Specific Social Group Research Articles

Unequal access to redress for women ex-combatants in Zimbabwe: an intersectional analysis

ABSTRACT Women played a range of complex roles during the liberation struggle in Zimbabwe between 1961 and 1980. However, although the Zimbabwean post-independence government made attempts to promote gender equity following the liberation struggle, women ex-combatants continue to experience unequal access to redress compared to their male counterparts. Part of the reason for this is that they were not considered as a specific social group in post-independence policies. Discussions at Lancaster House in 1979 addressed redress for ex-combatants broadly but neglected to pay attention to women and their unique experiences in the struggle and in the post-independence context. In addition to this, it is not only gender, but also issues of social class and ethnicity that have shaped the political and socio-economic position of women ex-combatants in post-independence Zimbabwe. Using an intersectional lens, this article examines the experiences of Zimbabwean women ex-combatants, taking into consideration their class, sexuality, gender and ethnicity. It argues that gender on its own is inadequate to account for unequal access to redress. Rather, other social categories such as, but not limited to, social class and ethnicity should be investigated in order to understand the struggles faced by women ex-combatants in post-conflict societies in order for all to have equal access to justice and redress.

Обеспечение преемственности дошкольного и начального школьного образования: организация работы с детьми, испытывающими трудности в ходе учения

The article analyzes the works of domestic teachers and psychologists, devoted to the organization of work with children experiencing difficulties in the process of mastering educational programs. On the basis of the ideas put forward by the researchers, the authors formulated and characterize the actual way of preventing the failure of first-graders - the implementation in practice of the principle of continuity of education during preschool childhood and at the first stage of school education. The urgent need for the manifestation of greater attention of primary school teachers to the analysis of the psychological and pedagogical reasons for school failure, as well as the organization of a differentiated approach to teaching children of special social groups is revealed.

Higher Education System: Key Subjects of Educational Policy

The article is devoted to the key subjects of educational policy, on which the quality of the educational sphere depends. One of these subjects is teachers of higher educational institutions as a special social group, which has a leading role in shaping the intellectual, professional and scientific potential of society. A lot of research is devoted to the problems of teachers, but the issues of their self-identification remain relevant and, at the same time, insufficiently studied. The capacity of narrow professionals to solve the complex tasks of social life is insufficient. Another key subject of educational policy is the state as a guarantor of quality higher education. In most European countries, the state, due to historical traditions and resources, remains the main guarantor of the national education system. In the article, on the basis of our own sociological studies conducted in one of Moscow universities among teachers and students, as well as a secondary analysis of sociological research data conducted in a number of regions and universities of the country, some problems were identified that prevent the creation of an effective management model in the field of education.

Traditions, a means of safeguarding authentic spiritual values

Preserving traditions, particularly in rural areas, can be regarded as a safety mechanism for those who can trace their roots to the respective regions. This entails the certainty of belonging to a specific social group. Therefore, in order to remain unchanged, customs and traditions need to be cultivated in the hearts of the younger generations as true spiritual values.

W poszukiwaniu utraconego imperium. Polska imperialna jako świat i jako wyobrażenie

The heritage of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth is one of the most problematic residues of the Polish past. After World War II, Poland lost its so-called Eastern Borderlands, which meant a break with a specific state tradition, the most important link of which was the powerful Polish-Lithuanian state in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The potential and significance of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth remains an important topic of Polish identity discourse. One of the issues addressed in that context is the imperial character of that state. The importance of this issue goes beyond the space of historiographic debates. It also concerns the place and role of Poland in the world from both historical and contemporary perspective. A common element of various narratives around the national-state status is myth. Myth is a story told for the needs of a specific social group, but it also refers to some of the supra-class conditions that could be described as the ontology of national being. Thanks to this, it can be treated as one of the tools used to study not only self-perceptions of the community, but also the interactions that occur between these self-images and real determinants of the community’s status. According to the author of the article, postcolonial studies create a possibility of integrated research on Polish imperiality, since they combine a number of different competencies necessary to comprehensively cover this broad topic. The sphere of national mythology is combined from a postcolonial perspective with a vast sphere of social facts and real-life conditions.

