Civil Society Subjects Research Articles

Религиозно-духовные и гражданско-деятельностные аспекты программных документов российских мусульман в общественно-политическом контексте

This article provides information on how relevant the role of religious organizations as subjects of civil initiatives, presented as subjects of civil society, and highlights the main and functional features of these organizations. A content analysis of the text from the Moscow Theological Declaration on Jihad, Takfir and Caliphate as a document of the Russian Muslim Ummah is carried out, with an emphasis on the religious spiritual and civil affairs aspects of this document.

Parents in the School System in Europe

Introduction. To determine the prospects for the development of the social community of parents as a subject of civil society in Russia it is necessary to analyze foreign practices of social and civil activities of parents. In this sense, the activities of European parents are of interest, reflecting the experience of countries with a developed civil society (France, Germany, Sweden). The aim of the article is to analyze the institutional opportunities and practices of European parentsʼ participation in the system of school education. Materials and Methods. The methodological framework for the study of parentsʼ involvement in childrenʼs education was the concept of D. Epstein. To achieve this goal, the content of normative documents regulating the participation of European parents in the education of their school children was studied; a secondary analysis of statistical information and scientific publications was carried out. Results. The study showed that despite the common European space, parents of the analyzed countries have different institutional opportunities to participate in the education of their children. Two basic principles of state policy in relation to the parent community, which affect the peculiarities of their participation in school education, are highlighted. The first principle is the restriction of the freedom of individual choice of parents in the field of school education to ensure equal access to public school education. The second is the priority of childrenʼs rights over the rights of parents. The interaction of the school with parents is focused on the education of politically correct parents who fulfill the requirements of the school. It is noted that the Russian parent community can more actively use at least two European practices for the implementation and protection of parental and children rights and interests in the field of school education: collective forms of protection of rights and interests; consolidation with the local community for the implementation of parental and children needs and interests. Discussion and Conclusion. The obtained results contribute to the development of the sociological concept of the parent community as a subject of civil society. The materials of the article will be useful to scientists analyzing the problems of the development of Russian civil society; representatives of educational management engaged in the development of programs for the harmonization of relations between parents and schools; civil activists.

Directions of reforming civil society and public authorities in the conditions of war in Ukraine

In the current conditions of Ukraine's state of war, civil society should be considered not only as a society of free individuals, but also a society built on lawful (just) relations. It has been confirmed that the recognition of the interaction between law and justice is part of the European legal tradition. The basic element of civil society is its independent self-governing institutions, which, interacting with public authorities, perform important legitimating functions both within society and in the process of its interaction with public authorities. It is established that the institutions of civil society are the guarantors of the inviolability of personal rights of citizens, give them confidence in their abilities, serve as a support for citizens and public authorities in their possible confrontation with the enemy. They, in turn, operate on a self-governing basis within the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. The role of civil society during the full-scale war in Ukraine remains particularly relevant. In such a difficult period of our independence, every Ukrainian takes an active part in the public life of the state, joining the common victory over the enemy. The activities of foreign volunteers are becoming an important support. That is why the role of civil society is invaluable. The fate of our state in the future depends on the unity of each of us.
 In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, civil society interacts with public power, a type of socio-political, sovereign, legitimate power, based on public interest and impersonal nature, expressed in the system of social, public-political, volitional relations that arise between physical and legal persons (as subjects of civil society) and bodies and officials of the state (who are endowed with power) on the basis of law and law.
 At the present stage of Ukraine's development, the processes of formation of a democratic state governed by the rule of law and institutionalization of civil society are simultaneous and parallel, complementing each other. The full-scale war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, accumulated mechanisms for the formation and development of strong and coordinated cooperation between public authorities and civil society institutions. However, the path to victory is not easy, and therefore requires some reforms and improvements in such mechanisms. It is important that today the constitutionality and legitimacy of state power are fully realized in the conditions of civil society. The degree of this fullness is directly proportional to the stability of civil society institutions and the development of civil legal and political culture. Civil society is a reflection of democracy and the victory of our people over the world-famous dictator Putin. Ukrainians demonstrate unity on all fronts in the struggle against the Russian occupier, and this arouses great admiration and support in the actions of the international community. After the victory in the war with the occupier, a number of new democratic transformations await Ukrainian society, including those involving civil society institutions.

