Small Social Groups Research Articles

Emergence of social phases in human movement.

Recent empirical studies have found different thermodynamic phases for collective motion in animals. However, such a thermodynamic description of human movement remains unclear. Existing studies of traffic and pedestrian flows have primarily focused on relatively high-speed mobility data, revealing only a fluidlike phase. This focus is partly because the parameter space of low-speed movement, which is governed predominantly by pairwise social interaction, remains largely uncharted. Here, we used ultrawideband radio frequency identification (UWB-RFID) technology to collect high-resolution spatiotemporal data on movements in four different classroom and playground settings. We observed two unique social phases in children's movements: a gaslike phase of free movement and a liquid-vapor coexistence phase characterized by the formation of small social groups. We also developed a simple statistical physics model that can reproduce different empirically observed phases. The proposed UWB-RFID technology can also be used to study the dynamics of active matter systems, including animal behavior, coordinating robotic swarms, and monitoring human interactions within complex systems, potentially benefiting future research in social physics.

Scientific Fact and Artistic Image: Deformation of the subject field of Ukrainian theater studies in the 1920s

The limits of professional activity are determined by the circle of persons who carry it out (who), the content of the activity (production, processing or any other actions aimed at changing the object), quality criteria, technical, ethical and other norms, forms of incentives and sanctions, etc. So, for a formal or informal small or medium-sized social group, the activity of which is inseparable of the situation in which it is carried out, because, in addition to production, it involves the organization of demand and sales, communication with the world external to the group, which leads to stratification activity itself into smaller independent functions (differentiation of production, sales, etc.) and to its transformation, sometimes almost to the point of self-destruction. The heart of professional activity — its subject field or subject matter — is determined not only by the subject of production, its quality criteria and boundaries but also by invisible communications, which are very often hidden from the direct consumer, among which a key role is played by a professional network (structured professional communication carried out by members of the group regarding the subject of production) and its reference library (theoretical works, technical instructions, protocols regulating activities, etc.). During the 1920s, when in Ukraine the self-reliance of activities aimed at the production of scientific facts, therefore, new and preferably practically oriented knowledge about the theater, and the separation of this sphere from others, was fixed in terms of theater studies, there was an extremely active process of formation of the subject field, network and reference library of theater studies. A key role in these processes was played (and not only because of his own professional activity but also as a result of his position in the network) theater historian Petro Rulin, in whose activities, precisely from the point of view of the formation and deformation of the subject matter of theatre studies, its main trends of the 1920s are highlighted.

Transitional art forms: genesis and modifications

The article examines the processes of formation of transitional kinds of culture and highlights the grounds for their functioning. It is shown that the reasons for the emergence of transitional forms of culture also underlie cultural genesis, where pure examples of genres, styles, and trends are rather the exception to the rule. More often, the influence of other trends is always felt in the work, as V.D. Konen showed in her time in her work “The Third Layer”. At the same time, the author demonstrates those conditions of our time that contribute to an increase in the number of examples of transitional forms in music and culture in general, i.e. the development of the techno-environment and communication means, the capabilities of artificial intelligence and neural networks for simulating styles and genres both of classical elite and traditional culture, and mass entertainment, and social transformations leading to the formation of small social groups with their own aesthetic preferences. The article is of interest within the framework of the disciplines “Music Theory” and “Culture Theory”.

Філософські виміри культурної політики

Against the background of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the question of an effective cultural policy that would support national identity, contribute to the purification of consciousness from propaganda myths and preserve the heritage of Ukrainian culture is becoming more acute. Since cultural policy is related to both aesthetic-artistic and cultural-anthropological dimensions of social life, in order to identify the effective influence of cultural policy on dominant social practices, it is necessary to find out the universal principles of its functioning. The purpose of this article is to identify the relevant philosophical and methodological basis of cultural policy for modern Ukrainian realities. Based on the fundamental ideas of Richard Rorty’s pragmatic philosophy and his analysis of cultural policies, the generally accepted nature of the inferential approach to social reality on the part of individual social groups was ascertained. The variability of cultural policy depending on the type of social organization community/society is demonstrated. In small social groups of the authoritarian type, social epistemological authority is mediated by the individual preferences of the leader of this group, so the tools of cultural policy are weak (patriarchal family, religious or political sect). An authoritarian or totalitarian mass society shows a high propensity for linguistic practices of propaganda, which can be seen as an extreme distorted form of cultural politics. In democratic societies, cultural policy is able to harmonize social life, improving its practices and building a value-symbolic world that constitutes culture in a broad sense. The social institute of education has all the tools, including digital ones, to shape the necessary social practices and educate a critical thinker who is able to generate conceptual knowledge, i.e. see relationships and be aware. Openness in decision-making, interaction of expert groups, public discussions are necessary elements for an effective cultural policy, which should be different from “cultural management”. Creative cultural industries play an important role in modern popular culture societies, and these industries significantly strengthen the economic component of social life. Public projects and initiatives effectively help to preserve Ukrainian culture, influence the level of awareness of Ukrainians and the economic well-being of our country.

