Russian Sociology Research Articles

National Sociological Heritage: Clarifying Evaluative Optics

The article offers a brief analysis of the formation of sociology in Russia, different, sometimes contrasting estimates of Russian sociological heritage - from the recognizing its theoretical dependence on the Western liberal mainstream, to a complete denial of the need for relationships with the West, due to the uniqueness of the Russian civilization development. The periods of development of Russian sociology are singled out, as well as the circulation of innovative ideas and theories within each period, which had their own value. Sociologists in each period created original ideas, some of which can still serve the development of Russian sociology and be included in the world sociological heritage. Given the rethinking of the sociological heritage, the conclusion is made about the need to search for theoretical innovations with the goal of providing an adequate understanding of the main problems of today's Russia and prospects for its future development.

METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF THE THEORY OF “LANGUAGE AND PERSONALITY”

The article dwells upon the deterministic dependences of language and personality within the framework of the triangulation approach. The article analyzes the theory of personality in symbolic interactionism and the theory of personality of A.N. Leontiev, as well as the lifestyle theory in the Russian sociology. The author develops methodological prerequisites for the theory of “language and personality”.

Not a Renewal, but a Second Birth

For the first time, theses on the concept of a "Second Birth" of Soviet/Russian sociology are being published. The Perestroika gave the sociologists of Russia the opportunity to refer to history post-war sociology. In particular, it demanded an answer to the question: "Is the current Russian sociology a continuation of the sociology that began to develop in the second half of the 19th century, or a sociology with its own special beginning?" Two concepts were suggested for the genesis of the current stage of Russian sociology: continuity and renewal. However, studying the interviews with pioneering sociologists who caught the soul of the political thawing showed that their entrance into sociology did not answer either concepts, giving rise to the idea of a second birth of Russian sociology. Per my request, the concept of a second birth was voiced by Professor Vera V. Gavriluk in October 2007 at a conference occurring in the city of Tyumen. Later, she told me that the participants of the conference had positive attitudes to this information. Fifteen years have passed, and the above-mentioned theses are being published.

ДІНИ КОНВЕРСИЯНЫҢ ӘЛЕУМЕТТІК-МӘДЕНИ АЛҒЫШАРТТАРЫ

Соңғы жылдары батыс және орыс әлеуметтану әдебиеттерінде діндарлық құбылысына, атап айтқанда, әлеуметтік бірегейліктің діни компонентіне деген ғылыми қызығушылықтың артқанын байқауға болады. Әсіресе діни конверсия тақырыбына арналған зерттеулер үлкен маңыздылыққа ие болды. Дін ауыстыру мәселесі мәдениеттану, әлеуметтану, психология, әлеуметтік антропология ғылыми пәндердің зерттеу тақырыбына айналды. Осы тақырып бойынша қолда бар теориялық және эмпиристік зерттеулер конверсия құрылымына, оның кезеңмен дамуына және қалыптасу факторларына қарай материалдардың жете зерделенгенін көрсетеді. Алайда әлеуметтану еңбектерінде діни конверсия мен әлеуметтік бірегейліктің арақатынасы өте сирек қарастырылады. Бұл мақалада қарастырылған мәселе христиан дінінен мұсылманға өткен конвертиттердің діни конверсия процесін зерттеуге арналған. Бұл ретте жаңадан қабылданған адамдар үшін ислам олардың тарихи тұрғылықты аумағына сәйкес келетін дәстүрлі дін болып табылмайтынын ескеру қажет. Бұл жұмыста конверсияның діни бірегейлігі оның әлеуметтік бірегейлігіне қалай әсер ететіні, өмір жолында туындаған діндарлық адамның өзін-өзі тануы жаңа жолмен қалыптастыратыны және діни конверсияның әлеуметтік-мәдени алғышарттары қарастырылды.

Historical consciousness of Russians – a book and its problematic field

It is not the first time that historical consciousness of Russians becomes a subject of attention for Russian sociologists. In this case, however, the monograph prepared by the scholars of an Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences has a number of features of its own. The book’ authors team focuses on the links of historical consciousness with the civic identity of Russians, actualized, in particular, by current military operations and by Russophobia in the "collective West", etc. The book stands out for its compositional originality – a combination of field research data analysis with commentaries on the problems arising in connection with this analysis by experts from different fields of activity and disciplinary scholarly profiles. A promising interconnection of the issues raised by the study with the development of government national policy guidelines, as well as importance of scholarly elaborations of the modern national history problems are noted.