Directions and Forms of Communicative Competencies Development as an Element of Socio-Professional Competencies of Students of Short-Term Courses of the Educational System of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia

The relevance of the article’s material is due to the need to solve national security problems in a difficult geopolitical and social situation. At the same time, the professional activity of police officers in ensuring public order and protecting the rights and freedoms of citizens is of great importance. In a situation of negative social transformations caused, among other things, by the pandemic, disputes about vaccination, only a positive civil dialogue can relieve tension in society. In this regard, the requirements for the social and communicative competencies of police officers as representatives of the authorities and subjects of civil society are increasing. The article provides a scientific and methodological description of the activities of teachers of short-term courses of universities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the direction of optimizing the professional and personal training of students. The content of the concept of “social and communicative competencies of a police officer” is substantiated; possible methodological techniques and forms of competence development are shown. Some results of their application in educational practice are given, taking into account the results of the scientific research conducted by the author in 2019–2021. Attention is focused on the features of interactive learning in connection with the problem under consideration. The author’s recommendations on the practical application of individual interactive forms of development of social and communicative competencies of students of educational organizations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are presented.

The Community of Parents of Schoolchildren as a Subject of Civil Society (based on Materials from a Study conducted in a Russian Megalopolis)

The article is dedicated to analyzing the potential of transformation of parents into a subject of civil society through amplifying their social activities in schools and in big cities. The school and the megalopolis are regarded as social environments that have the potential to create new social trends and movements that are manifested in modified urban community behavior strategies, with such communities including parents of schoolchildren. The results of a survey of parents of schoolchildren (2019, Yekaterinburg, n = 7281) serve as the empirical foundation for the article. The article analyzes the characteristics of parents of schoolchildren in the megalopolis as a social community and as a subject of civil society. The importance of forming and developing this community’s social capital in relation to both its “strong” and “weak” connections is emphasized. The features of schoolchildren parents’ involvement in public practices at the school and in the megalopolis are shown. The forms of public participation preferred by parents in schools and in megalopolises are determined. Parents are becoming increasingly willing to engage in various practices of social activity in the future. Something else we noticed is the lack of active desire on behalf of the schoolchildren parent community to participate in managing the school, to stage protests or to support public initiatives in big cities. The authors insist that the parent schoolchildren community has the potential to turn into an active subject of state policy by means of increasing social activity and possibly translating it into civic activity under certain conditions.

ФУҚАРОЛИК ЖАМИЯТИ ВА УНИНГ ТАРКИБИЙ ИНСТИТУТЛАРИ МАВЗУСИНИ ЎҚИТИШДАГИ ИННОВАЦИЯЛАР ВА ИЛҒОР ХОРИЖИЙ ТАЖРИБАЛАР

The article examines in detail the economic, political, spiritual and moral foundations of civil society as an extremely complex and multifaceted social phenomenon. The article also discusses a free democratic law that puts everyone's interests at the forefront, respects legal traditions and laws, respects universal human values, guarantees human rights and freedoms, establishes effective mechanisms of public control over public authorities and deepens human relations based on deep spiritual and spiritual values. Cultural values, innovations and best foreign experience in teaching the subject of civil society and its constituent institutions as a society are analyzed in detail

Место и роль национально-культурных организаций в политическом пространстве саратовского приграничья

The article analyzes the influence of ethnic factor in the post-Soviet space using the example of the Saratov region. On the basis of a public survey conducted in eight districts of the region, the activities of national and cultural organizations as subjects of civil society and the regional political process are considered. Their interaction with the authorities, difficulties, and contradictions arising in the process of implementing the programs and goals of national and cultural organizations are studied.

Правовое регулирование общественных отношений в условиях цифровизации: институты и институциональная среда

An overview of information and communication practices affecting the formation of public relations in the state and determining the institutional environment is presented. It is noted that the actual task of the state in these conditions becomes the management of a structured system of social relations, formed on the basis of communication relationships between various subjects of civil society, business and citizens.

