Vol 13, No 1 (2025)

The purpose of the article is a critical analysis of the most common concepts of regional communities consolidation, their verification based on the results of an empirical study in the regions bordering Ukraine in Russia in the early 20s of this century. Justifying the relevance of the topic under consideration, the authors point out the contradiction between the objectively conditioned, adequate essence of man, the intention to consolidate, which is reflected both in the declarations of state leaders and public leaders, as well as a significant part of the population, and the limitations of its real practices. This contradiction has not yet been satisfactorily explained in the sociological literature, which is dominated by a simplified view of consolidation as a rallying of citizens based on common values. The article examines two concepts of consolidation (value-based cohesion and consolidation as a necessity) and argues that the mechanisms of consolidation are complex and far from obvious. The attempt to simplify the idea of them in epistemological terms reflects the inability to comprehend the real consolidation process in all its inconsistency. In the social aspect, the reasons are related to the desire of researchers to comply with modern political trends, without their full reflection, which indirectly indicates that the “disease” of servility has not been completely cured. The authors prove that only the position of social realism, which is based on an understanding of the ambiguity and heterogeneity of the consolidation process, liberation from considerations of political conjuncture, problematization and deproblematization, reflexive assessment of their own experience of analysis, as well as the experience of other authors, avoids erroneous judgments, although it does not guarantee this. The formulated conclusions are based on the results of two author’s sociological studies conducted in 2021 and 2022 in Belgorod, Voronezh and Kursk regions, and although the research almost did not capture the period of its own, it contrasts quite sharply with the previous “peaceful” period in terms of consolidation practices. This contrast reflects many aspects of the problem not only in relation to the border area, but also to other territories. Based on the results obtained, the authors argue that it is possible to talk about various forms of consolidation – spontaneous, administrative, crisis, partnership, the mechanisms of each of which have their own characteristics. The insufficient success of consolidation is currently associated with the inadequacy of its preferred form (partnership) to the prevailing conditions and the low level of readiness of the population to participate in solving common regional problems. This contradiction is more or less successfully resolved in the frontier regions when choosing a crisis form, in the long term – a mixed, administrative and spontaneous one.

Attempts to understand the essence and genesis of conflict in human society can be traced back to ancient thinkers and have continued for many centuries. Researchers of all times have been searching for a political system that would harmoniously regulate conflicts between people, transition to a state without “antagonistic” contradictions, and even gradual withering away of the state as such. In the second half of the 20th century, a scientific school emerged that recognized that conflict is an ever-present and essential type of communication in society; it is based on clashes of values, needs, and interests with the leading role of objective socio-economic circumstances. In the search for the causes of socio-political conflict, their hierarchy, and methods of regulation, factors associated with the development of the information society and its media components, which shape citizens’ virtual ideas about what is happening and their subsequent behavioral reactions, have become increasingly important. These processes are the focus of the author’s research. The essential characteristics of the media space of the 20th–21st centuries are given. and the role of media resources in resolving (preventing, inciting, neutralizing) conflicts. The subjective influence of the media is compared with the objective conditions for the development of political processes. The article puts forward and confirms the hypothesis that if earlier information factors, including media components, were perceived by scientists as important causes and instruments for regulating socio-political conflict, then in relation to the 21st century we should talk about their dominance. In a situation of colossal and progressive growth of sources and volumes of information, “objective” reality is replaced by an endless series of semantic interpretations that determine the thoughts and behavior of citizens. In these conditions, the concept of “communications management” becomes a global strategy in the conflict, and within the framework of state policy – ensuring the prevailing volume of information impact and synchronizing messages with a single meaning in traditional and new media. Similar models of media-political management in the conflict between the authorities and the opposition at various stages of historical development are presented. It is stated that “color revolutions”, military clashes, and the intensification of global confrontation on the world stage have shown a further strengthening of the role of the information factor in socio-political relations and motivated strict regulation of media communications in many countries. The desire of states to monopolize media influence with counteraction to the spread of irrelevant values and political images has become a global trend.

This two-part article examines the active employment policies of welfare states and their impact on the situation of persons with disabilities of working age. On the basis of research materials and data from population surveys in the EU and OECD countries, the article analyzes the trends of active employment policy towards persons with moderate and severe disabilities in welfare states of different models for the period from 2010 to 2020. The second part of the article reveals the approaches of active policy to the selection of priority groups of citizens with disabilities to direct social investments in the promotion of labor, to the redistribution of responsibilities towards employers in traditional forms of employment: special workshops and job quota systems, to the provision of social guarantees in the conditions of de-regulation of the labor market. It shows the resources of traditional forms of employment, preferences of employees and employers that influence the expansion of employment opportunities. The potential of active policy measures is considered: the possibilities of hiring workers with disabilities with different degrees of impairment and reducing unemployment, as well as the sustainability of the results of fixation in the labor market. The forms and conditions of employment of persons with disabilities in the conditions of labor market deregulation, job quality factors and the level of social guarantees are revealed. The results of active policy in achieving self-sufficiency in the transition from social security to labor and the assessment of their sustainability are presented.

