Tensions In Society Research Articles

Mathematical Methods of Natural Language Processing in the System of Operative Determination of the Level of Tension in Society

Introduction. The most important factors causing an increase in the level of tension in society are crisis phenomena and information operations. Today, sociological surveys are considered the main way to determine the level of tension that arises in some group of people in connection with a certain event. However, this method does not allow obtaining detailed information about the dynamics of changes in tension associated with certain news events and the impact of these news events on the general level of tension in society, which complicates the decision-making process by government officials in crisis situations. The purpose of the work is to increase the situational awareness of representatives of state institutions regarding the current level of social tension provoked by crisis phenomena, news events or information operations. The information obtained will help government officials to make quick decisions to overcome these crisis phenomena and counter disinformation. The main task of the research is to develop the architecture and mathematical support of the system of operative determination of the level of tension in society based on data from social networks. Results. The architecture and mathematical support of the system of operative determination of the level of tension in society were developed. An example of the application of this system to determine the level of tension provoked by one news publication is demonstrated. The main advantages and disadvantages of the developed system, as well as directions for further research, are determined. Conclusions. The developed system of operative determination of the level of tension in society helps to quickly identify news events and news publications that have the greatest impact on increasing the level of social tension across the country at certain specific moments of time. The use of a system based on social networks makes it possible to build on the basis of current data such assessments, which can be used to study the dynamics of changes in social tension associated with a certain news event or news publication. Keywords: level of tension in society, social networks, sentiment analysis, TF-IDF, Word2vec, neural networks.

The tensions of deepfakes

ABSTRACT In recent years, deepfakes have become part and parcel of contemporary algorithmic culture. It is regularly claimed that they have the potential to introduce novel modes of societal disruption, violence, and harm. Yet, over-emphasising the power of deepfakes risks occluding frictions, struggles, and logics that already persist in the digital landscape. Arguing for a conceptualisation of deepfakes as an assemblage of differential tensions in society, we explore how they represent both a rupture and a continuation of the variegated politics of the image in the social world. The paper analyses the tensions of deepfakes through three distinct case studies: bodies, politics, and ideas of objectivity. Ultimately, we argue that the tensions and ethicopolitical implications of deepfakes are not reducible to a problem that can be solved through a logic of algorithmic detection and verification.

The emergence of an independent Polish state and the problem of national minorities

The main approaches to the regulation of the status of national minorities in the Polish state restored after the First World War were investigated. They were reflected in the relevant provisions of the first Constitution of independent Poland (March 1921), which was a kind of compromise between the views of the Polish right-wing led by Roman Dmowski, who advocated the absolute dominance of ethnic Poles' interests, and the leaders of Polish socialist parties (T. Goluwko, L. Wasilewski), who wanted to support the national and cultural inspirations of minorities in exchange for their loyalty to the Polish state.
 The legal acts used to regulate the situation of national minorities were analysed. Their compliance with the international legal mechanisms for the protection of national minority rights, which began to operate in Europe within the framework of the Versailles-Washington system of international relations, in particular, the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles Minor, was determined. In case of compliance with the proclaimed legal norms, the Polish state had every chance to avoid an open confrontation with representatives of the non-title nation. However, the situation in Poland with regard to national minorities became a classic example of the discrepancy between law-making theory and law enforcement practice.
 It has been proved that due to the lack of mechanisms for monitoring compliance with international norms which were supposed to guarantee the rights of national minorities and imperfections in domestic legislation, the Polish authorities at various levels have repeatedly violated the democratic principles of the March 1921 Constitution and other legal acts designed to ensure equal rights for representatives of national minorities, which, in turn, created constant tension within the Second Polish Republic, destabilising the internal situation in the country.
 This situation was caused by a number of factors: the difficult economic situation, which provoked permanent tensions in society and the Poles' disrespect for members of national minorities. Artificially created borders after the First World War also provoked interethnic conflicts. Finally, it should be considered that the vast majority of Poles were supporters of the concept of the nation-state promoted by the National Democrats, which envisaged the assimilation of national minorities.