“I am your companion on earth, fight for me!”: Mutuality in Ancient Egyptian Letters to the Dead in the End of 3<sup>rd</sup> – the Beginning of 2<sup>nd</sup> Millennium BC

Although the ideological foundation of mutual aid within ancient Egyptian small social groups (family, neighbors, etc.) is mostly clear, very few written sources reveal such customs and practices of the Old and Middle Kingdoms. This gap is to some extent filled by Letters to the Dead – written requests for help addressed to deceased relatives, often mentioning mutual obligations of the living “sender” and the deceased “recipient”. Most “senders” of such letters require the “addressees” to follow the principle of reciprocity, a kind of do ut des: since the living contribute to the well-being of the dead by performing cult actions, the latter must now help the living. The rule of mutual assistance was so strict and pervasive that it transcended the boundary of life and death. The Letters to the Dead imply that deceased relatives remained firmly embedded in social networks of mutual aid. However, the most valued was not a strictly fixed “return” of the once received assistance, but the confidence that the person who received support will not fail to come to the aid of his “benefactor” if trouble happens to the latter. At the same time, the Letters to the Dead show that Egyptians considered it not too petty to refer to their former merits in desperate times: for example, to mention an offering of a bull leg and seven quails in a letter to the deceased parents.

Integrity in public administration: doubtful practical value of ethical and philosophical categories in preventing corruption (on the example of the public integrity council activity)

There has been tried in the article to systemize various approaches to the concept of integrity (in Ukrainian literally – kind-honesty), which is relatively new to the science of public administration, and to find out the sources and reasons for its appearance. A brief linguistic analysis of the integrity definitions contained in Ukrainian- and English-language sources has been carried out. There has been analyzed a variety of numerous definitions of the integrity concept, both ethical and philosophical, and normative and legal as well. A historical excursion has been made to prove rapid evolution of integrity criteria. There has been emphasized that the criteria of integrity in many cases are perceived exceptionally at an intuitive level, often being manipulative and unstable, depend on the person of evaluator and may differ even within small social groups. There has been cast doubt on the expedience of including changing ethical and philosophical categories in the national legislation and establishing legal liability for their non-observance. Based on the Public Integrity Council activity during the qualification evaluation of judges through the judicial reform of 2016-2019 and unsuccessful attempts to resume this procedure in 2023, practical problems in the evaluation of integrity criteria and subjectivity in approaches to such evaluation have been highlighted. There has been attempted to find out the practical value of integrity category in preventing corruption. The indisputable obligation of exclusive morality and ethics of those who are responsible for evaluating the public officials’ integrity has been emphasized. There has been demonstrated an example when mistrust to evaluators, their arbitrary and destructive application of moral criteria, placed in the legal sphere, cause personnel turbulence and public servants’ reluctance to continue their professional careers in conditions of uncertainty, what leads to the public administration mechanism disbalance. There has been suggested during the further modernization of the institute of public service in Ukraine and introduction of new anti-corruption mechanisms to avoid borrowing such categories that are not typical to the national context.

Склонность к риску при решении социальной дилеммы в условиях коллективного взаимодействия

An important role in decision-making is taking a risk, which can direct a person towards one of a number of alternatives. Research involving the study of risk-taking in the context of social dilemmas considers cooperation or non-cooperation as possible decision-making options. A classic example of this choice is the decision-making process in the context of the "Prisoner's Dilemma". The choice between cooperating or not cooperating is characterized by risk, since such decisions have uncertain consequences. Despite the widespread popularity of the "Prisoner's Dilemma," the influence of the factor of collective interaction on an individual's behavior in this context has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this research is to investigate attitudes towards risk taking in solving social dilemmas, taking into account the process of social interaction. The research methods used were the "Iterated prisoner's dilemma", including a stage of socialization through the formation of small social groups, and economic games to identify emotional and cognitive indicators of attitudes of risks in conditions of uncertainty. The analyzed sample consisted of 124 individuals aged 18 to 36 years (M = 20.39, SD = 2.80), of whom, 100 were female (80.65%), and 24 were male (19.35%). The results of the study did not demonstrate a connection between risk-taking and decisionmaking in solving social dilemmas in collective action. However, there was a slight increase in risk tolerance in individuals who chose defection in most rounds prior to socialization. This indicates the need for anticipating the future decisions of others in order to maximize rewards. An additional analysis was also conducted on a female sample, which confirmed the existence of gender-specificity in solving a social dilemma under conditions of collective interaction.

