John Lofland's concept of analytical ethnography

The paper presents a historical and theoretical interpretation of the ethnographic paradigm in the social sciences, its specificity, general principles of application and main research directions. The sources of analytical ethnography, its founders and the period of formation as an independent approach in the structure of interpretive metaparadigm are briefly considered. An ethnographic perspective is defined as a systematic, integral understanding of social processes and the organization of the collective life in the context of everyday practices. The intellectual heritage of the analytical ethnography’s founder John Lofland is presented by characterizing the basic research principles that constitute the essence of his theoretical and methodological strategy: generic propositions; unfettered inquiry; deep familiarity; emergent analysis; true content; new content; developed treatment. An attempt is made to trace the further connections of Lofland's analytical approach with other areas of the ethnographic paradigm.

Ukrainian Gigonomy: Transformation of Employment, Risks and Prospects

The article deals with the transformation of the employment structure and gigonomics. Today, such economic model is becoming the dominant option of choice, which is working in almost all the spheres and sectors of the economy and is increasingly conquering the world. The employment of the population represents the general structure of the economy and changes with it, reflecting the state of development of the country. Structural economic changes have led to a change in the usual forms and types of employment of the population. The market economy served as an impetus for a change in the structure of employment in the former Soviet society, and global economic processes have unified these changes. Today, the dominant trend is the shift of the main vector of economic activity from the sphere of production to the sphere of service (in various industries), small and medium-sized businesses, the applying of the principles of freelancing and outsourcing. There is also a decrease in employment in the fields of science, education, medicine; the science loses its prestige and intrinsic value, scientific knowledge is devalued, and intellectual work is increasingly concentrating in the field of computer technology, creating a huge number of new specialties and professions that require different fundamental training, high qualifications and a large number of work places. The standard principles of organizing the work process are giving way to non-standard ones; preference is given to freedom of choice, flexibility and independence etc. The digital economy and work on digital platforms are relevant, modern and promising, but they are not devoid of certain risks and dangers. Platform employment is precarious, unstable, socially and legally vulnerable, although in developed countries almost a third of the working-age population is employed in the gig economy today. In the article, there are investigated the peculiarities of Ukrainian gigonomics based on the materials of a survey conducted by the author among gig workers in Kiev — taxi drivers of online services (Uber, Uklon, Bolt) and food delivers (Glovo, Bolt Food, Rocket). Besides, there are clarified main advantages and disadvantages of such work and there are described its threats and prospects.

Analysis of research programs: a sociological perspective

The origins and content of the methodology of scientific research programs of I. Lakatos are considered taking into account the problems and tasks of the history of sociology. The reception of the methodology of research programs in sociology can be explained by the relevance of the analytical model of the structure and dynamics of the research program in the analysis of sociological knowledge. Within the framework of sociological knowledge, metatheoretical, theoretical and empirical structural levels are analytically distinguished. Certain structural analogies are observed: between the “hard core” and “negative heuristics” of the research program, on the one hand, and metatheory, on the other; between the “protective belt” and the “positive heuristic” of the research program, on the one hand, and theory, on the other; between the empirical content of the research program, on the one hand, and the empirical basis of sociology, on the other. One can observe a number of analogies in the dynamics of functional connections between the structural components of the research program, on the one hand, and the dynamics of functional connections between metatheorizing, theorizing, and empirical analysis in sociology, on the other.

Power as a Source of Risk

The problem of risk connected with the power administration requires a rethinking of traditional ideas about power. Its images of law and sovereignty, disciplinary domination within the framework of modern forms of government need to be rethought. The information theory of power developed by N. Luhmann and the concept of governmentality of M. Foucault are directed against the ideology of the subject, where the ruling subject is one of the effective means and images of power. For both Foucault and Luhmann, power is immanent in its own manifestations, it is synchronous with all transformations in the macrostructures of society and is not outside, but inside. For Luhmann, the risk of power is the risk of a decision. The topic of risk is not at all in the domain of the subject dimension; it must be sought in the state of the temporal and social dimension. However, modern society should present possible threats not in the risk mode, but in the danger mode. The problem is that it is impossible to identify false or correct decisions. Once the decision is made, the risk cannot be avoided. If there are no risk-free solutions, the multiplication of research and knowledge would not make it possible to move from risk to reliability. Luhmann's position is opposed by the followers of M. Foucault, who supplement the concept of government with the idea of reflexive control. Reflexive control abstracts from solution problems. For this direction, risk is a way of thinking about the world. Therefore, the task of management is to identify risky objects and accordingly coordinate management tasks and determine measures to eliminate or reduce the risk. The industrial society tried to protect itself by means of some kind of social contract against the dangers and damage generated by this society. A system of private and public insurance was established. Modern society questions the principle of insurance because it is unable to insure itself against the mega-hazards of nuclear energy or catastrophic climate change. The four pillars of "computable risks" are crumbling: compensation, constraint, security and computation. The risk has ceased to be calculable. Its incalculability characterizes the current state of society.