Non-state Legal Regulation: Some General Theoretical Aspects

The article attempts to look at law through the prism of the concept of non-state legal regulation. It is obvious that in modern societies there is no right that would be created exclusively by the state. Different subjects of civil society in different institutional forms have the opportunity to participate in the development of the content of legal norms, lobbying for the adoption / nonadoption of certain legal decisions.The article states that the complex nature of relations that are formed in modern society cannot be provided only by the state regulatory mechanism. As a variant of solving the problems of closing the gaps in the law, the concept of regulating public relations by rules created by a certain community, which is the embodiment of the results of the non-state regulatory mechanism, can be used. The non-state mechanism of regulation has a special meaning, on the one hand, has an ancillary value, and on the other – in some cases may acquire a basic meaning in relation to the state. These rules occupy an independent place in the system of sources of law, with the joint application of state and non-state rules, can lead to proper regulation of certain private law relations. The concept of legal regulation from the point of view of a decentralized perspective is a difficult task. It depends on the many elements that come from the nature of the relationship between the state and society, as well as the relationship within society. It is emphasized that non-state regulation can be legal or non-legal. The key to such a distinction is to identify the features of the law. Non-state legal regulation distinguishes from other types of non-state social regulation the following features: connection with a certain center of public power, institutional security, clear predetermined content of rules of conduct and negative сonsequences, the fundamental possibility to ensure the practical occurrence of such consequences.

The concept of public control over judges’ activity and the system of subjects of its implementation

The author of the article substantiates the modern tendency of the formation, development and spread of an increasing number of levers and protectors from state’s abuse of power, change of the state’s essence and its purpose in the society. The public and various elements of its control and supervisory activity play a significant role in this. Theoretical aspects of the issue of public control in general or in the context of a certain sphere of state power functioning, in particular are studied. Considering this, the author offers own definition of the category of public control over judges (courts) in Ukraine. The system and the legal status of various public control subjects are briefly characterized, their classification is performed and the place of control over judges among other subjects is determined.
 It has been established that public control over judges (courts) in Ukraine is the system of statutory measures and procedures implemented by civil society subjects in relation to judges, candidates for judges positions, members of judicial administration and self-government agencies (candidates for these positions), courts as institutions in order to to ensure the conditions for the selection of professional and honest judges, the effective, impartial administration of justice and the objective informing the public about the current state of affairs in the judicial sphere.
 Summarizing the analysis of the system of public control subjects, their administrative powers and capabilities, the author has noted that their absolute majority, except the Public Integrity Council, is not endowed with real (or at least close to such) levers of influence on the processes in the judicial sector. Accordingly, the purpose of their functioning is reduced to a greater extent to the accumulation, analysis and dissemination of socially important information about courts and judges, to the formation of public resonance on the facts of their not fair practice, other cases of law or professional ethics’ violation.

Православная церковь современной России в системе гражданского общества

Православная церковь современной России в системе гражданского общества

ПОЛІТИЧНІ ПАРТІЇ ЯК СУБ’ЄКТИ ГРОМАДЯНСЬКОГО СУСПІЛЬСТВА

У статті досліджено концептуальні засади діяльності політичних партій як суб’єктів громадянського суспільства. Зазначено, що основною ознакою існування громадянського суспільства виступає вільний характер асоціативного життя, за якого особа добровільно бере участь у соціальних процесах та бере на себе відповідальність. Акцентовано увагу на тому, що аналіз кількості та якості пропозицій від політичних партій виступає ознакою рівня розвитку громадянського суспільства в окремій соціальній системі. З’ясовано, що громадянське суспільство може не лише розвиватися та покращувати функціональність його інститутів, але й деградувати. Проаналізовано, що громадський контроль в Україні за діяльністю політичних партій розвинений слабо. Причини цього – нерозуміння його необхідності, загальне нерозуміння первинності інтересів громадянського суспільства стосовно владних інституцій, слабка інституційна спроможність громадського контролю (відсутність професійності й комунікації). Значна частина організацій громадянського суспільства лише імітують громадський контроль, а насправді їхні дії спрямовані на задоволення власних інтересів. Для зміцнення громадського контролю необхідні кількісне та якісне зростання громадських організацій, підвищення їхньої компетентності, інституційної й ресурсної спроможності, покращення комунікацій, пошук і використання нових технологій контролю та вдосконалення спільних дій. Важливо враховувати національну специфіку різних країн, їхні історичні традиції та тривалість і динаміку функціонування політичних партій.