The triggering of communicative discourses in Sweden: technicalities in the PISA survey and social tensions in society

ABSTRACT How could the technicality arising from eleven percent of students being excluded from a PISA test in Sweden trigger a polarized debate followed by investigations by both the OECD and national authorities? This question is explored in the study by drawing on discursive institutionalism, especially the concept of normative background ideas, communicative discourse, and the “power in ideas”. Communicative discourses can be referred to as discourses explained by logics of position and logics of ideas. The normative background ideas are related to a critique or acceptance of receiving a high number of immigrants during a short period of time a few years before the 2018 PISA test was conducted. The concluding reflection poses the questions of at what point it is reasonable for newly arrived students to participate in the PISA test and whether the PISA test really measures the quality of the school system, as suggested by the OECD.

EXPLAINING THE RISE OF ALTERNATIVE FÜR DEUTSCHLAND (AFD) IN GERMANY WITH FAILED PROMISES OF UNIFICATION

The purpose of this paper is to explain the rise of a far-right political party, Alternative Für Deutschland (AfD), particularly in the eastern part of Germany, in relation to the failed promises of Unification in 1990. Despite the fact that a plethora of literature has primarily focused on the social consequences of immigration and populist rhetoric for the rise of the AfD in German politics since 2013, the paper critically questions why the AfD has a particularly stronghold in Germany's Neuen Länder (New States). The paper suggests, based on a political economy analysis that incorporates Durkheim's theory of anomie, that the gradual withdrawal of early euphoria in German Unification and its transformation into economic grievance and political distrust under neoliberalism has created anomic tensions in society, a condition that far-right politics can exploit. In other words, while German unification created euphoric expectations for the future, these expectations were not met under neoliberal conditions. It is, therefore, concluded that the persistence of unequal economic power between East and West Germany, as well as political underrepresentation of Eastern Germans, has exacerbated anomic tensions. As a result, the rise of the AfD is not a pathological issue, but rather can be explained in terms of unmet social demands among Germans.

Legal basis of cooperation of mass media and self-government bodies of citizens in implementation of public control

The article analyzes the legal basis of cooperation between mass media and citizens' self-government bodies in the implementation of public control. In the developed countries of the world, effective cooperation between civil society institutions and the state is very relevant as a form of cooperation that solves social and economic problems. In this regard, the effectiveness of the state power apparatus, formed with the help of democratic procedures, is related to the presence of public control over the activities of state bodies, which is carried out by civil society institutions. Today, public control is considered not as a means of pressure on the authorities but as a method of harmonious communication between civil society and the state and is one of the main factors that serve to eliminate social tension in society

Direct budget subsidizing as a factor of sustainable development of agricultural production in the Republic of Belarus

Currently, most of the world’s countries are pursuing an active agrarian policy in order to support national agricultural producers. At the same time, the ongoing changes in the global and domestic food markets, due to rising prices, reduction in the product range, and social tension in society require optimization of costs of the country’s budgets and development of proposals for the most effective measures. The paper presents an analysis of methodological approaches to assessing the efficiency of direct budget support for agricultural production used in the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Taking into account the identified advantages and disadvantages of applying these approaches in practice in the Republic of Belarus, as well as using the experience of the EAEU member states, methodological approaches have been developed to assess the efficiency of state support measures aimed at subsidizing of: 1) compensation for the cost of production resources; 2) price support; 3) losses of banks related to issuing preferential loans to rural producers; 4) stimulating the volume of output and the efficiency of related types of economic activity by increasing the amount of resources produced by the agriculture. Based on the presented developments, the most rational level of production costs was determined, when each additional ruble (as well as according to types) invested in the production allows to get the maximum increase in performance indicators. In addition, a positive effect of stimulating the growth of agricultural production on the performance of manufacturing (food) industry entities has been determined. These developments can be used to justify the sources and volumes of financing the priority areas for development of agriculture in the Republic of Belarus in the mid- and long-term outlook.

