular Culture

Royalty and Its Representation in Popular Culture

Social Context of Civil Process for Sustainable Development

This paper focuses on the existing mechanisms for the participation of vulnerable persons, including persons with disabilities and children, in civil disputes. As modern democratic society develops the concept of a social state, ensuring equal conditions for the participation of vulnerable persons in civil turnover is essential. Hence, the aim of the study is to identify existing legislative gaps and challenges that prevent the participation of vulnerable persons in civil disputes. Humanity has agreed on a sustainable development plan, in which social sustainability is set as one of the main goals. However, modern civil procedure law is mainly based on the codification of the 19th century, which in turn originates from Roman law. Since then, public relations have changed and modern technologies are constantly developing. The concept of a digital judge, smart contracts, and a blockchain system has already emerged. Therefore, the regulations of civil proceeding do not respond to modern challenges, and it is necessary to update civil procedure legislation in order to provide an equal platform for the participation of vulnerable persons in civil disputes. The purpose of the article is to review the rules of civil procedure law in terms of a social context based on the international approaches, practices, and research. Through a mixed-quantitative, qualitative, and general research methods, as well as comparative analysis, specific recommendations are introduced that will bring civil dispute resolution closer to sustainable development plans and ensure the equal participation of vulnerable persons in civil dispute.

Disinformation in the Spanish public debate: an analysis of political speeches in the Congress of Deputies

Disinformation is one of the main challenges faced by modern democratic societies, becoming a crucial focus of study in political communication. Terms such as lie, falsehood, hoax, disinformation, or post-truth have become part of the daily language of the media, featured in numerous scientific studies, and entered political discourse. With the aim of delving into and determining the characteristic features of Spanish politicians' discourse on disinformation, a methodology of quantitative and qualitative content analysis is applied to a total of 1,115 interventions by members of the Congress of Deputies during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. This period is chosen due to its high levels of disinformation and polarization. The results indicate that the issue of disinformation is a minor topic on the Spanish political agenda. Furthermore, metrics confirm a much higher use of terms such as lie, false, and hoax, to the detriment of other words like disinformation or post-truth. An impact of the pandemic on the main themes related to this phenomenon is also detected, with health and the economy being the primary frames identified. From an interpretative perspective, this is attributed to the tendency of Spanish politicians to use this issue as just one element within a polarizing and confrontational rhetoric, generally eschewing proactive debates on the measures needed to address disinformation.

Style and language of television news on the Iraqi issue on TRT and RT

Interest in mass media discourse has increased significantly in recent decades, which is confirmed by numerous studies that are aimed at studying the features of the language and style used on news channels, the manifestation of the manipulative function, the rhetoric of the sender of the communication message and the reaction of recipients. TRT and RT are major international news channels. Having a similar mission (24-hour daily updates of news from politics, business, finance, sports, science, culture...), these TV channels actively use modern digital technologies in their activities, which allows them to take leading positions in the rankings in their niche. Already at the end of the twentieth century, there was a regular change in the forms of speech styles of communication due to the development of communication and other technologies. The information revolution and the subsequent technological development gave a new impetus to the journalistic profession, bringing it to a completely new level of the digital space. Research methods used in the article: systematization, generalization, critical analysis, discourse analysis, stylistic analysis, pragmatic analysis. Television which occupies an important place among the media due to its wide coverage acted as the subject of our consideration. The authors identified a common feature among many researchers of the language and style of television news - anxiety about their ambiguous influence on the broad masses of the population, as J. Bloomer talks about. This concern stems from concerns about the power of the media to influence modern democratic societies, the protection of various freedoms, and the dangers of propaganda tools and information manipulation.

Social Media And Misleading Information In A Democracy A Mechanism Design Approach

The advent of social media platforms in modern democratic societies has fundamentally transformed how information is disseminated and consumed. These platforms have created unprecedented opportunities for communication and self-expression. However, they have also become fertile grounds for the rapid spread of inaccurate and deceptive information. Addressing this issue involves utilizing a mechanism design approach to scrutinize the impact of social media on democratic processes and propose solutions to curb the spread of misinformation. By analyzing the incentives and strategic behaviors of platform users, content creators, and information consumers, this research aims to understand how social media algorithms, user interactions, and network structures contribute to the proliferation of misleading information. The insights gained from this analysis will significantly contribute to the ongoing discourse about the role of social media in democratic societies. Furthermore, the findings will provide actionable recommendations for policymakers, platform designers, and users. The ultimate goal is to cultivate a healthier and more reliable information ecosystem, thus enhancing the quality of democratic engagement and decision-making

Дело Ульрике Геро: попытки публичной казни

The case of Ulrike Guérot, which has become an administrative case, which highlights the problematic nature of current university policy in Germany and beyond (the policy of direct and indirect restrictions and sanctions imposed on manifestations of free, non-standard thinking in the public space of a modern democratic society), is described by the author in its unique facticity for Germany — correlated except with the wave of prohibitions on the profession and the expulsion of dissidents in 1977 (the case of Peter Bruckner, etc.). The essay sets itself and tries to answer the following structurally significant and rooted in the specifics of the analyzed case: (1) How, when and why is Professor (political scientist Ulrike Guérot) labeled “controversial” (#umstritten)? (2) What impact does public pressure have on the decision of the (Bonn) University to dismiss? (3) What happens to a democratic society in which scientists and intellectuals are no longer free and cannot participate in public discussions without self-censorship? In search of answers to these questions, the author comes to a statement of a characteristic and symptomatic circumstance for the current moment: through a media campaign promoting his case professionally (but laterally, divergently) analyzing the current political realities (Germany, Europe, etc.) the political scientist is being pushed out by both the mainstream media and the university community “into that segment of society whose representatives began to be called ‘outside the box’ in a negative and exclusive way [from ‘normality’] even during the polarized discussion about coronavirus…” As a result: “Alliances and communities that previously seemed unthinkable suddenly arose, The classic political categories of the ‘right’ and ‘left’ are mixed up… Which once again underlines the complexity of the social dynamics that have arisen: which side is ‘wrong’ in a democracy?”

Posibile implicații ale fenomenului de degradare a conceptului de „adevăr” în era digitală asupra domeniului securității și apărării

In today’s interconnected world, the phenomenon of truth decay has become a significant social concern. Truth decay refers to the gradual erosion of the concept of truth and the gradual decrease of respect for objective facts, evidence and experts’ opinions, based on specialized knowledge. Facilitated by the rapid advancement of technology and the rise of social media platforms, this phenomenon has profound implications for social processes and interactions, public discourse and overall trust within modern democratic societies. This article explores the causes and consequences of truth degradation in modern society (as a broader societal phenomenon) and examines its implications for security and defence. It also explores the ways in which the truth decay can be maliciously exploited in the context of hybrid warfare, as a tool for manipulating public opinion, spreading confusion and undermining societal cohesion, and highlights the importance of addressing this issue.