ГУБНІ ПРИГОЛОСНІ В МОВЛЕННІ УКРАЇНСЬКИХ АРТИСТІВ (на матеріалах аудіодекламування віршівТараса Шевченка)

The issues of language and speech variability are currently studied within sociolinguistics and socially oriented disciplines such as interlinguistics, sociophonetics, social dialectology, experimental sociolinguistics, and so on. New approaches and the tendency to multidimensional study of speech phenomena deepened the interest in studying sound changes which demonstrate greater potential of speech rather than language as a socio-historical and abstract phenomenon does. The article characterizes the speech of Ukrainian artists who voiced Shevchenko's poems using the auditory analysis of the experimental phonetic method. The selection of informants for the study of the peculiarities of the realization of the labial phonemes of the Ukrainian language was carried out taking into account the sociophonetics methodology. The selected small social group as a source of research on the allophonic variation of labial phonemes is representative from the point of view – regional (all speakers from different regions of Ukraine), age (adults, youth and children) and professional (different specializations of artists – actors, musicians, directors, announcers, etc.) criteria. Oral literary Ukrainian speech of 17 people recorded in an acoustic signal (audio) became the material for studying labial consonants. The article described the course of experimental phonetic research, focusing on the method of studying sound as a phonation unit. The results obtained during the research are summarized. The performed analysis showed that the variability of labial consonants is a consequence not only of the pronunciation norm, at the level of the language system, but also of the speaker's own experience. Therefore, in the future, the study of the variability of phonetic units, including labial consonants, should be continued taking into account psychophysiological, social, and actually linguistic determinants with the involvement of the experimental phonetic method and sociolinguistic methods.

Freedom as a Key Value of the Volunteer Movement

Purpose of the article is to find out the main content and ways of embodying freedom as a value of the volunteer movement in the context of analyzing the social motivation of human behavior in general. Theoretical basis. The theoretical basis of the research is the philosophical and anthropological understanding of freedom as a person’s creative overcoming of obstacles to establish his or her eccentric essence. Such a vision is embedded, in particular, in Karl Jaspers’ philosophy of existence, Helmuth Plessner’s philosophy of positioning in the world, and Paul Ricœur’s philosophy of rational choice of life path. Originality. The importance of freedom as a value, as well as other social values, is revealed and specified through the analysis of the values of the volunteer movement. In the desire of people engaged in volunteer work to achieve freedom through other values, the content of freedom as a basis for self-reproduction of the individual, community and society is revealed. Conclusions. Representatives of various humanities and social sciences have distinct research interests in analyzing the values inherent in volunteers. As members of a certain society and certain communities in this society, volunteers do not act outside the economy, politics and other spheres of public life, but reveal their freedom through creative and non-standard solutions to economic, political, and other problems. At the same time, research psychologists focus attention on the personal self-realization of a person, theorists and practitioners of social work study volunteers’ desire to gain recognition from peers and other small social groups, and representatives of sociology, political science and other social sciences focus their attention on such socially significant values of volunteering as patriotism, solidarity, etc. The task of social philosophy is to justify the desire to contribute to the public good, which is common to all volunteers. Representatives of philosophical anthropology look for the best social intentions inherent in a person as a member of society in volunteering. Analysis of the values of volunteering as a motivator of human behavior provides knowledge of socially significant values inherent in every member of society to a greater or lesser extent.

