Modern Sociology Research Articles

The third integrative wave in sociology’s development. Part II. Theories and methods for an augmented social reality

The article is analyzing positive prospects of the sociology’s development in the context of today’s fragmentation of scientific discipline under conditions of metaparadigm crisis and post-globalization. Current disintegration in sociology is provoked by the rising postcolonial discourse, by attempts to stigmatize western classics and to create theoretical alternatives to the ‘global North’ domination in knowledge production as well as by spread of conceptions opposing social reality of networks and flows to classical sociality of structures and agency (M. Castells, B. Latour, J. Urry, K. Knorr Cetina). The third in the modern sociology’s history integrative wave is expected to come in the 2020s displacing tendencies of disintegration, discrimination, growing gaps and rising barriers. Now theories are relevant as they create a coherent configuration of four types of structures: institutions, interactions, networks, and flows. The new subject matter for theorizing is constituted by their interconnections in forms of fields of structurations, scapes of assemblages, communications, platforms, projects, and events. After the ideas of the end of Modernity and multiple Modernities, the idea of augmented Modernity emarges overcoming constitutive distinctions of the last century’s sociology: local vs. global, system vs. lifeworld, material vs. symbolic, private vs. public, real vs. virtual, physical vs. digital, et ctr. Mutual penetration of different social structures stimulates elaboration and implementation of innovative hybrid methods directed towards an augmented data collecting and analysis.

Formation of new health care practices: what sociology [does not] see

The article was prepared for the 50th anniversary of the journal “Sociological Studies”. An array of articles (N = 29) on the topic of health care norms and practices published in the journal from 2010 to 2023 was analyzed. To validate the research presented in the publication and the results of qualitative content analysis, data from eight public opinion surveys were analyzed by the ZIRCON research group and the Higher School of Economics, conducted as part of various projects in 2010– 2023, including those with authors participation (five of them represent the population of the Russian Federation, three relate to individual regions and cities of Russia). Along with the identified thematic gaps in the field of modern sociology of health, it has been ascertained that the studies complement each other and make it possible to build a logic for the presentation of the health care topics covering all its main links.

The Methodology of Sociological Criticism in Iraq

In the period preceding the establishment of the first sociology department at the University of Baghdad, the works of Abdul Fattah Ibrahim and Abdul Jabbar Arim played a significant role. These scholars are regarded as pioneers of this pre-foundational phase. Although they did not conduct any field research, the methodologies they advocated for analysing and critiquing Iraqi social reality were well-defined. In Abdul Fattah Ibrahim's first specialised book on sociology, he presents Darwin's theory of evolution as "the foundational principle upon which modern sociology is based." He defines sociology as "the study of society in its evolution according to the law of the survival of the fittest, with the goal of enhancing its ability to endure."

Network technologies as a tool for self-presentation of small religious groups (the case of Buddhism new for Russia)

This article analyses the results of a long-term study of the strategies of the Russian-speaking Buddhist community in relation to the Internet and new media. The authors present the results of a study of two cases of Buddhist digital innovators - communities of the Russian-speaking branch of the International Dzogchen Community and Russian Theravada. The authors chose these two cases for analysis, since they are representative for the sociological consideration of the multidimensional connections between online and offline communications of Russian digital Buddhism. The subject of the study seems to be especially relevant, since in modern sociology more and more attention is paid to the study of the influence of media technologies, the Internet and social media on religious traditions, practices and forms of social organisation of religion. The reason for this is the deepening process of mediatisation of modern societies. It has brought with it fundamental transformations of various spheres of social activity. Religions are involved in the process of mediatisation, that poses a number of serious questions that require new answers unknown to their traditions. Thus, the digitalisation of sacred texts brings with it the devaluation of the tradition of canonical knowledge and interpretation of sacred texts. In this complex context of reformatting social reality, Russian traditional religions are developing their own reflections and responses to the risks of mediatisation. On the Russian-language Internet, Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism and Buddhism are represented by a rich variety of websites of the corresponding religious communities and centres of various trends, podcasts, channels, publics, groups and blogs on social networks. And, as the results of sociological research demonstrate, the discussion of the correlation of the value-normative coordinates of everyday life with religious-doctrinal regulation serves as the semantic core of trans-local religious communications mediated by media. New digital media challenge religious traditional values, since they provide space and ways of forming new religious authorities, new ways of influencing a certain religious group. The study was conducted using a methodology developed by the authors, combining methods of mathematical modelling and qualitative sociology. The authors conclude that, paradoxically, non-traditional Buddhist organisations in Russia have adopted an innovative strategy and have proven to be very creative in attracting new media and promoting their own presentations in the public space. And the directions of Buddhism that have been institutionalised in the past 30 years, on the contrary, are conservative.