ДИФЕРЕНЦІАЦІЯ НЕРІВНОСТІ РОЗПОДІЛУ ДОХОДІВ НАСЕЛЕННЯ УКРАЇНИ У ВОЄННИЙ І ПОВОЄННИЙ ПЕРІОД

The article highlights the main problems of inequality in the distribution of income of the population, which is an inherent feature of a market economy, which in turn increases the dynamism of the labor market and is a stimulus for economic growth in the country. Characteristic signs of differentiation arise under the influence of various factors that have an economic, demographic or political essence. The main economic factors in modern realities can be considered: peculiarities of the functioning of the labor market, the level of development of the industry or a separate region of the country, as well as factors of demand, supply and distribution. Conducting an active and regulatory policy in the field of income distribution by the state makes it possible to avoid significant inequality. The problem of inequality of income distribution is one of the oldest and leads to social tension in society, therefore it requires detailed study and development of regulatory measures. Analysis and assessment of income inequality is carried out using various approaches and methodologies. They are aimed at the precise definition and development of effective measures that can be used to control the level of inequality and poverty. The growth rates of the population's income achieved in Ukraine give reason for only limited optimism, because compared to developed foreign countries, they are meager, and a significant part of the country's population is below the poverty line. Therefore, current realities dictate the need to deepen scientific research on the identification of negative socio-economic phenomena and the development of fundamentally new measures aimed at increasing incomes and reducing their differentiation.

Modern Challenges to Effective Functioning of Local Self-Government (On the Example of Saint Petersburg)

In recent history the concept of “public authority” was collective and was not fixed in legislative and normative-legal acts. Under the Law of the Russian Federation on amendment of the Constitution of the Russian Federation dated 14.03.2020 № 1-FCL “On improvement of regulation of separate issues of organization and functioning of public authorities” local self-government bodies were eferred to public authorities. According to Article 132 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation “Local self-government bodies and public authorities are part of a unified system of public authority in the Russian Federation and interact to most effectively solve problems in the interests of the population living in the respective territory. Article 35.1 of Federal Law № 131-FL of 06.10.2003 “On General Principles of Organization of Local Self-Government in the Russian Federation” gives elected deputies of a municipal representative body the right to form political factions for the exercise of their powers. The activities of such factions are established and legitimized by a normative legal act of the municipality. As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union and emergence of the Russian Federation, proc-lamation of democratic values and democratization of society, political parties and other public organizations began to appear. New actors and leaders, were able to organize a collective, turbulently increasing action against the government, which immediately after the end of the protests, mobilized the protest mood of the electorate, which in the elections in 2017, 2019 in Moscow, 2019 in St. Petersburg held in local government in Moscow and St. Petersburg “independent” municipal deputies from the territorial executive government in representative bodies of local government, thereby creating pockets of political and social tension. An important aspect of the political struggle for the degree of influence on political stability, namely the change of power in the municipalities of Svetlanovskoye, Smolninskoye, Ligovka-Yamskoye, Liteiniy District, Vladimirskiy District of St. Petersburg, was the result of an intraparty struggle in the power structures. The intraparty struggle between the executive and legislative branches of power for the degree of territorial influence in St. Petersburg is a characteristic feature of federal cities, with their elites constantly fighting for the maximum concentration of power in their hands. As a result of the insufficient control of the electoral process by the territorial executive bodies of state power in St. Petersburg, an additional opportunity for opposition forces to exercise sufficient quality control of the electoral process for compliance with legislative requirements. As a result of this situation, the representative bodies were formed by independent non-systemic deputies. The pluralism of opinions that emerged in local government became particularly important, since without agreement for decision-making the work of representative bodies of local government was impossible, and consequently the exercise of the constitutional rights of citizens to exercise local government and the legitimate functioning of local government in addressing issues of local importance and the execution of certain state powers was impossible. The existence in the legal field of an internally highly conflictual representative body generates social tension in society, political destabilization and, as a consequence, a general distrust of public authorities in general, since public authorities are directly involved in the formation of local government in St. Petersburg, where the execution of local government authority is associated with such features as a high level of education of citizens, population density, the degree of involvement in electoral processes In 2015, an additional procedure for recruiting heads of municipalities was introduced - the selection of candidates for the post of head by a competitive commission, where half of the commission’s members should be representatives of regional authorities. It was expected that in this way the selection of heads of municipalities would become more controlled. In 2020, the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation consolidated the “incorporation” of the local level into the system of state (public) power, finally depriving municipal authorities of formal autonomy from the state. The purpose of the article is to establish the causes of incapacity of the representative body of local government of St. Petersburg after the municipal elections of 2019, the search for possible ways to create conditions for further functioning of the municipality in the new conditions of pluralism of opinions among the new convocation of municipal deputies, the study of the causes of the created situation, the search and proposal of possible ways to solve the issue of adaptation of the representative body to the new conditions of functioning. Based on the research conducted, the authors declare the necessity to take measures to respond to the public authorities aimed at finding opportunities and creating conditions for the performance of powers by the representative body, deputies and heads of the municipality in the new conditions of functioning of local self-government.