Problems of Contemporary French Ethnolinguistics

The article analyses theoretical and methodological basis underlying modern French ethnolinguistics, which studies the correlation between language and culture of an ethnos. Every nation creates its own picture of the world, defines spiritual and moral priorities, forms ethnic self-consciousness and the system of life values in synchronic and diachrony. At the same time, language, religion, anthropological attributes of an ethnos can be repeated in other peoples with its rituals, rituals, beliefs, perceptions finding their expression, it always distinguishes one linguoculture from another. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to evaluate the development of contemporary French ethnolinguistics and to correlate traditional and French linguistic terminology. The material for the study is contemporary articles on French ethnolinguistics and discourse analysis. The aim of the study is to establish and analyse the specificities of theoretical works on contemporary French ethnolinguistics. To achieve this goal we used general theoretical methods of comparison, description and linguistic methods of logical comparison and structural method. The study of individual semantic groups and lexical fields and the interaction between ethnolinguistics and the French school of discourse analysis form the specific methodological basis of modern French ethnolinguistics. Ethnolinguistics stands out as a specific interdisciplinary and independent field of linguistics, combining the study of linguistic, social and cultural aspects of language. As a result of the study it was found that the specificity of the methodology of French ethnolinguistics is manifested in its connection with the school of discourse analysis, which allows the study of linguistic existence of small social groups and different forms of language realization - oral and written - to be included in the research material.

Winner-loser effects improve social network efficiency between competitors with equal resource holding power

Animal societies are structured of dominance hierarchy (DH). DH can be viewed as networks and analyzed by graph theory. We study the impact of state-dependent feedback (winner-loser effect) on the emergence of local dominance structures after pairwise contests between initially equal-ranking members (equal resource-holding-power, RHP) of small and large social groups. We simulated pairwise agonistic contests between individuals with and without a priori higher RHP by Monte-Carlo-method. Random pairwise contests between equal-ranking competitors result in random dominance structures (‘Null variant’) that are low in transitive triads and high in pass along triads; whereas state-dependent feedback (‘Winner-loser variant’) yields centralized ‘star’ structured DH that evolve from competitors with initially equal RHP and correspond to hierarchies that evolve from keystone individuals. Monte-Carlo simulated DH following state-dependent feedback show motif patterns very similar to those of a variety of natural DH, suggesting that state-dependent feedback plays a pivotal role in robust self-organizing phenomena that transcend the specifics of the individual. Self-organization based on state-dependent feedback leads to social structures that correspond to those resulting from pre-existing keystone individuals. As the efficiency of centralized social networks benefits both, the individual and the group, centralization of social networks appears to be an important evolutionary goal.

Application of a Psychosocial Approach to the Identification and Strengthening of Adaptation Mechanisms of Humans and a Small Social Group during the Isolation Experiment “SIRIUS 2017–2023”

TOPIC: The task of the 21st century is the implementation of manned flights in Earth’s orbit with the view to building orbital and planetary bases. This requires addressing the impacts on people and small social groups in terms of psychological, psychosocial, physiological and health. The author presents her own comprehensive research and intervention approach to exploring and supporting the operation of the space crew in the four-month isolation period of “SIRIUS-18/19”, which can be used in the future for manned flights into deep space. GOAL: The main goal is to present three main areas, within the implementation of social research, designed to analyze the operation of the crew in a simulated space flight: 1. WORKING CONDITIONS, WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL ATMOSPHERE; 2. the STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF RELATIONSHIPS and TIES; 3. a set of other specific areas. The key outputs of the comprehensive analysis of the “SIRIUS-19” crew operations concerning the level of satisfaction with the working environment and conditions, the structure and dynamics of relationships and other specific areas are presented. The suitability of the implementation of intervention activities for isolated crews is pointed out. The purpose is to contribute to the preparation of human crews for manned flights in deep space and to reduce the risks of damage to human biopsychosocial health. METHODS: For a comprehensive analysis, a set of the author’s own questionnaire methods, verified over 25 years in the normal and extremely demanding conditions of specific professions, was used. The diagnostic and intervention method sociomapping, based on fuzzy theory and the mathematical modeling of outputs, was used for the analysis of the structure and dynamics of relationships as it is a technique suitable for the analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems. The methodology enabled the author to obtain a comprehensive view of the experimental situation from a psychosocial and sociological point of view. RESULTS: The model of the author’s analytical approach confirmed the legitimacy of its implementation in the case of isolation experiments. A comprehensive analysis of the “SIRIUS-18/19” crew’s work environment yielded outputs from the 10 main and 48 sub-areas analyzed. The analysis of the six-member, gender-mixed, multicultural crew in the area of structure and dynamics of relationships focused on 35 areas; a total of 344 sociomaps were created. The files were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using control diagrams. CONCLUSIONS: Outputs have the potential to be used in other isolation experiments as sociotechnical measures for project organizers and as verification of the need to introduce work with the crew in the form of development workshops using the sociomapping method.