Обеспечение преемственности дошкольного и начального школьного образования: организация работы с детьми, испытывающими трудности в ходе учения

The article analyzes the works of domestic teachers and psychologists, devoted to the organization of work with children experiencing difficulties in the process of mastering educational programs. On the basis of the ideas put forward by the researchers, the authors formulated and characterize the actual way of preventing the failure of first-graders - the implementation in practice of the principle of continuity of education during preschool childhood and at the first stage of school education. The urgent need for the manifestation of greater attention of primary school teachers to the analysis of the psychological and pedagogical reasons for school failure, as well as the organization of a differentiated approach to teaching children of special social groups is revealed.

Formation and Development of Educational Potential of Russian Unemployed Adolescents

The problem of educational potential and work potential is multifaceted. First, it is necessary to increase their rational use for sustainable development of the country. Secondly, the value components of educational potential and work potential of young people are unstable and contradictory. This fact leads to socio-cultural features and has an impact on the level of development of the social potential of modern youth. This work addresses the status roles of the unemployed, types of their employment behaviour, attitudes to education, training, retraining, self-development of unemployed youth as a specific social group. The features of value components of educational potential and work potential of the Russian unemployed youth in modern conditions are analyzed based on authors' research. The article analyzes the possibility of using various systems and technologies of training, including traditional, electronic, distance; it also reveals modern methods and techniques of training and offers a model of distance learning for young unemployed.

Social Behavior of University Students in Civic Sphere (Based on Results of Sociological Study in Rostov Region, Russia)

The specific features of social needs and life strategies of students as a special social group, the significant role of universities in the formation of civic consciousness and the peculiarities of the transformation of the civic sphere in Russia actualize the study of the social behavior of university students in the civic sphere. The main purpose of the study is to identify the features of the social behavior of university students in the civic sphere and to determine their types. The methodological framework is based on the synthesis of socially deterministic and neoinstitutional approaches, the theory of mental programs, M. Rokeach's value approach and the activity-based approach to studying social practices. As external factors, the authors examine the features of organizational and institutional conditions for the implementation of civil-social and civil-political practices by students. The authors investigate the following internal factors: conservative and liberal mental programs which include ideas about civic participation as a terminal and instrumental value, attitudes and motives behind practices. The study is based on the data of the author's questionnaire of 382 students from seven universities in the Rostov region. According to the results of the study, there are four types of social behavior of students in the civil sphere: civic type, career-leisure type, hybrid type and conformist type. The most common type of behavior remains conformist as it is formed under the influence of conservative mental programs and formal conditions for the implementation of civil practices. The most adaptive to modern realities in the civil sphere is the hybrid type of students' social behavior. The university is a platform of special social trust between students and determines broad prospects for the development of informal civic events.

Характеристики воли как предикторы склонности к риску у курсантов военного вуза в процессе военно-профессиональной социализации

One of the important and relevant problems of social psychology is the study of the role of will characteristics as important regulators of risk behavior. It is especially interesting to investigate it in such a specific social group as military personnel, whose activities are associated with risk both directly and indirectly. In view of this, the purpose of the research presented in the article is to study changes in volitional determination of risk and rational behavior of the military university students in the process of professional military socialization. As a hypothesis, we suggest that different volitional characteristics mainly determine risk behavior and behavior associated with rationality. The research involves 182 military students (aged M = 20.5; SD = 1.6) of Saratov Military Institute of the National Guard of the Russian Federation. We used the following techniques to analyze changes in volitional determination of rational and risk behavior: the technique for diagnosing the manifestation of volitional personality traits “Volitional personality traits” (M. V. Chumakov); “Risk-taking” questionnaire (A. M. Schubert); the technique for diagnosing two personality traits – readiness for risk and rationality – as psychological variables reflecting the characteristics of personal regulation of the subject’s choices (such as decision-making) in the broad context of life situations “Personality factors of decision making” (T. V. Kornilova). We revealed the complication of the volitional determination of rational and risk behavior in the process of professional military socialization; we also found major volitional personality traits, that are predictors of readiness for risk and rationality. It is shown that 8% of variations in rational behavior are due to purposefulness and initiative, and 8% of variations in risk behavior are due to persistence. The study of the identified parameters can help in determining the inclination to risk and rationality of military personnel, their influence on behavior in the course of performing service and combat missions and, consequently, on their more effective and high-quality performance.