Медиатизированный дискурс православного студенчества об РПЦ

The article is devoted to the analysis of the modern Orthodox conservative mediatized discourse among student bloggers on the Telegram messenger platform. The relevance of the study lies in the lack of development of both the topic of mediatization of Orthodoxy and the topic of studying Orthodox conservatism in modern sociology. The study of this phenomenon in the work took place through the prism of a conceptual approach, which received the name "mediatization of religion" in scientific sociological literature. The scientific problem is that studies of the mediatization of Orthodoxy are no longer a new field, but their number is still small. A large number of religious groups that are currently forming and functioning are outside the field of view of researchers. The figurative approach, which took shape in the German school of studying mediatization, was chosen as the research method. The figurative approach re-actualizes the concept of “figuration” by Norbert Elias and considers modern communicative figuration in media through four components: communicative practices, media ensemble, frame of relevance and constellation of actors. The communicative figuration of modern Orthodox conservatism in the Telegram messenger was taken as the basis of our study, since this platform provides opportunities for discussion on social and theological issues. The purpose of the article is to describe this communicative figuration through its four components. In this regard, the objectives of the study were: a description of the context of formation and features of the modern stage of studying the mediatization of Orthodoxy; a characteristic of the 4 components of the communicative figuration of modern Orthodox conservatism among young people. The empirical part of the study was based on a series of expert, semi-structured interviews with the authors of Telegram channels included in the youth category and who are students of higher educational institutions. In total, 30 interviews were collected from March to August 2024, of which 5 were selected for the article. The results of the study demonstrated that at the moment there is a constellation of actors of modern Orthodox conservatism, in the youth pole of which a group of students can be distinguished. Orthodox conservative students build their own identity, based on the Orthodox tradition, but only in the form of moral prescriptions. They are practically not integrated into the existing structures of the Russian Orthodox Church. The frame of relevance of the communicative figuration of Orthodox conservatism considers Orthodoxy as an integral part of modern Russian culture and humanitarian science. But in the frame, there is also an opposition to liberalism, including church liberalism, which occurs on issues of the foundations of society.

Paradigms of Statehood and National Sovereignty in Sociological Discourse

The article aims to study the paradigms of statehood and sovereignty in sociological discourse. Studies of statehood, national sovereignty and national security are important areas of modern sociology, especially in the context of globalization processes that significantly affect these concepts. The authors of the article examine the prospects of sociological research on these issues by analyzing a number of factors, including methodological approaches, the impact of international politics, new security challenges and the transformation of political institutions. The article analyzes in detail two key sociological paradigms – «world-systems» by Immanuel Wallerstein and a four-level model for studying the phenomenon of statehood by Neil Joseph Smelser, that allowed us to describe the role and functions of nation-states in the new realities of the global political crisis, in particular the impact of globalization on sovereignty, economy, politics, and social structures, as well as the search for effective models of political and social governance. The authors attribute the growing scientific interest in the study of geopolitical processes to the specific features of the development of the nation-state institution and the transformation of state sovereignty, which in today's realities is accompanied by a change in worldview paradigms. The active introduction of scientific discourse on the role and place of the nation-state in the modern world contributes to the intensification of sociological research on nation-building.

Housing Sociology will become a Thing. Discussing the Book Edited by B.J. Mccabe, E. Rosen Titled “The Sociology of Housing: How Homes Shape our Social Lives”

Housing sociology is a fairly modern branch of sociology. It originated in the USA in the mid-20th century and continues to gain popularity all around the world. However discussions about its viability as an independent discipline continue to this day. The publication of the book “The Sociology of Housing” in 2023, which was edited by modern sociologists and researchers of the housing industry B.J. McCabe and E. Rosen, actually puts an end to this dispute. The collective work of the authors reveals not only the variety of issues and the methods for studying them that housing sociology addresses, but also demonstrates the problems and prospects for the development of this discipline, the possibilities of interdisciplinary cooperation, and the specifics of sociological imagination and the thought process of people from the industry. This is precisely what the author of this review focuses on. In fact, this book can be considered a manifesto for housing sociology (by analogy with the manifesto of sociology of mobilities by J. Urry), something not mentioned by its authors and editors out of modesty.

