Myths about the past in media environment: theoretical grounds and Russian political practice

This article is examines the issues of constructive use of the myths about the past in media environment. The goal lies in the attempt to align several most significant theoretical models of interpretation of the social myth in order to comprehend constructive use of myths about the past in modern Russian politics of memory. This required referring to the peculiarities of the ontology of the past in media myth, as well as to the trends characteristic to modern foreign and Russian research of the politics of memory. The scientific novelty lies in the detailed analysis of the key categories that reveal the peculiarities of creating ontology of the past in modern media myth, as well as allow analyzing the constructive potential of myths about the past in media environment in the context of the Russian politics of memory (the function of cultural-historical orientation, motivating function, functions of conflict settlement). The author explores myths about the past, which in recent decades have become a crucial instrument for conducting a peculiar type of information warfare – the so-called “memorial” wars.

Public perception of the practices of digital profiling and social score: the situation in Russia and China

This comparative research is dedicated to the attitude of the residents of PRC and Russia towards the practices of digital profiling and social score (ranking / grading) that are currently being implemented worldwide. Analysis is conducted on the results of interviewing the Chinese citizens, as well as sociological survey carried out among the Russian residents. The interviewing of the Chinese citizens was conducted in two stages: September 2020 via questionnaire in a written form; and March 2021, through the web platform CrowdSignal. The survey of the Russian residents was carried out from September 8, 2021 to October 26, 2021 in the form of filling out a printed questionnaire, as well as through the web platform. The conducted interviews demonstrate a high level of confidence of Chinese youth in the practices of collecting and processing personal information that were adopted in China, as well as the government initiatives on implementation of the score mechanisms in public administration. Unlike the Chinese citizens, the Russian residents including youth, to a considerable extent are inclined towards distrust in the government and namely private commercial companies with regards to their method of collecting and use personal information. A significant part of the Russian residents have not yet made up their mind on digital profiling and social credit system, or are cautious of such innovations.

Problematic field of studying public trust in Russia: content analysis of scientific publications

This article is dedicated to the analysis of evolution of research practices and approaches of the Russian scholars towards the problem of trust in Russian society, as well as determination of the key trends and specificity of social trust/distrust in the Russian society. Application of the methodology of content analysis allows analyzing the dynamics of domestic publications, as well as revealing the most relevant vectors of psychological, economic and social research. The most cited publications that outline the key trends in the transformation of public trust in modern Russia are determined. The author observes not only the shift in focus of study of the problem of trust from political to socioeconomic and informational contexts, but also significant differentiation in examination of various aspects of public trust. The novelty of this research lies in detection and classification of the relevant trends in the transformation of public trust in Russia. Public trust alongside public distrust in the government manifest as the basic factor in relation to other socioeconomic and cultural institutions. At the same time, there author observes low differentiation between the images of trust and distrust among  Russian population, low level of both interpersonal and institutional trust, as well as tendency towards using the images of the Soviet past as the markers of trust or distrust in the existing social institutions. A disposition towards increase of the role of social networks in the development of the images of trust or distrust is revealed.

Models of mass media regulation: comparative analysis

This article examines the foreign models of regulation of the media industry aimed at protection of children from information that may harm their health and development. The author reviews the widespread approaches towards classification of the systems of mass media regulation, and the genesis of the corresponding scientific representations. Having compared the key provisions of these approaches, the author determines the universal factors and parameters of the systems of mass media regulation in foreign countries. Addressing the issues of children’s protection from harmful content and taking measures aimed at restriction of distribution of information, the article considers media regulation system as a social practice and vector of information policy. The conclusion is made on the key role of the traditional value orientations, perceptions of risks in relation to health and development of children, mechanisms and technologies for protecting children from harmful information. Pronounced trends in regulation of mass media for the protection of children include the increase in national differentiation despite the globalization of media communication processes, which the author associates with the diversity of the main sources of dynamics of sociocultural national spaces. The growing commercialization of media industry indicates the need for integrating the capacities of state and civil mechanisms of control over the distribution of media products in the face of the threat of monopolization of media industry.

Russian Education underway towards the market: conceptual grounds and administrative objectives

The scientific and technological progress substantiates significant economic and social changes, and imposes specific requirements on the sphere of education, first and foremost, with regards to preparation of modern specialists. Actualization of such requirements is mediated by the state educational policy and corresponding administrative decisions and measures. The article examines the problems of Russian higher education in the context of proliferation of the ideas and practices of new public management (NPM). The theoretical framework of this research is comprised of the theory of human capital in its historical context and critical perspective. Special attention is given to the problem of adaptation of the sphere of education to the market economy and its values – competition, individualism, and social inequality. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the theory of human capital is used for criticizing the methods and results of NPM in educational sphere. It is revealed that the effectiveness of education and its contribution to the economy remains low. The currently implemented model of public administration model in accordance with the concept of NPM has an ambiguous effect. On the one hand, the pursuit of making education open, modern, and economically justified; while on the other hand, the impact of noneconomic factors is neglected. The conclusion is made on the importance of the quality of administrative impact aimed at not only the output of education, but primarily, the development of human capital.