Rock Procurement in the Early Neolithic in Southern Norway – Significance by Association with People and Places?

Rocks and places of rock procurement can be sig- nificant beyond pragmatic reasons. In the Early Ne- olithic in southern Norway, specific rock types and quarries appear to have been deeply entangled in socio-political strategies that either bound people together or set people apart. Charted variations in the character of lithic procurement and distribu- tion indicate two parallel but diverging processes of “Neolithization” in the western and eastern region respectively. In the west, rhyolite from a quarry atop Mt. Siggjo was especially significant, demonstrated by the intense quarrying and wide distribution of rhyolite along the west coast. Indeed, in the west, certain quarries appear to have been regarded as nodal points, anchoring people’s sense of identity and belonging. In the east, imported flint gained a similar role because of its association with farm- ing and Funnel Beaker–related societies in south- ern Scandinavia. That is, rock was significant not only due to its physical qualities, but by its associa- tion with a specific place, social or cultural group.

Динамика показателей межличностных отношений курсантов военного вуза на разных этапах военно-профессиональной социализации

The article deals with the actual problem of interpersonal relations among military personnel. The urgency of studying this problem is determined by the high importance of this special social group, which performs the function of protecting society and the state. The purpose of the paper is to study the dynamics of indicators of various characteristics (styles) of interpersonal relations among cadets of a military higher educational institution in the process of military-professional socialization in the context of studying the specifics of interpersonal relations among military personnel. As a hypothesis, it is suggested that the specifics of military service presupposes cadets’ preference for certain styles of interpersonal relations at all stages of military socialization. The study involved 182 male cadets of Saratov Military Order of Zhukov Red Banner Institute of National Guard Troops, aged 18 to 26 years, M = 20.5 years. Sample size: 1st academic year – n = 38; 2nd year – n = 48; 3rd year – n = 28; 4th year – n = 32; 5th year – n = 36. To determine the individual style of interpersonal relations, the methodology “Diagnostics of interpersonal relations” by T. Leary (modified by L. N. Sobchik) was used. In the course of empirical research, it was found that the characteristics of interpersonal relations in the process of military socialization are developing quite actively. There is a constant positive dynamics of the styles of interpersonal relations aimed at cooperation, mutual assistance, and acceptance of responsibility. Based on a comparative analysis, it was revealed that the most preferred styles of interpersonal relations are authoritarian, selfish, friendly and altruistic styles.

The problems of young disabled people in St. Petersburg: sociological analysis

Disability as a social problem is one of the most pressing phenomena of modern Russian society. The article analyzes young disabled people as a specific social group and the problems they face in their lives. Young disabled people are quite an active social group, they participate in youth activities, reveal their talents. But because of the barriers in the environment, they cannot fully realize themselves. A study has been carried out showing the problems of young people with disabilities that need to be addressed immediately. Problems such as access to health services and medicines, employment problems, lack of equipment and lack of barrier-free environment, education and information accessibility have been identified. Particular attention is paid to the issue of accessibility as one of the factors preventing young people with disabilities from interacting actively with the environment. The longitudinal nature of the study allowed us to analyze what has changed in solving the problems of this social group. The results of the study showed that in St. Petersburg and other cities, much more attention to this category of people began to be paid, but often problem-solving is still point-by-point rather than complex.