Metaphors of distance, size and temperature in sociometry of small social groups: A generalizability theory approach

We have developed a new interactive instrument that uses psychological distance (represented by visual distance) together with the metaphors of size and temperature to assess liking and influence among primary school students. To test its concurrent validity, we compare its results with an established sociometric instrument. Furthermore, we examine the characteristics of the obtained ratings, the main sources of variability of the observed ratings, and the reliability of person-level results. Our results indicate that the ratings derived from the interactive visual metaphors of distance, size, and temperature show adequate reliability and strongly correlate with a traditional sociometric inventory that uses rating scales. The novelty of our approach lies in the use of generalizability theory, which allows for the decomposition of obtained ratings into class, rater, rated person, dyadic, and idiosyncratic effects. This allows for a more nuanced analysis of the relationships between members of social groups, such as school classes.

The Problem оf the Research Methods оf the Value-Motivational Sphere оf Personality in the Times оf Transformations

Our country is currently in a very dynamic situation. Rapid changes in a society demand prompt and timely diagnostics of the psychological condition of large and small social groups, that, in turn, makes the problem of toolkit relevant. In the article the comparative analysis of two various types of techniques used in the studies of motivation and value orientations — the traditional method and the reflexive one — is carried out. The advantages and disadvantages of each type of techniques are highlighted. The important advantage of reflexive techniques is that they minimize the problem of equivalence of meanings of the researcher and the respondents. Reflexive techniques also allow for the integration of qualitative and quantitative data analysis. Traditional techniques and methodologies are focused on a quantitative analysis of results. They are easy to create and use. Automation of data processing is possible. Conclusions are made, that use of techniques of reflective type is necessary during crises and rapid changes; and the development of traditional techniques should be based on the results received by qualitative methods.

Insights from the judgment bias paradigm: Social group and tank size does not affect mental state in female guppies.

Optimal holding conditions are key to animal welfare. How stressful husbandry is perceived by the animal can be determined via assessment of an animal's mental state - where it is positioned on the continuum between optimistic and pessimistic state - and can be measured using the judgment bias paradigm. In this test, individuals are trained to distinguish a rewarded from an unrewarded cue before being presented an ambiguous, intermediate cue. The response time to the ambiguous cue is then indicative of mental state. A shorter latency suggests a more positive (optimistic) mental state, a longer latency a more negative (pessimistic) mental state. Here, we used the judgment bias paradigm to assess the impact of standard laboratory housing conditions on the mental states of female guppies (Poecilia reticulata). As it is debated which holding conditions confer optimal welfare, we tested the impact of husbandry on mental state by keeping animals for three weeks in small or large social groups in either small or large tanks. We found that the different standard housing conditions we used did not lead to differences in mental state. As an unexpected side result, we found that female guppies seem lateral. Our findings of comparable mental state across housing conditions suggest that guppies either perceive the tested conditions as equally stressful or alternatively, that guppies are relatively resilient to the combination of group and tank sizes tested in this study. We conclude that the judgment bias paradigm can be a useful tool to assess fish welfare. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Social Interventions in the Family in the Post-COVID Pandemic Period

Aim. The main aim of the authors of this study is to indicate the problem areas of individuals and the families during the pandemic and post-pandemic situation which occurred in connection with a deteriorating social and societal situation. Methods. Using a literary descriptive and deductive method, the authors identify, indicate and analyze not only epidemiological measures and the possibilities of applying social interventions in the individual and in the family, but also draw attention to state measures taken to manage new conditions of family life. Results. The analysis indicates a broad issue that affects individuals, families, and groups, as well as societal sectors. The authors point to the provision of interventions through social work, which takes into account the basic characteristics of the family. Social intervention therefore becomes an important tool in solving problematic situations of any small or large social group. Conclusions. The pandemic and post-pandemic situation brought about a number of problematic situations that had to be solved dynamically and, in many cases, through crisis intervention. Forms of assistance to individuals and families brought cohesion and unity, but also brought a number of other concerns reflecting the current adverse societal situation into the wider environment.

Egg-mediated maternal effects in a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish

Mothers can influence offspring phenotype through egg-mediated maternal effects, which can be influenced by cues mothers obtain from their environment during offspring production. Developing embryos use these components but have mechanisms to alter maternal signals. Here we aimed to understand the role of mothers and embryos in how maternal effects might shape offspring social phenotype. In the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher different social phenotypes develop in large and small social groups differing in predation risk and social complexity. We manipulated the maternal social environment of N. pulcher females during egg laying by allocating them either to a small or a large social group. We compared egg mass and clutch size and the concentration of corticosteroid metabolites between social environments, and between fertilized and unfertilized eggs to investigate how embryos deal with maternal signalling. Mothers in small groups produced larger clutches but neither laid smaller eggs nor bestowed eggs differently with corticosteroids. Fertilized eggs scored lower on a principal component representing three corticosteroid metabolites, namely 11-deoxycortisol, cortisone, and 11-deoxycorticosterone. We did not detect egg-mediated maternal effects induced by the maternal social environment. We discuss that divergent social phenotypes induced by different group sizes may be triggered by own offspring experience.