Socio-economic outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic for Ukraine

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the causes and consequences of both human and socio-economic losses incurred by Ukraine as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions introduced by the government in order to prevent its spread. The author's attention is primarily focused on exploring the population's social well-being, as well as examining changes in the quality of Ukrainians' lives during the pandemic. The study of the above-mentioned issues is complemented by a sociological inquiry into public views on the coronavirus problem, efficacy of the authorities' actions aimed at combating the pandemic, as well as the essence and real effectiveness of socio-economic policy pursued by the Ukrainian government in present-day conditions. Drawing upon a systemic analysis, the author argues that the ongoing socio-economic crisis in Ukraine, along with vaccine crunch, stems mainly from neoliberal policies implemented by the national government over the past three decades. The article argues the thesis about the transformation of the crisis of confidence, which has been fixed for a long time in Ukraine, into a crisis of vaccination, which today threatens with large humanitarian, economic and geopolitical losses. The research findings allow concluding that the COVID-19 pandemic acted as another trigger for the crisis, thereby intensifying and exacerbating the problems that had already existed in the national economy. The author's arguments are bolstered by a vast array of domestic and foreign statistical data, along with the results of surveys conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1994–2020), «Research & Branding Group» (2020–2021), as well as other Ukrainian sociological centers.

The concept of classes in early work of F. Engels

In 2020 the scientific community celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Engels with numerous publications, conferences, and meetings. But as if by tradition representatives of various social and humanitarian disciplines, including sociologists, were and remain to this day, surprisingly inattentive (or indifferent) to the concepts of classes and class analysis presented by the founder of Marxism in his first book «The Condition of the Working Class in England», published in 1845. Modern life writers of F. Engels usually rank the work as a genre of high-quality journalistic investigations, as an engaged political journalism, as the first publications on the problem of urbanization, and as one of the best examples of a fiction book about the life and customs of the Victorian era. The article substantiates its belonging to the social and humanitarian science in accordance with today’s ideas about the relevance of scientific research. A sociological explication and interpretation of the views on the formation, evolution and prospects for the participation of large groups of people in the process of transforming social orders are proposed. The first part presents the biographical context of Engels’ writing of his first major work, as well as some post-biographical facts about the memory of his stay in Manchester in connection with the living conditions of English workers. The second part lists those conceptual constructs that can be taken for the concept of classes.

The use of active methods of teaching sociological disciplines in distance learning

The article considers the problems of teaching and application of methods of activating the educational audience in the global pandemic COVID-19 and the transition to the format of distance and blended learning. Using examples from the experience of teaching compulsory disciplines for training specialists in sociology at the Faculty of Sociology at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, the authors considered the possibilities of using game and projective techniques, role-based discussions, visualizing students' answers and explanations in the context of distance learning and technically mediated communication with students. The possibilities of using various online platforms and services (KNU Education Online, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Zoom, kahoot.it, triventy.com, quizizz.com, jeopardylabs.com, baamboozle.com, mentimeter.com, ArcGIS Online, Google Maps , Bing Maps) to energize student work and generate feedback from the audience. The use of distance learning methods allows us to rethink and suggest new ways to solve traditional problems of teaching in higher education, such as: the connection of theory and practice, visualization of theoretical material, activating the audience during classes. Involvement of game techniques partially overcomes the difficulties of distance learning and communication with students, which is an objective consequence of the impossibility of dialogue in the usual face-to-face format. At the same time, there are other important problems and issues of organizing the educational process, associated not only with the availability of the necessary material and technical support, but also with the willingness and ability of direct participants in the educational system to work with the necessary software — digital literacy of teachers. All this creates new challenges for the teachers, the search for alternative options for introducing the latest or updated techniques and constant reflection on the advantages and disadvantages of their use.