Диспропорции регионального развития, практики федерализма и риски мобилизованной этничности (на примере национальных республик Азиатской России)

The article is devoted to the problems of disproportions in the regional development of the national republics of Asian Russia: the Republic of Altai, the Republic of Buryatia, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Republic of Tyva, the Republic of Khakassia. Their influence on the possibility of the emergence of mobilized ethnicity risks in these regions in conditions of global instability is considered. The empirical basis of the study was a comparative analysis of indicators of average quality of life and ethnic structure of the population based on Rosstat data. The texts of strategic planning documents of the Russian Federation Government were also analyzed. The results of research by Russian sociologists in the regions. The results of research by Russian were used as secondary sources of information. Risks for the development of regions are identified from the point of view of their ethnosocial specifics: a reduction in the Russian population, the growth of ethnonationalism, the struggle for economic and land resources, anti-migrant sentiments. It is concluded that it is necessary to improve the practices of federalism to mitigate the inevitable risks of internal turbulence in Russian society.

Batygin’s Lesson stuck with me on my Professional Path — Always Check Yourself to Make Sure your Conclusions Can Be Substantiated”. Interview Prepared by D.M. Rogozin

The interview is dedicated to the memories about the professional and pedagogical activities of the outstanding Russian sociologist G.S. Batygin (1951–2003). Emphasis is placed on the specifics of his scientific method, associated with intensive critical reflection on various methodological approaches in social theory and empirical research, and his position in relation to certain areas of sociology is analyzed. The interview describes the professional style of G.S. Batygin as a teacher and supervisor.

Gender values in common-law marriages

Currently the institution of the family and marriage relations is undergoing serious changes due to transformational processes of the Russian society. These changes are reflected in the variability of forms and models of the modern family and the common-law marriage is universally popular.In the context of the modernization of society, traditional gender stereotypes are being eroded, leading to a revision of established behavioral norms and social roles in the family, forming the value-motivational foundations of marriage.The Methods. The works of domestic and foreign scientists who studied the peculiarities of the gender perspective in the system of family and marriage relations have become the theoretical basis of the research. The works of Russian sociologists and the results of an independent sociological study conducted within the framework of this problem have become the empirical basis.The Results. The thesis has been confirmed that the distribution of social roles between a man and a woman in a common-law marriage is contradictory, revealing the features of the gender display, significantly different from the traditional system of gender interaction.Practical significance. The conducted research confirms the need to create a comprehensive system of knowledge about the family, prepare the younger generation for future family and marriage relations that contribute to the preservation of the basic values of the traditional family.

Institute of Concrete Social Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Development of the problem of the social structure of Soviet society

The genesis of the development of Russian sociology is a process whose complexity was caused by the political and ideological collisions of the Soviet period. At the same time, starting from the middle of the twentieth century, a qualitatively new stage begins in the development of sociology, which is called the "golden age" of Russian sociological thought. During these years, not only theoretical and applied methods of the pre-war period are revived, but also a powerful theoretical and methodological scientific base is being created, which laid the foundation of sociology as an independent science. One of the important moments was the activity of the Institute of Concrete Social Research (ICSI) of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Within the framework of ICSI activities, multi-scale work was carried out, including on the problems of the social structure of Soviet society. The development of sociological science in the Soviet period can be called the most ambiguous and, to some extent, tragic page in the history of scientific thought in Russia. On the one hand, sociological research, especially regarding the social structure of Soviet society, has become in demand from both a political and an economic point of view since the emergence of the Soviet state. In a relatively short period in the young Soviet state, an extensive network of sociological laboratories was created, in which large-scale research was conducted in various directions. The activities of ICSI and its predecessors - the Sector of Research on New Forms of Work and Life and the Department of Sociological Research of the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences – allowed Soviet sociologists to unite into a team of like-minded people, and, despite ideological prohibitions and sanctions, to formalize sociological research into a multi-scale and complex theoretical and methodological basis of sociology.