Ethnolinguistic identity of the Dolgans of Taymyr (based on the results of sociological study)

Ethnic language is the crucial component of national culture of the ethnic group, as it is simultaneously the prerequisite and the condition for the existence of ethnos. The subject of this research is the ethnolinguistic consciousness and ethnic identity of the Dolgans of Taymyr. The article examines the choice of language as native, the level of linguistic competence, the scope of use of the Dolgan language, the command of other regional languages, the questions of linguistic continuity, and other processes that reveal the dynamics of ethnolinguistic self-consciousness. The article provides the results of field research conducted in 2021in Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District of Krasnoyarsk Krai, including in the settlements Khatanga and Popigai, which are the place of compact residence of Dolgan people. Based on the results of quantitative and qualitative sociological studies, as well as the analysis of modern scientific research, the conclusion is drawn on the leading positions of native language as the crucial ethnic identifier, and stable position of the Dolgan language as the master language of communication in these localities. The development and sustainability of the traditional way of life, spheres of employment, and traditional culture of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North is the major institutional barrier for the linguistic shift that entails the loss of ethnic languages. The education system in native languages of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North along with the sociocultural sphere are also the key factors for preservation of native languages, traditional way of life, and unique cultural values of the Dolgans of Taymyr.

Epistemology of nonclassical mythology: preliminary results

This article is dedicated to the problem of establishment of nonclassical mythology in the conditions of the modern epistemological crisis of myth, which is associated with stagnation in ideas and research against the background of the variety of works dedicate to folklore, anthropology, and philology. The goal of this article lies in the analysis of the factors and theoretical foundations of the formation of nonclassical mythology, as well as its practical importance for science and society. Research methodology leans on the principles and approaches of no-classical rationality that reveal the possibilities and limits of the scientific study of myth, as well as allow determining its role and meaning for science and society within the common cultural space. The scientific novelty lies in substantiation of the existence of nonclassical mythology as developed and described by the researchers. Analysis of the most interesting ideas of myth researchers indicates that nonclassical mythology was formed in the XX century, and is currently at the stage of formation of the general theory of myth. However, its further development is related to need for overcoming inertia in such spheres that view mythology in its particular manifestations, neglecting the ontology. Research of the ontology of myth will be determinative for mythology as a science, as well as allow formulating the fundamentals and problematic of the general theory of myth.

Implementation of the alternative form of social service “foster home or senior citizens” in Irkutsk Region: empirical study of the problem

The object of this research is the senior citizens, who are the objects of close attention of the corresponding government bodies, institutions of social and medical care, nonprofit organizations, and social entrepreneurs. It is revealed that despite joint efforts of the government and society aimed at maintaining the quality of their lives, senior citizens, for various reasons, often find themselves lonely, deprived of the care of their families. Therefore, the subject of this research is the alternative form of social service for senior citizens – foster home. The article examines the social, economic, psychological, and sociological aspects of implementation of such service. Special attention is given to the concept of foster home for senior citizens, as a form of organization of life, which implies sharing living space and household of citizens who concluded a foster home agreement. The article explores such aspects as the procedure for creating foster families, basic statistical data, regional peculiarities, social and economic effectiveness. The studied indicators reveal the factors that impede the creation of more foster homes. The authors’ special contribution lies in systematization of the key indicators of social effectiveness of foster homes: improvement of psychological state of senior citizens, mending family relationships, joint overcoming of different household problems, mutual respect and help, living in a home environment, and revival of the traditions of family and community care for older generation.

Pension investment and pension capital as the objects of institutional analysis

This article examines the formation of institutional characteristics of pension investment of the Russian society. The goal lies in substantiation of feasibility of application of the institutional approach to relatively new elements of the Russian pension system – pension investment and formation of pension capital. The author observes the current social inquiry for the development of institutional practices of pension investment. The process of establishment of the institution of pension investment entail the manifestation of such aspects as: sources of the formation of institutions, sustainability, absence of violent fluctuations, share of the institutional norms by all its members, etc. Using the method of standardized mass survey within the framework of quantitative paradigm, the author carried out the applied sociological research, which involved the working-age population. The novelty of this work lies in the attempt of institutional determination of the new social institutions: pension investment and pension capital; classification of the “pension issue” into a separate field of sociological knowledge. The acquired results indicate the emergence of social groups that are ready for sustainable pension investment practices, as well as certain population groups that demonstrate nihilism in this regard. It is stated that the declared institutional approach is relevant to sphere of pension investment; however, the formation of sustainable social entities requires the legitimate conditions for including more extensive groups into the processes of formation of pension capital. The presented materials can be valuable for the dealing with similar social issues, used in lectures on the topic, as well as by government representatives of all levels.

2021 State Duma elections: blogs, social networks, and party Identity in the virtual space

This article provides a comprehensive review of the modern Internet practices and virtual platforms in the sphere of politics aimed at promotion of different forms of voting technologies. The authors analyze public strategies of the political parties and candidates in the course of election campaign for the 2021 State Duma elections using the example of electoral constituency of St. Petersburg. The subject of this research is the use of digital means of communication that form virtual identity of the electorate during the 2021 State Duma elections. The object of this research is the representation of party ideologies and civic “symbolic politics”  on the Internet based on the example of the popular video platforms YouTube, Tik-Tok as well as the traditional social networks Vkontakte and Facebook. The goal lies in the analysis of interaction of public actors with the audience (followers) in the course of conducting the electoral campaign. The scientific novelty of this article is substantiated by systematic and structural analysis of the scarce elements of virtual identity of Internet users on the example of electoral strategies of representation. The conclusion is drawn on the growing trends of building the so-called symbolic politics “from the bottom” and emergence of numerous actors that create sociopolitical content in the virtual space. The research methodology employs the content analysis of virtual communication channels, relying on the classical theory of symbolic politics and political identity. This theory can be modified by separate aspects of digitalization of the political subfield, which the modern researchers consider as virtual reality.