The article is devoted to one of the urgent problems in the field of studying and organizing youth policy: the assessment and formation of the value of patriotism. Current political rhetoric often speaks of a record high level of patriotism in Russian society, including among students, but with a closer study of the social environment, we have to admit that such statements are somewhat declarative. In this regard, the purpose of this article was to determine the content of the concept of patriotism as a value, which formed the basis of the methodology of the author’s sociological research devoted to the study of the formation of social values among students. The survey was conducted from May 17 to June 1, 2023 through the personal offices of full-time RANEPA students (N=4338). Based on the results of factor and cluster analysis of the array of sociological data, a factor of the value of patriotism was formed, as well as typological groups of respondents described depending on the distribution of coordinates of cluster centers and the analysis of estimates of judgments that make up the content of the factor of patriotism and additional, clarifying judgments. The typological group of respondents in the zone of positive values of the factor is called “social humanists”; they highly value judgments concerning patriotism and are ready to develop and support their country in every possible way; They believe that the well-being of each person is inextricably linked to the well-being of society. The typological group of respondents who are in the zone of negative values of the factor (three clusters) are called “social individualists”; they have a negative attitude to patriotism as a social value and are not ready to share the fruits of their labor with their country, do not consider themselves to owe anything to it. The third typological group, traditionally intermediate, is called “socially undecided”; its representatives are in the zone of neutral, zero values of the factor and do not demonstrate a pronounced positive or negative attitude to the value of patriotism. In order to determine organizational and methodological approaches to the formation of the value of patriotism, according to the results of the correlation analysis, a list of values that are related to the value of patriotism was formed, of which half are evaluated sharply negatively by “social individualists”, and half are evaluated positively by them. It is assumed that the development of mechanisms for the implementation of youth policy aimed at increasing the level of patriotism, based on positively assessed values, will be more effective in terms of forming patriotism among students who have a negative attitude towards it. This constitutes the author’s next research task.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the distinction between the concepts of “image of the future” and “expectations of the future” as important theoretical constructs for analyzing mass consciousness. The author proposes to understand “images of the future” as stable conceptual frameworks that reflect the cultural and value orientations of a given society. “Expectations of the future” are defined in the article as situational anticipations that respond to short-term challenges such as socio-economic and political crises. Based on this distinction, the author formulates the hypothesis that images of the future are more resistant to external influences than collective and individual expectations of the future. To test this hypothesis, the author refers to data from mass public opinion surveys conducted by the Institute of Sociology, FCTAS RAS, from 2014 to 2023. These data illustrate how the socio-economic and political crises of the last decade have affected Russians’ images and expectations of the future. One possible operationalization of the theoretical concept of the “image of the future” is examined through respondents’ answers to the question about Russia’s development goals in the 21st century. Analysis of the dynamics of these indicators reveals that the most prevalent image of the future is that of an economically developed state that influences international affairs through political means. The relevance of this image for the majority of respondents has remained constant over the past decade. As one possible representation of collective expectations for the future, the article analyzes Russians’ opinions about the country’s prospects in the near future. The dynamics of responses to this question show that perceptions of the “tomorrow” are significantly influenced by the socioeconomic and political situation. During crises, the proportion of pessimistic respondents increases, while those who believe in the successful development of the country or hope for the preservation of the status quo decreases. The analysis presented in the article allows the author to conclude that there are grounds for a clearer distinction between the concepts of “image of the future” and “expectations of the future” and highlights the need for further research to validate the hypothesis.

Information and telecommunication technologies in the modern world are becoming an important part of social reality, permeating all spheres of society. This trend in addition to unconditional progress in various sectors of life, also leads to the emergence of new challenges and threats, including the spread of various forms of cyberdeviance that pose a danger to the individual and society. The relevance of the problem under consideration is provided by statistics from Russian law enforcement agencies on the multiple increase in crimes in the field of computer information, published information from one of the leading companies in the field of information security on the number of victims of stalking on the Internet in different countries, as well as an increase in the number of identified applications aimed at stalking in virtual space. This article is devoted to the analysis of the phenomenon of cyberstalking, which is one of the most aggressive forms of manifestation of deviant behavior on the Internet, as well as to research of measures to counteract the problem under study used in various countries of the world. The methodological basis of the conducted research was the collection, systematization and analysis of materials of original scientific works in the field of the studied problems using specialized information search systems. A review of statistical data and legislative acts aimed at countering various manifestations of harassment have been also carried out. In particular, an analytical review was made of the current strategies for protecting the security of the population in the digital environment in countries such as the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Singapore, India, China, Japan, etc. The status of cyberstalking in the Russian Federation, as well as the existing countermeasures against it, was considered. Statistical data on the number of victims of cyberstalking, as well as their age and gender distribution are presented. Some characteristics of the persons carrying out the persecution and the means by which they usually act are indicated. An overview of the key elements of current strategies for protecting public safety in the digital environment in Europe, Asia and the United States is provided. The most widely used mechanisms for combating aggression in the network are identified which are part of the cybercrime counteraction system in most of the countries under consideration which may indicate a high level of their effectiveness. Such mechanisms include the criminalization of various forms of harassment in the virtual space, monitoring the degree of cybersecurity of users, constantly increasing the level of public awareness of existing risks on the Internet, specialized educational campaigns, providing free assistance to victims of harassment, etc. Based on the above, it was concluded that it is advisable to use the most effective measures to counter cyberstalking operating abroad to protect the Russian population in the virtual space.