Logical and Historical Aspects of the Genesis of Russian Sociology (on the Example of N.Ya. Danilevsky and N.K. Mikhailovsky)

Introduction. In the article, the actual problem of the nationalization of modern Russian sociology is associated with the clarification of the logical and historical aspects of the genesis of Russian sociology.Methodology and sources. The theoretical sources of the study were the works of representatives of the Russian tradition of the historiography of sociological doctrines (N.I. Kareev, M.M. Kovalevsky, P.A. Sorokin) and modern Russian historians of sociology (A.I. Golosenko, Yu.N. Davydov). For a comparative analysis of the conceptual and categorical apparatus of Russian sociology, the potential of the biographical method is used and the works of N.Ya. Danilevsky and N.K. Mikhailovsky are involved. The empirical base was made up of materials of public discussions in the Russian media on the nationalization of science and education, and expert assessments. The methodology of socio-cultural analysis, social constructivism, typological approach is used.Results and discussion. The article deals with the connection of the theoretical constructions of the first Russian sociologists with their historical vision and axiological consciousness. In the “paradigm personalities” of Mikhailovsky and Danilevsky, the splitting of the emancipating social thought into science and managerial activity and moral and pedagogical practice was expressed. Criticism of the evolutionist-progressive reading of the formula “Russia and Europe” by Mikhailovsky is expressed in the theoretical distinction between types and stages of social evolution. The non-religious moral and dogmatic attitude of subjective sociology laid at the foundation reduces the content of these categories to the combinatorics of indicators of division/integration, homogeneity/heterogeneity. Her declared orientation towards the moral ideal aroused the sympathy of the Russian intelligentsia, in contrast to the ideas of Danilevsky, a social thinker, an advanced official, and a macroeconomist. The relevance of the typological approach to world history developed by him and the method of modeling comparative types are substantiated. Cultural-historical types are de-ideologized concepts designed to analyze historical events, build models and scenarios for the interaction of “historical individuals” and highlight the essential elements of the potential for their future development.Conclusion. A new stage in the interaction between Russia and Europe is characterized by a crisis of Europe's political subjectivity, a decrease in its role in world economic relations. Turning to the origins of Russian sociology allows us to identify points of divergence in the formulation of the question of the type of subjectivity in Russia, commensurate with its natural and cultural potential, and in the directions of the search for an answer.

An inspired collaboration with Russian sociologists: An interview with Simon Clarke

In 1990, Simon Clarke inaugurated two decades of research of the former Soviet Union through an international collaboration with Russian sociologists that examined a society in the throes of transformation. Along with his colleague Peter Fairbrother, Simon developed a network of Russian researchers in the Institute of Comparative Labour Relations Research. Together they produced a corpus of work that meticulously analysed the impact of economic reform on workplaces and households and the response of workers and their organisations. This piece is an extended version of a published interview with Simon conducted by two of his former students, Sarah Ashwin and Valery Yakubovich.

Harry Braverman on the working class and structural transformations of twentieth century society

This article is devoted to the work of the American scientist Harry Braverman. The relevance of the article is due, firstly, to the transformation of the system of social stratification occurring in American society in the middle of the twentieth century, as well as the search for relevant approaches for its study. Secondly, the fact that Russian sociology does not pay enough attention to Braverman’s unique contribution to the development of the theory of social structure, his active participation in the current scientific discussion on the working class. The American sociologist investigated the problems of transformation of the working class, its place in the system of stratification and its role in the development of society. Braverman is often called a Marxist, and interest in his work is often interrupted. His vision of the social structure of American society is distinguished by originality and is based on extensive personal work experience. An American sociologist studied labor relations, which he observed directly in the labor process. One of the tasks set by the author of the article is to consider the heuristic potential of one of the approaches known in world sociology to the study of social stratification. Harry Braverman significantly contributed to the fact that the sociological explanation of the system of social stratification is transformed in the second half of the twentieth century. He took part in a scientific discussion on structural transformations taking place in the middle part of the stratification system of American society. Braverman criticized the emerging theories of the “new middle class”, contrasting them with his concept of the “new working class”. Braverman to a certain extent developed K. Marx’s theory of alienation, supplemented it taking into account the current stage of the development of capitalism. The author of the article made an attempt to trace the research logic of the American sociologist, as well as to show his success in carrying out an accurate and detailed revision of the production process at the time of its next acute crisis, which was certainly a great contribution to the development of Marxist theory, taking into account modern realities, which made it possible to move forward.