Особливості державної політики протидії соціальним конфліктам на основі розвитку співробітництва громад з використанням мережевого управління та смарт-спеціалізації територій

Social progress occurs through crises – social, economic, ethnic, racial, confessional, etc. The cyclical processes of the transition of society to new civilizational levels are always accompanied by painful social conflicts for the population, the severity of which can be reduced by effective state policy. In general, it is a natural task of the state to reduce tension in society in order not to lead to revolutions and other destructive events that pose a danger not only to the population of the country, but also to the existence of the state itself. Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and the crisis caused by it have sharpened the need to understand possible factors of social conflicts, mechanisms for their prevention and methods of counteraction.
 The article is aimed at defining the vectors of influence of the mechanisms of smart specialization of territories, network management and cooperation of communities on the State policy of foreseeing and programming the emergence of crises and conflicts in society.
 The main aspects of introduction of smart specialization of territories, mechanisms of network management, advantages of cooperation of communities to ensure the State policy of counteraction to social conflicts are analyzed.
 It is concluded that there are also new opportunities, forms, mechanisms for counteracting social conflicts, which introduce the course of the conflict in a controlled direction. Such opportunities are created by a combination in the state policy of network management of cooperation between communities and regions on the basis of smart specialization. The essence of this synergistic combination lies in the use of digital technologies (networks, platforms) in the process of decentralized digital governance by predictable social processes, programming of the future development of the country, region, community.

Crime Prevention through Environmental Design of Railway Stations as a Specific Soft Target

Currently, we observe an increasing number of terrorist attacks and violent crime, resulting in a noticeable increase in nervousness and tension in society. Not only on the territory of Europe, but also throughout the world, terrorist attacks and violent crime are mainly concentrated near objects that are accessible to the public, characterized by a relatively low level of security and a high concentration of people, so-called soft targets. The tendency to control and influence human behaviors by reshaping the environment dates back to ancient times, with the crime prevention through environmental design strategy being a later product that arose as a result of the impact of urbanization and industrialization on the rise of crime in Chicago. The aim of the article is the contribution of new knowledge to society, which is presented through graphic designs of technical measures on the sustainability of the development of public spaces and communities, as well as the reduction of crime. The acquired knowledge is based on a holistic and integrated theory of crime prevention called the concept of CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design), which is dedicated to the identification of the conditions of the physical and social environment that allow the possibility of committing crimes and their subsequent modification intended to limit it. At the end of the article, a use case is presented on the object of the railway station, which is a public space and at the same time falls into the category of soft targets. Human choices shape the built environment, as well as tools that can be used to create sustainable urban and village development, which are also dependent on an acceptable crime rate. We are not testing environmental design as a way of thinking and a field of practices, but we are testing a particular method of environmental design (CPTED concept), which is focused on crime prevention, for a particular set of targets.

ASSESSMENT OF MATERIAL AND LIVING CONDITIONS OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN SLOVAKIA

An important task of social policy in the EU countries is to overcome poverty, reduce risk social groups due to effective social, economic, psychological help and support, providing decent living conditions, etc. Material and living conditions are one of the most important factors in determining the indicators of the population's standard of living. Poor material and living conditions, stratification of the population by income level and quality of life, lack of adequate social assistance to families with low-income levels, families with several children, families with dependent children with disabilities, leads to various social conflicts and aggravation of social tension in society.
 In the work, an analysis was carried out on the example of two separate indicators of the material and living conditions of the whole population of Slovakia for the period of 2005-2020. Selected time series models were used to provide forecast values for the period of 2022-2023.
 The developed models will allow to provide more reasonable analysis of the effectiveness of social programs and to improve the material and living conditions of the population of Slovakia, to identify target groups of the population that need more support and social assistance.