Conceptual Principles of the Civil Society Research

The article attempts to analyze the conceptual foundations of the study of civil society (theoretical and methodological foundations) comprehensively in order to generalize research material on this subject. Different approaches to the concept and phenomenon of civil society in the historical context of their formation are analyzed and systematized. Taking into account complex content and the form of a civil society as a subject of research, the author offers an approach to its analysis, providing three dimensions of the study: a theoretical; a historical; and a practical one. The emphasis is on the importance of the economic component in the emergence of the phenomenon of a civil society in the socio-political reality and the significance of changes in the economic realm to update goals and objectives, as well as the structure of a civil society.
 Contemporary investigation of civil society involves research of information technologies that affect the level of openness and mobility of any knowledge and information; globalization processes that shape the new economic landscape of the world and, therefore, become the subject of civil society due to inevitable social-economic conflicts and contradictions; migration processes that affect the value system of both migrants and settled population, which leads to the formation of completely new subjects and objects of influence of civil society; ecological problems, which do not have a pronounced nationality and directly affect humanity as a whole, which leads to the emergence of international environmental movements.
 A separate problem in considering the theory of civil society is the level of personal interactions in modern conditions. The emergence of planetary problems and, accordingly, the interests of people allow distinguishing three levels of social relations, which have their own characteristics and directly affect the approaches to the implementation of civil society. Such levels are local level of interrelations (within the framework of separate communities, professional or cultural communities); national level of interrelations (at the state level or interstate regional interrelations); supranational level of interrelations (environmental issues, war and peace issues, disarmament, etc.).
 Keywords: Civil society, capitalism, labor market, mass movements, economic inequality, justice, conflict of interests, institutionalization

Social and biological prerequisites for formation of subjects of civil society

Social and biological prerequisites for formation of subjects of civil society

THE APOLITICAL SOCIAL CONTRACT: CONTEMPORARY DEMOCRATIC POLITICS BEYOND DEPOLITICIZED SOCIAL CONTRACT

ABSTRACT This article provides a criticism of the apolitical starting point of social contract theories through the analysis of Rawls's original position and Habermas's idea of complex society, arguing that such depoliticized starting point leads to the refusal of the centrality of social struggles between classes as the basis of streamlining social evolution and institutional constitution. In order to achieve political agreement, it erases and even eliminates the struggles between social classes, the status quo and the social-political differences between social groups as the core of societal and institutional configuration. Moreover, it leads to strong institutionalism-the centrality of the formal spheres and subjects (institutions, their proceduralism and legal staff, as political parties and courts) in relation to informal spheres and subjects (civil society, social movements and citizen initiatives). Therefore, the political consequences of a depoliticized or apolitical starting point are threefold: (a) the depoliticization of social struggles between opposed social classes, (b) the strong institutionalism by the emphasis in the depoliticized institutions and in the rule of law, and (c) the weakening of a democratic political praxis performed by social movements and citizen initiatives from a direct contraposition and even substitution of the institutions, their proceduralism and legal staff with the spontaneous politicalcultural praxis of these social movements and citizen initiatives. The great problem and challenge of contemporary democratic societies, namely the correlation between strong institutionalism, political parties and economic oligarchies, cannot be resolved from the juridical-political procedural paradigm's emphasis on institutionalism and the rule of law, but only by a reaffirmation of political praxis as the fundamental core of institutional and societal constitution, legitimation and evolution, which implies that democratic politics must be conceived of as a permanent struggle against strong institutionalism by the political subjects of civil society. Here a permanent and radical politicization of the informal public spheres and subjects is required.