Socio-Professional Group of IT Specialists: Conceptualization of the Theoretical and Methodological Foundations of the Study

Introduction. For sociology, it is important to understand the content and forms of integration of IT specialists as one of the types of social associations. Such an analysis is important to carry out since the interpretation and content characteristics of this community subsequently guide all other elements of the strategy of theoretical and empirical research. In particular, it is relevant to identify: in what capacity of a “professional community” or “professional group” IT specialists act as a real social phenomenon.Methodology and sources. Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of IT specialists involved identifying the nature and forms of their social integration: as socioprofessional groups, or as socio-professional communities. Based on the analysis of the fundamental provisions of foreign and Russian sociologists F. Tennis, J. Shchepansky, R. Merton, K. Manheim, T.M. Mills, P.A. Sorokin, V.A. Yadov, and many others, the differences in the understanding of “community” and “group” are revealed as a reflection of the special essential characteristics of these forms of integration.Results and discussion. The results of the analysis of statistical data show that the concept of a social group is used much more often than the concept of community in characterizing integration processes; this is a more relevant category for modern research. The results confirm the significant connection between the concept of “group” and the concepts of “values”, “common goal”, and “professional”. Exploring the numerous features of IT specialists, such as self-education, the desire to organize training based on introspection, significant differences from other specialists in the system of professions “human-sign system”, such as erudition and logical thinking, mastering mathematics, English language, the Internet as necessary starting conditions for entering the profession, the authors use the definition of a professional or social group.Conclusion. IT professionals should be considered a special socio-professional group with all the signs of such social integration. IT professionals operate in today's multidimensional social space. As a social group, IT specialists are united by the presence of a common feature – activities in a special environment – in the information and digital space, common social values.

Understanding Max Weber

The book of the famous Russian sociologist L.G. Ionin about Max Weber attracts attention with its unusualness. The review describes various facets of its unusual genre, highlights and examines the levels of the author's consideration of his subject — the personality of an outstanding Western sociologist. It is concluded that the author applied the Freudian methodology to explain the twists and turns in the fate of M. Weber, since they are closely related to the intimate side of his life. The creative approach of L.G. Ionin to understand the hero of his “intellectual novel” in the context of his classic sociological doctrine is analyzed. In conclusion, the reviewer dares to make his own assumptions about what Max Weber's “drama of life” consisted of.

The first encounter with "the black swan": how the pandemic affects the mood of graduates

The first ILO report against the background of the Covid-19 pandemic names youth among the most anxious groups. Russian sociologists also spoke about this, linking such a reaction with the greenhouse conditions created by Russian families for children. Graduation from a university is a serious life milestone, especially in the context of the pandemic that has required long periods of distance learning and dramatically accelerated the digitalization of the economy. According to the research conducted by the authors, more than two-thirds of students believe that the pandemic has changed our lives forever, and also that in the modern world it is impossible to have one profession for all your life. Medium-term and long-term prospects for specialists with their education do not seem very optimistic to students. But and in the short term, the majority of graduates assess their competitiveness in the labor market as average and foresee high competition for vacancies (or their shortage) and the offer of low wages. For many, the problems of future employment are laid down at the stage of choosing a profession: a significant part goes to study where there are affordable budget places, but poorly understand the essence of the profession and its relevance. Today, half of the graduates would choose another profession and do not plan to work in their specialty. High proportion of those who expected successful employment before the pandemic has noticeably decreased against its background. With regard to employment problems, almost half of the respondents have an internal locus of control, the rest are divided in equal proportions into those who have an external locus of control, or both loci of control are expressed or not expressed. For older students, problems with employment are more often seen as a combination of external factors and their own shortcomings. Among those looking for problems in themselves or both in themselves and in the external environment, there are quite a lot of expecting difficulties in finding a job. Acting within the framework of the "ontological security", young people implement practices that allow them to adapt, but do not reduce uncertainty.