COVID-19 pandemic: challenges and threats in the social sphere

The article raises the issue of social risks of the COVID-19 pandemic in three problem areas: health, education, support for the most vulnerable population groups, analyzes the impact of the pandemic on the interaction of government and society. In this case, social risk is seen as a danger that arises within the social sphere of society, which has negative social consequences and affects the lives of individuals, social groups and society as a whole. The current situation has shown that the medical and science systems of Ukraine are not ready for a large-scale pandemic. The author notes that after the end of the pandemic, a serious analysis of the problems that have arisen in the field of health care and the development of strategic measures to support the national health care system, medical institutions and health workers will be needed. The article analyzes the impact of the pandemic on the usual lifestyles of pupils / students, their families and teachers, which led to far-reaching economic and social consequences, emphasized on a number of socio-economic issues, including: - equal access to education (not all families can provide the same means for distance learning and have access to quality Internet). Pandemic allowed focusing on those people who especially need help: the elderly people, people with disabilities, members of large families and others. A large number of problems in the social sphere, which arose or deepened during the quarantine and did not receive a proper response from the state, are largely related to systemic problems. The article raises emphasizes on the fact that the attention of the state needs to be focused on structural problems. The state has to respond to the challenges in a timely manner, develop integrated approaches and solutions that will work in the long term perspective.

On Ukrainian Citizens as taxpayers in sociological measurements

The article deals with the results of first special sociological research on taxpaying thematic undertaken in Ukraine. Three waves of national wide survey (N1 = 2038 F2F; N2/3 = 2000 CATI) during 2020 by means of questionnaire with 5 basic questions regarding the taxpaying theme: budget structure, main expenses clauses, evaluated free of charge state services, equitable tax level, taxes for purchases and services. The provided analyses gave opportunity to choose most valuable questions concerning the Ukrainian citizens financial literacy in order to construct the Index of taxation erudition which revealed extremely low level of knowledge of Ukrainians as taxpayers about active tax system, particularly the role of taxpayers in state budget formation, when only 32% in the first wave and 43% in third wave pointed the citizen’s contribution, 54% respondents has no idea about the type of acting taxation system on the background of 52% in first wave and 39% in second wave, who pointed the 10% personal tax fee dimension as desirable and equitable. Only 20% citizens pointed the right figures of tax paying for purchases and services, when 36,5% have no knowledge about this tax at all, Sociologically was first time noticed important fixation of 56% readiness for paying less taxes and needed service accounts by own, especially for medical care and education, in such way it was acknowledged that constitutional article of social state is under civic scrutiny. As final research task the algorithm of Index of taxpayer’s knowledge ability has been proposed for regular monitoring as also recommendation for further special thematic research development with proper media involvements.

Geopolitical orientation of Ukraine’s population in 2018–2020: dynamics of changes and current state

The article examines the changes in the geopolitical orientations of Ukraine’s population towards to European Union and Russian Federation in 2018-2020. The analysis is based on five representative surveys of the Ukraine’s population. Geopolitical orientations were measured with sociological tests "EU-geopol" and "RF-geopol". Also, based on the results of the 2020 survey, geopolitical orientations towards to the Baltic Assembly, V4, USA, GUAM and Turkey were additionally analyzed. This made it possible to compose a portrait of geopolitical openness / closeness from the point of view of a multi-vector geopolitical model. Obtained results allow us to draw a conclusion about the stable and dynamic aspects of the geopolitical orientations of Ukraine’s population. Dynamic aspect is the gradual improvement of geopolitical orientations towards to European Union. So, in the period from 2018 to 2020, additive index of the sociological test "EU-geopol" increased from –0.1 to 0.7 (the range of possible values for both tests is from –4 to 4). A stable aspect is constant negative geopolitical orientations towards to Russian Federation. The value of additive index of sociological test "RF-geopol" varied in the range from –2.0 to –1.7. It has been established that from the regional point of view, Ukraine is conditionally divided into two large zones: 1) Western and Central regions, characterized by a pro-Western and anti-Russian position; 2) Southern and Eastern regions, as well as Donbass, characterized by mixed views on issues of geopolitical cooperation. In terms of electoral preferences, respondents from all political forces, except for the For Life Opposition Platform, are oriented toward cooperation with European Union and against cooperation with Russian Federation. It is concluded that it is necessary to conduct additional detailed sociological research in the South-East of Ukraine in order to focus on the problem of geopolitical orientations. The corresponding results will make it possible to form adequate principles of information work and implementation of Western partnership programs in the specified region.