Информация бухгалтерской (финансовой) отчетности как социальный феномен

The article is devoted to rethinking the social significance of accounting science and practice. Based on the results of research by modern sociologists, a comparative analysis was carried out and corresponding analogies were built between such concepts as “social information” and “accounting”. Guided by scientific criteria, the philosophical nature of accounting knowledge is convincingly proven. Based on the analysis of the functions of social information, certain accounting functions, as well as stages of the accounting process, are synthesized into it.

SOCIOLOGY OF SAFETY: PREVENTIVE MEASURES IN INSURANCE AS AN OBJECT OF ANALYSIS

Modern sociology actively examines issues related to occupational safety and preventive measures in the field of insurance, with a specific focus on safeguarding the well-being and health of workers. This article presents a sociological analysis of preventive programs in insurance, paying close attention to their sociological dimensions. The study investigates the experiences and future prospects of countries belonging to both the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Eurasian Economic Union that have implemented preventive measures within their social insurance systems. The article discusses the key components of preventive programs, their role in guaranteeing worker safety and health, and the effectiveness of investments made in preventive measures. Furthermore, it presents data regarding the allocation of resources for preventive measures in different countries and evaluates the return on investment in preventive programs. In conclusion, the article highlights the significance of further developing and enhancing preventive programs in insurance to ensure the safety and well-being of workers in their respective work environments.

Why Chinese “Society” is So Called: How Social and Managerial Discourse Caused the Choice of the Word at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries

Introduction. The purpose of this article is to investigate the reasons for the choice of the term “shehui” to designate the concept of “society” in China at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The research novelty of the work is manifested in the complex analysis of social and managerial discourse of that time and in the identification of factors that influenced the terminological choice. The relevance of the study is conditioned by the necessity to understand the processes of formation of social sciences in China, which is important for the interpretation of modern socio-political processes in the country, including in the context of modern sociology of management. This is especially important for Russian sociology, since its area of interest includes the search for mutually beneficial strategies of interaction between Russian and Chinese societies. And this is impossible without studying China's approaches to managing the country's development processes, its internal and external social relations. Methodology and sources. The study applies a system-historical approach, as well as discursive, terminological, etymographic and factor analysis. The paper analyzes classical Chinese texts and works of Chinese enlighteners of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and also uses some materials collected by modern researchers, in particular, by N.M. Kalyuzhnaya. Results and discussion. The main results of the study were the identification and analysis of factors (including internal political, social, foreign policy and linguistic factors) that determined the social and managerial discourse of the period under study and the choice in favor of “shehui” among the main terms competing for the right to designate the concept of “society”. Author pointed out that the process of formation of social and managerial discourse was in line with the gradual decline in the influence of traditionalism and strengthening of the ideas of anti-monarchism, people's power and self-government. Conclusion. Author emphasized that the term “shehui” became one of the key terms in the social and managerial discourse of China at the turn of the century, reflecting global socio[1]political trends. The choice of this term is the result of a complex interaction of various factors in the formation of discursive practices, which themselves were further modified under the influence of the term and its derivatives.

Inger Furseth and Pål Repstad, <i>Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion</i>

Inger Furseth and Pål Repstad, <i>Modern Sociologists on Society and Religion</i>

The postwar Columbia tradition in sociology: Its cognitive commonalities and social mechanisms

For a period of some three decades (1940s–1970s) the faculty and graduate students at the Department of Sociology at Columbia University, and its associated research unit (the Bureau of Applied Social Research: BASR), successfully produced a stream of innovative sociological studies which was particularly important in building on the foundations of classical sociology to establish modern sociology. Modern Sociology was produced as a theoretically sophisticated scientific enterprise firmly based on a solid empirical foundation produced by appropriate social research methods (as master-minded by Paul F. Lazarsfeld). The ‘Columbia Tradition’ is an approach, rather than being focussed on any particular subject matter, involved the development of ‘middle-range theory’, often broken-out from classic theory (as propounded by Robert K. Merton), and backed up by efforts at knowledge cumulation and institution building. But the School included a glittering array of important sociologists and hosts of others who extended the work of the two leaders, developing it in further directions, as is expected of any school. This school was sustained by the vision of a developing scientific sociology propounded by its founders, but it faltered as its founders retired from active leadership roles, in addition to being impacted by changes in Columbia University and broader Sociology environments.