White matter fractional anisotropy in a nonhuman primate model of early Alzheimer’s Disease‐like neuropathology: Relationships with social status and physiologic measures of stress responses

AbstractBackgroundPsychosocial stress is associated with micro‐ and macrostructural brain changes that may increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). White matter (WM) appears particularly vulnerable, and changes in white matter integrity are an early sign of AD pathogenesis. Cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) have complex central nervous systems and naturally develop early AD‐like neuropathology with age. Female macaques form social status hierarchies in which subordinates exhibit behavioral and physiological signs of stress, and increased stress‐related pathologies similar to humans. Nonhuman primate studies provide a useful platform in which to assess relationships between stress and brain health is a well‐controlled environment with limited outside influences. Thus, these nonhuman primates are useful translational models for studying relationships of psychosocial stress with early AD‐like neuropathology.MethodUsing diffusion tensor imaging, we examined the relationship between psychosocial stress and fractional anisotropy (index of WM microstructural integrity (FA)) in 38 middle‐aged female cynomolgus macaques living in small social groups. Subjects were classified as either dominant or subordinate based upon the outcomes of agonistic interactions. FA in several regions of interest (ROIs): splenium, body, and genu of the corpus callosum (CC), frontal, temporal, occipital, and total cerebral and cerebellar white matter was assessed in relation to social status and several contemporaneous measures of stress physiology (blood pressure, resting cortisol, and heart rate variability (HRV)).ResultRepeated measures ANOVA using left and right ROIs as a repeated measure showed that dominants had significantly higher FA than subordinates in the genu and splenium of the CC, and the occipital and frontal cortices (all p<0.05). Dominants also had higher FA, on average, in the body of CC (p = 0.07) and cerebrum (p = 0.10), although these differences were not significant. Dominants and subordinates did not differ in temporal or cerebellar FA (both p>0.7). FA was inversely correlated with blood pressure, directly correlated with HRV (p’s<0.05), but not correlated with serum cortisol.ConclusionPsychosocial stress of subordination, as well as physiologic indices of stress responses, was associated with diminished WM integrity in several brain regions. These studies lay the groundwork for investigations of interventions on psychosocial stress to reduce AD risk later in life.

Социальная автономия в тувинском этносе (экспериментальный подход социальной оценки малых сообществ)

In the work on the Tuvan material, the problem of loneliness is considered. The purpose of the study is to identify the social aspects of social autonomy. The study sets the task of determining the social prerequisites for social autonomy in the context of the role of the family as a small social group and its social function in the formation of the social inclusion of the individual with the subsequent formation of their own social relationships, family guidelines and family constructs. The research task is to determine the specifics, degree and nature of the manifestation of social autonomy in the context of the Tuvan ethnos as an example of a national community that has its own social history, specific traditional values, special national cults of the family, children, specific understanding of the social roles of family members. As a result of the data obtained, statistical estimates were made of the dependence of the main variables that contribute to loneliness or vice versa – reduce its risks. When studying the correlation estimates of the causes of loneliness in the choice of respondents and their answers to the question about the closest social circle, it can be seen that in the absence of their own family, respondents often see the causes of loneliness in the absence of a favorite thing or in the person himself, while the presence of a family forms for the respondents the sphere of employment and encourages them to be as involved as possible in the issues of family and children, thereby leveling all possible causes of feeling of loneliness. The study allows us to draw a conclusion about the importance of one's own family and children in the Tuvan ethnic group. The presence of a generic, cultural, historical understanding of the family, children in the lives of the respondents reflects the social orientation and social focus on the presence of this particular social field as defining for the majority of the respondents.

THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO THE DEFINITION FAMILY LIFE CYCLE

This article discusses the problem of defining the concept of «family life cycle», analyzes the main stages of the cycle, and also pays great attention to the method of social design as a way of modeling social reality. The moments connected with the transformation of traditional values corresponding to the family way of life are determined, the necessity of referring to the historical origins of the institution of the family is justified. The conclusion is made about the importance of the family as a small social group for strengthening the foundations of statehood, because it is in the family that the moral guidelines with which a person enters life are laid.