LABOR MARKET IN UKRAINE: CURRENT STATE AND WAYS OF STABILIZATION

Introduction. The labor market is an important component of the country’s economic system, a kind of indicator of its state, as well as a reflection of the level of social development. Military actions on the territory of Ukraine, changes in the socio-economic situation necessary the development of a system of effective measures to stabilize the labor market in modern realities.
 The purpose of the article. The article aims is to research the current state of the labor market in Ukraine and to substantiate the ways of its stabilization.
 Results. General trends in the development of the domestic labor market in the pre-war period are determined. The main indicators characterizing the current state of the labor market are analyzed. The trends of their change during January-November 2022 are determined. Government initiatives that contributed to increasing the flexibility of the labor market, stimulating employment, and optimizing labor relations are considered. Two trends characteristic of the modern labor market are identified. In particular, the appearance of new vacancies in the western regions of Ukraine, which is the result of the relocation of business from the southern and eastern parts of the country and the increase in the number of unemployed in the front-line territories, as well as those where active hostilities are taking place. Possible ways of stabilizing the domestic labor market during martial law are substantiated. It is proposed to focus efforts on three areas: creation of favorable conditions for conducting business activities; ensuring the employment of the population and guaranteeing the appropriate level of wages; stabilization of the social and humanitarian situation and prevention of exacerbation of social tension in society.
 Conclusions. Today, the labor market of Ukraine are characterized by significant deformation, lack of parity between demand and supply, and a drop in the level of income of the population. Its stabilization is an extremely important task, given the emergence of various population groups affected by the armed conflict. In current realities, state regulation of the labor market is an important prerequisite for expanding employment opportunities and raising the standard of living standards of the population.

ТРАНСФОРМАЦИЯ РЫНКА ТРУДА В СОВРЕМЕННЫХ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ УСЛОВИЯХ: СТРАТЕГИИ И ИНСТРУМЕНТЫ

The labor market, like any other market, is influenced by the economic situation developing in the economy. At the same time, its condition, key figures characterizing it, serve to brightly indicating the general socio-economic state of society, and to signal the emergence, deepening and increase of various issues associated with the growth of social tension in society. The paper summarizes various approaches to the definition and characterization of the labor market, it also gives a comprehensive analysis of trends, magnitude and dynamics of changes in various factors affecting the current state of the labor market, the specifics of the employment distribution among the population and the direction of transformation of the labor market. The considered aspects and factors radically change the traditional relations that have developed in the labor market. The changes taking place in the labor market affect both working conditions and, directly, working practice, changes in which are manifested in the disappearance of certain professions and the emergence of new ones, what, on the one hand, can lead to multidirectional fluctuations in the unemployment rate, and on the other hand, to an increase in the qualification requirements for potential employees. The current situation presupposes the adoption of urgent measures for various economic agents to organize their coordinated activities in order to control and regulate the relationships developing in the labor market wherein the determining role is assigned to state authorities.

Мусульманские и латиноамериканские сообщества иммигрантов в Испании

Spain was characterized by a high proportion of migrants in its population, which was perceived by the majority of Spanish society as excessive, raising concerns about the increased crime, insecurity, competition for jobs and social benefits. With the growth of Islamophobia and xenophobia towards migrants, it was important to analyze the integration problems, that most affected migrants from Africa and Latin America. The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of social, ethnic, cultural and religious characteristics of the Muslim and Latin American immigrant communities on their integration into Spanish society. The empirical basis for the analysis includes the results of investigations by the Spanish think tanks and statistical data from the National Institute of Statistics of Spain on the subject. The analysis showed that the key problem of integration is discrimination against migrants in the labour market and in housing rentals, and the main factors determining the level of discrimination are not so much cultural, religious and ethnic characteristics, as a low social status of immigrants. The success of the migrants’ integration depends directly on the results of combating discrimination, xenophobia and racism, which create social tension in society and contribute to the isolation and marginalization of migrants. The results of the immigrant survey indicate that social class and work are determinants of the subjective well-being of immigrants, which means that the labour market is the main area of integration policy. In this regard, labour management and employment policies for immigrants, especially low-income workers, should be the first and central core of strategies for social integration and for combating discrimination and racism.