МОНАСТИРІ КИЇВСЬКОЇ ЄПАРХІЇ В УМОВАХ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ РАДЯНСЬКОЇ МОДЕЛІ ДЕРЖАВНО-ЦЕРКОВНИХ ВІДНОСИН (1920–1930-ТІ РОКИ)

У статті акцентовано увагу на ролі та значенні православних монастирів у формуванні морального здоров’я суспільства. Відродження цих інституцій у незалежній Україні сприймається як відродження національної ідентичності і національних цінностей, як ознака морального очищення суспільства, антитеза бездуховності та гонитві за матеріальним благополуччям. Сучасні православні монастирі в Україні перетворилися на центри паломництва і туризму, вони не обділені увагою сучасних політиків і діячів культури. На початку ХХ ст. монастирі Київської єпархії виконували значну господарську та соціокультурну функцію, перетворилися на потужні релігійно-культурні центри. Досліджено долю монастирів Київської єпархії у 1920–1930-х роках. З’ясовано, що у цей період на них випали вкрай важкі випробування. Монастирі і церковні общини позбавлялися права власності та статусу юридичної особи. Доведено, що у період 1919–1921 рр. закриття монастирів набуло особливо масового характеру, їх спосіб існування та доля насельників кардинально змінилися. Діяльність чернечих общин була спрямована у цей час на пошук можливих шляхів, які б забезпечили їх фізичне існування у соціалістичній державі. Необхідність налагодження церковного життя в нових умовах змусили Православну церкву шукати нові форми існування своїх інститутів. З’ясовано, що відповідно до чинного законодавства до 1922 р. майже в усіх монастирях Київської єпархії були утворені релігійні громади. У дея- ких обителях почали функціонувати сільськогосподарські артілі або трудові комуни. Конфіскація церковних цінностей, реорганізація та закриття монастирів і храмів відображали політику радянської держави у царині духовної культури того часу. Установлено, що радянська влада знайшла способи і методи, за допомогою яких було закриті монастирі і ліквідовано чернецтво як особливу соціальну групу людей в Україні.

THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIAL WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STATE POLICY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

The article is devoted to the importance of the state youth policy in the modern social policy of the state. The paper shows that the state youth policy is an imperative in the current situation in the country. The authors also determine the relevance of the study by the expansion of the geography of state youth policy and the increasing number of its main subjects. The main purpose of the work is to reveal the content of the state youth policy and determine the directions of social work for its implementation. The subject of the research is the directions of social work with young people as a special social group for the implementation of the state youth policy. The paper shows the tools for implementing the state youth policy, reveals the directions for involving young people in active social and political practice, and in what forms it is carried out and it is advisable to conduct it. Focusing on the emerging trend of young people`s orientation towards achieving personal success and personal growth allows us to use psychological means of regulating youth activity in involving this important social stratum in solving the problems facing the country.

Spiritual Development as a Factor of Professional and Personal Qualities of Modern Students

This article deals with the formation of spiritual development of students, caused by three main circumstances: First, the need to study the changes taking place in society and changes in the mechanism of formation of spiritual culture of students. The hierarchy of values and spiritual activity of new generations of students differ significantly from previous generations' value-normative system. Secondly, students' innovative role in youth culture and a special place of higher education as a factor in the formation of students' spiritual culture. Third, considering students' specific qualities and characteristics as a special social group, the study of youth spiritual culture can determine the parameters of society's spiritual development prospects. In the works of the researchers mentioned above, in particular, the social aspects of cultural self-identification of young people were touched upon. The influence of deformations of the value-normative system on the strengthening of the processes of individualization of consciousness of young people taking place against the background of the destruction of rigid traditional forms of social control and the absence of new moral boundaries was studied. In connection with the social and educational environment, the issues of adaptation of young people were considered. Applied research in the higher education system reflects the urgent problems of universities. It contributes to the clarification of hypotheses and building theories of the middle level, including issues of institutional impact institutions of higher education on the formation of students' spiritual development, especially in terms of its professional component. The analysis of requests, expectations, and preferences of young generations in the field of culture makes it possible to form a holistic view of the development of leisure behavioral stereotypes