L.N. Kogan and Russian Sociology (to the 100th Anniversary of His Birth)

L.N. Kogan and Russian Sociology (to the 100th Anniversary of His Birth)

Actual Tasks of Sociological Diagnostics (on the Example of “Wartime Essays” by K. Manheim)

Introduction. The article analyzes the current possibilities of diagnosing the society of wartime, based on the subject content and methods of sociology, as a non-trivial task for sociologists-teachers of higher education.Methodology and sources. The theoretical sources of the research were the works of classics of sociology (O. Comte, K. Marx, E. Fromm, K. Manheim) and modern Russian sociologists (M.K. Gorshkov, S.A. Kravchenko, J.T. Toschenko, V.Y. Fetisov), who defined the tasks of sociological diagnostics. The "Diagnosis of Our Time" by K. Manheim is analyzed as a historical example of their formulation. The empirical base was made up of official documents of the Russian Federation, the results of VTSIOM surveys, materials of public discussions in the Russian media, expert assessments and examples of analysis of the dynamics of civil society in the conditions of SVO. The methodology of socio-cultural analysis, social constructivism, typological method is used as a specific research strategy that allows to formulate complex value judgments.Results and discussion. Based on the experience of K. Manheim, the article discusses the current possibilities of sociological diagnostics based on the essential characteristics of society. In contrast to technocratic approaches, it is argued that sociological rationalism is not reduced to scientific and experimental. He includes the problems of natural law as his methodological principle in the analysis of social dynamics. On this basis, the tasks of sociological diagnostics are formulated: the study of the assessment process as a factor of social change reproducing the “crisis of assessments”. Its mechanisms are considered, – transfer, transformation, replacement with non–traditional equivalents, creation of new values, and ways of justification, – utilitarian justification, faith in the leader, class, racial and ethnic community. It is shown that a holistic understanding of shifts in the evaluation system is achieved by constructing ideal-typical concepts based on the axiological consciousness of the researcher. A research strategy of sociological diagnostics is outlined: collecting samples, models of self-determination in wartime conditions and their public discourse. The practical application of sociological knowledge is associated with the creation of value-probabilistic scenarios for the development of society as incentives for socio-economic and political transformations. Conclusion. The sociological diagnosis of wartime society requires the construction of conceptual ideas that collect images of the future that meet the priorities of security, personal freedoms and innovation. The idea of a “gathering”, ideally a conciliar democracy, seems very promising.

РОЛЬ КОНЦЕПТА ЭКОЛОГИЗМА В ФОРМИРОВАНИИ СОЦИОКУЛЬТУРНОГО КОДА ПОВЕДЕНИЯ МОЛОДЫХ КРЫМЧАН

Objective of the study is to substantiate the role of the concept of ecophilically oriented behavior in ensuring sociocultural synthesis as a condition for the social adaptation of young Crimeans.   The methodological basis of the research is presented by an interdisciplinary sociocultural approach as an epistemological complex of cognitive means aimed at substantiating the role of the concept of ecophilically oriented behavior in ensuring sociocultural synthesis as a condition for social adaptation of young Crimeans.   Research results. The article analyzes the aspect of the problem of using the potential of the concept of ecophilically oriented behavior in providing sociocultural synthesis as a condition for the social adaptation of young people, which has not been sufficiently developed in Russian sociology. Typical forms of youth social practices are identified that contribute to overcoming barriers that prevent the paradigm shift of the value orientation of young Russians from consumer to ecophilic-creative, harmonization of ethno-confessional relations. Prospects of the study are related to the in-depth development of theoretical and conceptual foundations for solving the actual scientific problem of forming a model for ensuring the transition by state authorities and civil society institutions in the Russian Federation to an emphasis on a consciously responsible type of environmental behavior of young people as a condition for their social adaptation in the process of participating in the creation of an innovative environmentally friendly technological structure. &nbsp

Geopolitical Challenges And Russian Sociology

Geopolitical Challenges And Russian Sociology

Russian Sociology in Search of Responces for Theoretical Challenges

Any social science needs is a theory as its integral part. Since 2022, Russian sociology has existed in the context of new challenges and social threats related to Russia's intentions to change the global balance of power. New conditions stimulate a revision of approaches to solving key problems of society and making adjustments to the theoretical models of its development. This is in many ways a painful process requiring intellectual efforts and political decisions. Since we are talking about Russian sociology, it is necessary to rethink the existing Russian macrotheories. There is an active search for new ways of developing social science. The search for these paths is accompanied by a rethinking of the well-known "universal" ways of modernizing society, which will help Russian sociology to determine its place in the global scientific community, while preserving its own cultural heritage. The article analyzes which theories can be considered relevant in Russia today, focusing on nodernization schemes and civilization approach developed by Russian sociologists, in particular, by Nikolay I. Lapin.