Practising Cultural Inclusivity During the Pandemic: A Case Study of an Online Composition Course in Canada

The PhoeNX Ensemble-Memorial University composition course offers a case study of university-level pedagogical, intercultural music-making and its potential to engage the question of how music education can help to address existing racial and cultural tensions in society. During the course, racial and cultural concerns surfaced when participants negotiated their individual positionalities. An analysis of the multifaceted interactions demonstrates how this composition course exemplifies a meaningful and valuable path toward inclusive and anti-racist pedagogy in the Canadian classroom. Such approaches can address cultural misunderstanding and social injustice in the university context.

Организационно-правовые основы функционирования Корпуса жандармов России в XIX – начале XX века

A necessary condition for ensuring stable internal political development of the country is the presence in the state apparatus of effective mechanisms to combat the factors that generate social tension in society. To this end, a constant search is being made for new ways and methods of preventing political crime, which poses the greatest danger to the regime of government operating in one or another historical period. This makes it necessary to study the historical experience of legal regulation of the activities of specialized public authorities engaged in combating various forms of opposition to the current government of political groups and individuals. Particular relevance is the analysis of the organizational and legal mechanism of the functioning of the political police of Russia in the 19th – early 20th centuries (the period of activation of oppositional socio-political movements). The purpose of this study is to analyze the organizational and legal foundations of the functioning of the Russian Gendarme Corps as the highest body of political police in the country in the 19th – early 20th centuries. In the course of work, historical, chronological, logical methods are used, as well as the method of synthesis and analysis, systematization and generalization. We consider the main normative legal acts ensuring the functioning of the system of gendarmerie institutions of the country (for example, the Regulations on the Gendarmes Corps of April 28, 1827, the Regulations on the Gendarmes Corps of September 9, 1867, the Rules on the Procedure for the ranks of the Gendarmes Corps to investigate crimes of May 19, 1871, and some others). The conclusion is made about the effectiveness of work of gendarmerie institutions in Russia during the study period.

СУЧАСНЕ ГЛОБАЛЬНЕ СЕРЕДОВИЩЕ: ВИКЛИКИ, ЗАГРОЗИ, ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ БЕЗПЕКОВОГО РОЗВИТКУ

The study explores the manifestations of increasing geopolitical tension and geoeconomic risks, which are confirmed by the exacerbation of contradictions and the escalation of conflicts that have become dominant features of the complex security landscape of the modern global economy. It is determined that the slowdown in economic growth rates, regional asymmetries, and social polarization against the backdrop of weakening governmental institutions only exacerbate instability and increase the uncertainty of the global environment. Social and economic inequality deepens further stratification and tension in society, creating grounds for the unfolding of future conflicts. It is noted that after 2022, the influence of new processes and trends that shape the contemporary global security environment has intensified, characterized by an escalation of violence and conflicts, as well as an increase in military expenditures. The global rise in military expenditures is intensified by their increase at the regional level (except in Africa). Technological development combined with increasing military expenditures by countries raises the risk of a new arms race on a planetary scale. The leading positions in the world, both in terms of technological development and military expenditures, are occupied by the USA and China, between which deepening contradictions of not only a geoeconomic but also a geopolitical nature are observed. The deepening of interstate technological rivalry against the backdrop of rapid development of artificial intelligence and any escalation of conflicts increases new risks and has negative consequences for economic activity and commodity market dynamics. Ensuring sustainable development and long-term economic stability particularly depends on investments in technology, infrastructure, and human capital. Social polarization and inequality have become powerful risk factors for global development. The instability and weakness of states intensify social unrest and anti-government protests. Expanding public access to services and improving interaction with state institutions will impact social cohesion. Alienation and distrust towards authorities, combined with other factors shaping the security environment, underscore the need to improve the quality and efficiency of security expenditures and counter-terrorism financing. Keywords: conflicts, global security environment, military expenditures, security, geoeconomic and geopolitical risks, technological development, asymmetry, war.