How Does the European Commission Create a European Civil Society with Words? A Discourse Theoretical Inquiry

AbstractThe intent of this article is to make sense of European civil society from the point of view of post‐structural discourse theory. This theory suggests examining meaning‐making processes concerning European civil society by adopting a post‐foundational philosophy and an interpretive approach to studying social phenomena. Post‐foundational philosophy is anti‐essentialist, combines discursive and non‐discursive elements, and adopts a constructionist approach to language that recognizes agency as situated. Discourse theorists conduct empirical research by strictly following these philosophical presumptions. So conceived, discourse theory suggests that the conceptual link between NGOs and European civil society does not have any foundational ground or naturalistic explanation. Such a link is not a pre‐given fact, and can be best understood as linguistically constructed and articulated; that is, the EU institutions, the European Commission in particular, have defined and constituted NGOs as civil society subjects that would stand for and make Europe's imagined civil society present.

ANALYSIS OF GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SOCIETY SUBJECTS IN TRAKYA REGION

Governance and civil society subjects, which acquired more importance in new ordinary settlement and which takes participation as mutual point, are mentioned in this study. The group which is taken as base in scope of evaluation is “Governance and Civil Society Commission” which is one of 16 specialization commission created by Trakya Development Agency in scope of 2014-2023 Region Plans. The commission’s working progress and used methods were analyzed step by step in this study. The members in the commission are consistent of 30 individuals who served in public and civil society establishments in Edirne, Tekirdag and Kirklareli provinces which are named as Trakya Region. Besides, a moderator and a reporter worked actively during the meeting. The members made totally 4 meetings under the presidency of moderator with 2 weeks intervals on 6 circle tables as groups of 5 people in each. The region’s vision, SWOT analysis, targets, strategies, activities and actions were determined under the title of governance and civil society as the result of meetings which were made on a democratic base

Does Civil Society Matter? Governance in Contemporary India

Does Civil Society Matter? Governance in Contemporary India, Rajesh Tandon and Ranjita Mohanty, eds., New Delhi: Thousand Oaks, London: Sage Publications, 2003, pp. 363.In the last decade in North America, there has been an explosion of books on the subject of civil society. Like so many other concepts in contemporary political science, the notion of civil society has been imported to analyze other polities outside the North American hemisphere, and India is no exception. However, Tandon and Mohanty's edited book presents a fresh perspective by combining academic analysis with that of on-the-ground practitioners to examine the relationship between civil society and governance. The book is divided into two parts: the first deals with the theoretical conceptualization of civil society and the second with actual case studies.

Creating a Framework for Civil Society in Kyrgyzstan

OVER THE PAST DECADE OR SO a vast literature has appeared on the subject of civil society. Though in part inspired by events in Eastern Europe, the discussion has rapidly extended to cover political development in all comers of the globe. Various concerns have agitated the scholarly literature, from extensive debates over what exactly can be contained within an understanding of civil society to analysis of its relationship to processes of political change and democratisation. In definitional discussions the debate has to some extent moved beyond simplistic accounts of a distinctive realm intermediate between state and citizen, and most authors emphasise the interdependence of the three spheres. At the same time some sociologists and anthropologists, as well as political scientists concerned with the developing world, have expressed doubts about narrow, Western-oriented definitions of the concept. In particular they have questioned understandings that demand the presence of a particular type of 'modular' individual or which automatically disqualify more traditional forms of social organisation based upon kinship, ethnicity or religious identities. Whilst recognising that these may often act in uncivil fashion, many authors would argue that such groups play many of the roles usually ascribed to civil society, and offer forms of social contact and solidarity that are essential for societies undergoing rapid transition. Other scholars are more sceptical, pointing to the danger of a conceptual stretching that may render the very idea of civil society meaningless.1 More important for our purpose, however, has been discussion of the relationship between civil society and democracy, with its tendency to blur discussion of the former into that of the latter. Analytically, however, these are separate issues and in traditional societies such as those of Central Asia the development of social organisation is worth analysis in its own right, regardless of its imagined or actual contribution to democratisation. Even when one does pursue the linkage, it is impossible to accept uncritically the assumption that the successful building of democracy requires the pre-existence of a strong civil society, or that successful economic and political reform would always advance furthest 'in those countries where civil society is most robust'.2 Certainly it helps, and an examination of 'classic' transitions such as those in Spain and Poland suggests that this often is so, for in both cases a healthy civil society had developed within an authoritarian political order prior to the process of transition. Yet it might also be the case that in countries with little experience of independent political life, let alone of democracy, the impetus for the emergence of civil society