Content and structure of social practices

The article is devoted to the problem of defining social practices and their content, in which a comprehensive approach to the study of social practices is justified. To this end, it is necessary to adhere to the following methodological guidelines: first, the postmodern vision of reality, which emphasizes pluralism as a worldview and methodological guideline for understanding social processes; secondly, the study of social practices in the aspect of everyday life, based on the methodological guidelines of background knowledge and the concept of the "revealing" nature of practices; thirdly, theories of social action that exist in modern sociology, since the core of any social practice is social activity. The article notes the fact that today in science, three levels of social practices are distinguished depending on the role of the subject, namely, social practices of subjects in everyday activities, social practices of groups and communities, social practices of institutions and organizations. The nature of social practices is explained by two approaches - the background character of the practice and the "revealing" nature of the practices. Background practice is the context against which utterances and behavior are interpreted. The "revealing" nature of practices is related to the problem of identities. Practices constitute and reproduce identities or reveal basic modes of social existence at a specific historical moment. Meaningfully, social practices have spatial and temporal localization and may differ depending on the historical period, cultural features of the country or region, and the state system. The article provides a description of social time and social space, analyzes the space-time continuum - the chronotope. The third element of social practices is social action, which acts as the nucleus around which all social life revolves. Social practices are implemented in routine acts of practical actions of individuals in everyday life, existence and functioning of social groups and communities, functioning of social institutions.

Становление и развитие социологии в системе партийных и государственных образовательных учреждений Дальнего Востока России (1958–2010 гг.)

The article presents the main milestones in the development of sociology in the Russian Far East. The institutionalization of regional sociology in the Soviet, perestroika, and modern periods is traced in chronological order, the features of formation are noted. Based on the materials of the State Archive of the Khabarovsk Territory and the Archive of the Far Eastern Institute of Management historical facts and events reflecting the process of formation and development of sociological science and practice in the Far Eastern territories of Russia are considered. The article presents the institutionalization of sociology since the beginning of the 90s of the twentieth century as an academic discipline that forms sociological thinking of future and current managers and sociologists. The contribution of the Far Eastern party and modern sociologists is described. The authors' assessments and conclusions about stages of Russian Far Eastern sociological science development give understanding of its historical lessons how to scientific support activities of authorities and how to manage further socio-economic development of the Russian Far East better for improving the quality of life of its population.

Tourist mobility: sociological theory and implementation practices

The article analyzes the connection between the sociology of tourism and the general sociological theory of mobility, which leads to an understanding of modern tourist mobility not as a process of revealing the will of individuals to learn about different cultures, but as a system of social constructions that exist in the form of tourism practices and are focused on maximizing profits for global tour operators. The methodology. The method of the propositional analysis is aimed at identifying logically based semantic units with the aim of selecting and synthesizing reliable knowledge expressed in texts written on issues of sociology of tourism and the general sociological theory of mobility. Scientific novelty is in clarifying the concept of tourist mobility and tourist practices; in revealing that they are largely the result of commercially oriented social construction carried out in the interests of global tour operators; in demonstrating that commercial and non-commercial tourist mobility entail incompatible social consequences. Conclusions. The article is devoted to current problems of modern sociology of tourism in its connection with the general theory of mobility (one of the founders of which was the British sociologist John Urry) that complemented the “old” theory of social mobility by the doctrine of the movement of people, goods, capital, information, etc. in geographical space. Now society has come to be understood as a mobile structure consisting of many mobile practices (including tourism) that can be aimed at either developing essential strength of people or control over their consciousness and behavior.

Paradoxical Manifestations of Institutional Social Trust in Russian Regions: Corruption and Shadow Employment as Types of Social Trust

Introduction. The paradoxicality of which lies in the fact that with a lack of official institutional trust of the population in the authorities, it flows into informal, criminal and semi-criminal social spheres, into corrupt social ties and groups, and into the informal economy, shadow employment. The purpose of the article is to conduct a sociological theoretical and methodological analysis of the paradoxical forms of institutional social trust in Russian society in the form of corrupt and shadow economic ties. Materials and Methods. Empirical data on the shadow labor market in the Russian Federation were obtained in the course of mass and expert surveys conducted in 2021 in 10 regions of the Russian Federation and 2 megacities. In the course of preparing this publication, general scientific, logical methods were used, structural-functional, sociocultural, anthroposociocultural, projective approaches in modern sociology, the method of sociological imagination, the methodology of analysis and the formation of “we-groups”. Results. In the course of the authors’ research, it was found that such negative social phenomena as domestic and business corruption, shadow (informal) employment are a paradoxical form of expression of institutional trust in society. The paradox of the sociological correlation of corruption and shadow employment with institutional trust only at first glance seems illogical and contrary to sound scientific understanding. As a result of the analysis, the authors have revealed that with a lack of basic institutional trust of the Russian population in state and municipal authorities, social trust flows into informal, semi-criminal and criminal spheres. It has been proved that corruption and informal employment as forms of social practice become forms of expression of specific political trust based on strong social ties (blood related, kindred, friendly) in Russian regions. The authors’ team determined that corruption and informal employment are becoming a type of informal social self-organization of society, which close the gap between the political communications of the elite and the expectations of civil society. Discussion and Conclusion. Corruption and the informal economy are becoming a paradoxical form of manifestation of situational, horizontal, institutional trust based on strong (blood related, kindred, friendly) ties, on the social ties of “we-groups”, on the atomism of the Russian regional society. This research can be practically used by sociologists, lawyers, criminologists, social psychologists, law enforcement officers of the Russian Federation.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF SOCIETY: REFLEXION OF SOCIOLOGICAL EDUCATION