Социальная политика начала 1990-х годов в условиях экономических реформ: направления и способы решения (Южный Урал)

Introduction. The historiography of social transformations in the 1990s and early 2000s in Russia should be divided into several stages. The result of each is the transition from active criticism and analysis of the impact of reforms on the social sphere of society to attempts to study methods and directions for changing social policy at federal and regional levels. The relevance of the problem is based on the lack of a comprehensive study of social transformations in the Southern Urals, which is the purpose of the study. Materials and Methods. To achieve this goal, comparative-historical and problem-chronological methods were used, as well as the principles of objectivity, consistency and historicism were applied, allowing to reveal the problem in its logical factual sequence, based on documentary sources. The archival funds of the Southern Urals region and the Federal Archives were involved (archival department of the administration of Chelyabinsk (F. 2 – Administration of the city of Chelyabinsk), State Archive of the Russian Federation (F. 10026 - Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR), State Archive of the Orenburg Region (F. 1014 – Orenburg Regional Council of People’s Deputies), United State Archive of the Chelyabinsk Region (F. R-2740 – Chelyabinsk Regional Council of People’s Deputies), Russian State archive of socio-political history (F. 661 – Democratic Party of Russia; F. 664 – Agrarian Party of Russia), Central State Historical Archive of the Republic of Bashkortostan (F. 1684 – Ministry of Labor and Employment of the Republic of Bashkortostan; F. R-169 – Ministry of Social protection of the population of the Republic of Bashkortostan), Documentation Center of the Modern History of the Orenburg Region (F. 371 – Orenburg Regional Committee of the CPSU; F. 8016 – Orenburg Regional Committee of the Trade Union of Workers of Power Plants and the Electrical Industry; F. 8038 – Orenburg Regional Council of Trade Unions). In addition, programs and projects of social transformations in the region were analyzed. Analysis. The article analyzes the main trends in social policy changes in connection with the transition to market economy. The dynamics is considered on the example of the regions in the Southern Urals (Orenburg, Chelyabinsk regions and Bashkiria). The reasons for the transition from universal to targeted social assistance are revealed. By the example of demographic changes (births and deaths ratio), decrease in industrial production, lowering standard of living at the beginning of market reforms, the range of measures taken at the regional and federal levels to relieve social tension in society is determined: opening funds, creating a social assistance service, training personnel. Results. The article draws conclusions about the main reason for the failure of many social transformations – the lack of financial support for the new social policy. In the conditions of the growing economic crisis and the increase in the number of the population below the poverty line, the attempt of the state to delegate the decision on financing and providing selective social support to the regions did not entail effective results. An attempt to switch to targeted assistance and the creation of regional funds for social support of the population made it possible to somewhat reduce social tension in the country. It did not solve all social problems of society, creating a dichotomy of the problem: a constant increase in the number of poor people and a simultaneous reduction or unstable financing of social policy.

Розвиток малого підприємництва в Україні: фактори впливу та актуальні тенденції

The article examines the main trends in the development of small entrepreneurship in Ukraine. The state of functioning of small enterprises during the period of pandemic and active hostilities on the territory of the State is allocated. On the basis of the carried out analysis, the main trends and regularities of functioning of small business entities have been formed. It is proved that not only the development of small entrepreneurship contributes to increasing the economic component of the development of the State, but it also reduces social tension in society due to the creation of jobs and employment. It is substantiated that the influence of external factors is regulated at the national or regional levels, while the influence of internal factors is regulated by the actions of an individual enterprise. It is determined that territorial communities and local self-government bodies play an important role in the development and support of small entrepreneurship, since it is the local milieu where the needs of small business are much better understood, as well as the influencing factors they encounter in their activities. It is determined that the introduction of new technologies that meet European standards and quality norms for domestic enterprises is a difficult task, primarily due to the lack of financial resources. The directions of improving the development and support of small business during the wartime and in the post-war periods of economic recovery are allocated. An algorithm for regulating the activities of small business entities has been proposed. Measures to stimulate the development of small entrepreneurship in financial, regulatory, and production areas are substantiated.