Validação por expertos de uma proposta metodológica para promoção de atitudes positivas perante a deficiência em ambientes inclusivos

A Actividade Física Adaptada à Pessoa com Deficiência (PcD) é reconhecida como um óptimo meio para a inclusão social desse grupo. No entanto, o grau de inclusão da PcD dependerá em grande parte das atitudes manifestadas pelos diferentes grupos populacionais, assumindo que uma atitude positiva influencia o comportamento da pessoa em relação a um grupo social específico. Em Moçambique, espera-se que técnicos desportivos capacitados em modalidades adaptadas à PcD, além de técnicos, sejam agentes que promovam a inclusão social. OBJECTIVO: o objectivo do presente estudo foi validar uma proposta metodológica que gere atitudes positivas em relação à deficiência, melhorando assim o perfil dos formados em cursos de agentes desportivos. MÉTODO: a proposta foi submetida a um processo de validação por especialistas, composto por um painel de 21 especialistas de quatro países (Espanha, Portugal, Brasil e Moçambique), seleccionados por meio de um questionário para determinação do coeficiente de competência. Para a análise dos resultados, foi utilizada a estatística inferencial (medidas de tendência central e dispersão) e o coeficiente de concordância "W de Kendall". RESULTADO: os especialistas avaliaram satisfatoriamente oito descritores, dentre eles, o contexto da proposta e sua aplicabilidade; o desenho, objectivos e estratégias da metodologia; os critérios de sucesso, o tempo estimado para sua implementação e os resultados esperados. CONCLUSÃO: foi validada por especialistas uma proposta metodológica com o objectivo de melhorar a atitude do formando em relação à deficiência. The Physical Activity Adapted to the Person with Disabilities (PwD) is recognized as an optimal path for the social inclusion of this group. However, the degree of inclusion of PwD will largely depend on the attitudes manifested by the different population groups, assuming that a positive attitude influences the behavior of the person towards a specific social group. In Mozambique, it is expected that the sports technicians trained in modalities adapted to the PwD, in addition to being technicians, will be agents that stimulate social inclusion. OBJECTIVE: the objective of the present study was to validate a methodological proposal that generates positive attitudes towards disability, thus improving the profile of the trainees leaving in courses for sports technicians. METHOD: the proposal was submitted to a validation process by experts, made up of a panel of 21 specialists from four countries (Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Mozambique), selected through a questionnaire to determine the coefficient of competence. For the analysis of the results, inferential statistics (measures of central tendency and dispersion) and the coefficient of agreement "Kendall's W" were used. RESULT: the experts satisfactorily evaluated eight descriptors, among them, the context of the proposal and its applicability; the design, objectives and strategies of the methodology; the success criteria, the estimated time for its implementation and the expected results. CONCLUSION: a methodological proposal with the aim of improving the attitude of the person being trained towards disability was validated by specialists. A Actividade Física Adaptada à Pessoa com Deficiência (PcD) é reconhecida como um óptimo meio para a inclusão social desse grupo. No entanto, o grau de inclusão da PcD dependerá em grande parte das atitudes manifestadas pelos diferentes grupos populacionais, assumindo que uma atitude positiva influencia o comportamento da pessoa em relação a um grupo social específico. Em Moçambique, espera-se que técnicos desportivos capacitados em modalidades adaptadas à PcD, além de técnicos, sejam agentes que promovam a inclusão social. OBJECTIVO: o objectivo do presente estudo foi validar uma proposta metodológica que gere atitudes positivas em relação à deficiência, melhorando assim o perfil dos formados em cursos de agentes desportivos. MÉTODO: a proposta foi submetida a um processo de validação por especialistas, composto por um painel de 21 especialistas de quatro países (Espanha, Portugal, Brasil e Moçambique), seleccionados por meio de um questionário para determinação do coeficiente de competência. Para a análise dos resultados, foi utilizada a estatística inferencial (medidas de tendência central e dispersão) e o coeficiente de concordância "W de Kendall". RESULTADO: os especialistas avaliaram satisfatoriamente oito descritores, dentre eles, o contexto da proposta e sua aplicabilidade; o desenho, objectivos e estratégias da metodologia; os critérios de sucesso, o tempo estimado para sua implementação e os resultados esperados. CONCLUSÃO: foi validada por especialistas uma proposta metodológica com o objectivo de melhorar a atitude do formando em relação à deficiência.