The digital transformation of society has been studied in sociological science for more than a decade, and in recent years especially intensively. At the same time, these processes are not yet reflected in all educational programmes in sociological education. In the proposed article, a statistical analysis of sociological education's reflection on the digitalisation of society is carried out. To obtain the results, we propose the following criteria: the availability of bachelor's and master's degree programmes with a "digital" orientation, the inclusion of "digital" disciplines in non-digital training programmes, and the availability of relevant literature for modern sociology students. The research has revealed a wider spread of educational programmes and offered disciplines of digital content in Master's degree programmes than in Bachelor's degree programmes. It also suggests that the existing stratification of universities (research institutes, federal, core, etc.) manifests itself as a kind of digital inequality - some universities can afford training in accordance with the requirements of digitalisation, while others lack the resources to do so. At the same time, the reflection of the digitalisation of society is still positive.

Аксиология М. Вебера в современной перспективе

The article is devoted to the value problems in the sociology of M. Weber. It shows the interrelation of Weber’s sociological methodology and theory of social action with the neo-Kantianism of the Baden school. The differ-ences between G. Rickert’s axiology and M. Weber’s approach are revealed. Thus, the article interprets the specificity of M. Weber’s attitude to the consideration of value issues in social sciences both at the time of choosing the subject of research and as part of the scientific research itself. The role of value pluralism in M. Weber’s social theory is demonstrated, the problem of the influence of religious values on economic ethics is touched upon. Antinomies of “ethics of persuasion and ethics of responsibility” in M. Weber’s political works are outlined, their influence on various value systems is shown. The influence of M. Weber’s thought on modern theories of values is characterized. New approaches to the analysis of this topic based on the material of mod-ern sociology and psychology of values are outlined.

Literature and Social Issues: Study of Islam, Secularism, and Humanism in Achdiat’s Atheis Indonesian Novel

Although religion faces many challenges, such as clashing with modernity and becoming the object of criticism, religion has a thousand lives. One Indonesian novel created by Achdiat Karta Mihardja entitled Atheis (1990) pictured this religious phenomenon. Therefore, this article discusses Islam, secularism, and humanism in the Novel. This is qualitative research with the literary approach that combines the comparative literature theory of American schools and sociology focused on the sociology of modernity and religion. This research finds the novel as a criticism and reconstruction of Islam that is compatible with secularism and humanism in general, though in certain parts they are different. Further, the author of this novel reveals a good and proper Islam based on the text, first, it is concerned not only with the afterlife but also the present and here-ness real life. Thus, he criticizes the Islamic pattern which believes in superstition. Second, the Islamic form according to humanism and moderat feminism as the core of Islam is a public benefit and blessing for the universe. This research concluded that the novel's criticism is in line with the criticism in the scientific sociological Islamic literature.

«Ускользающий мир» и «текучая современность»: образ социальности в британской постнеклассической социологии

The content of the article is focused on analyzing the problems of reflecting social instability and searching for vectors of development in contemporary British postnonclassical sociology. The issues of class inequality, di-chotomy of freedom and order, egalitarianism and elitism, past and future, local and global dimensions are highlighted and analyzed. It is emphasized that contemporary British postnonclassical sociology is seriously influenced by the factors of social instability, total risks, and the lack of a distinct positive image of a desirable future. Bauman’s “liquid modernity” is presented. Common postulates of the theories are revealed, such as instability of the present and unpredictability of the future, frustrated and loneliness of personality in modern society. Differences in the accents of constructing the model of modern sociality by these scientists are noted. Conclusion dwells upon the fact that British postnonclassical sociology, represented by its two most prominent representatives, is clearly oriented towards the search for integration of the poles of the dichotomies under study, which is manifested in Giddens’ category of trust and Bauman’s category of dialog. This testifies to the gradual penetration of the axiological component into the paradigm of modern sociology.