Отношение к будущей профессии у китайских студентов, обучающихся в России

Students are a special social group who strive to obtain higher education and master a highly qualified profession. The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude of Chinese students in Russia to their future profession. It aimed to compare the attitude to the future profession of 1st and 4th-year Chinese students studying in Russia and Chinese students studying in China. Additionally, we compared the attitude to the future profession of Chinese and Russian students. The study involved 720 full-time students of humanities at Henan University (China) and Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia (Russia). The methodology included the author’s questionnaire “Spheres of life”. Most students are satisfied with their chosen profession. The responses of Chinese students studying in Russia in the 1st year differ significantly. They are satisfied with their future profession only in 32% of cases. Chinese first-year students in Russia and especially in China have a higher readiness to enter the master’s programme than in the fourth year. On the contrary, Russian students are more willing to continue their master’s studies at the senior level. These results are explained by the high value of education in traditional Chinese culture and the desire of Chinese first-year students to fulfill their parents’ will. Later, life plans are adjusted. All students are also noted to be ready to work in their specialty, except for Chinese first-year students studying in Russia. It was revealed that the attitude to the profession of Chinese students differs from the attitude to the profession of Russian students. The identified differences are due to the adaptation difficulties of first-year students beginning their studies in a foreign country, as well as social and cultural adaptation. During their studies, Chinese students successfully overcome adaptation difficulties.

Молодѐжь как социальная группа

The article describes the characteristics of youth as a special social group, which is distinguished by specific living conditions, work, social behavior and psychology, as well as a system of value orientations. The aim of the study is to analyze the position of young people in the social space of modern Russian society in a theoretical-methodological and empiricalsociological analysis.

AGRARIAN SOCIOLOGY: THE MAIN TRENDS

The article highlights and briefly analyzes the main directions of agrarian sociology in Russia, and shows that agricultural sociology is only evolving today. Theoretical research methods were used: a systematic approach, a comparative historical method, as well as quantitative and qualitative methods of applied sociological research: questionnaires, analysis of documents and work in a focus group. The research allows identifying the main directions of modern agrarian sociology in Russia. These include: 1. Sociological research of ecological culture and consumer culture. 2. The sociology of nutrition. 3. Sociological studies of farming as a special social group. Based on the results of the study, the authors identify the trend directions of modern agricultural sociology in Russia which are currently being formed and waiting for research by the joint efforts of sociologists, economists, lawyers, philosophers and representatives of agricultural sciences. Solving these problems will help attract young people to work in farms, including the organization of their own family farm. The first group of problems is the loss of traditions of family farming as a way of life and the related underestimation of farm labor and farming as a social community. The second group of problems is related to the insufficient use of innovative technologies, including digital ones, in family farming and everyday life, as well as the insufficiently developed social infrastructure in rural areas.

Конструктивно-инструментальные основания концепции включающего общества

The article presents an instrumental and philosophical approach to the philosophy of education, to its areas related to inclusive education. It is shown that the demonstration of the features of the philosophy and special methods of inclusion is a significant moment in the integral construction of the" inclusive " society. It is considered that in the space of a special social group there is a process of joint purposeful activity of subjects with the PLO, their training and education in the framework of the implementation of practical tasks for the organization of the effective functioning of the" inclusive " society.