Power in Russia: Modus Vivendi and Artis Imago

Contemporary Russian socio-cultural, cultural and philosophical, socio psychological, artistic and aesthetic practices actualize the Russian tradition of rejection, criticism, undisguised hatred and fear of power. Today, however, power has ceased to be a subject of one-dimensional denial or condemnation, becoming the subject of an interdisciplinary scientific discourse that integrates cultural studies, philosophy, social psychology, semiotics, art criticism and history (history of culture). The article provides theoretical substantiation and empirical support for the two facets of notions of power. The first facet is the unique, not only political, but also mental determinant of the problem of power in Russia, a kind of reflection of modus vivendi. The second facet is the artistic and image-based determinant of problem of power in Russia designated as artis imago. Theoretical grounds for solving these problems are found in F. Nietzsche’s perceptions of the binary “potentate-mass” opposition, G. Le Bon’s of the “leader”, K.-G. Jung’s of mechanisms of human motivation for power. The paper dwells on the “semiosis of power” in the focus of thoughts by A. F. Losev, P. A. Sorokin, R. Barthes. Based on S. Freud’s views of the unconscious and G. V. Plekhanov’s and J. Maritain’s views of the totalitarian power, we substantiate the concept of “the imperial unconscious”. The paper focuses on the importance of the freedom motif in art (D. Diderot and V. G. Belinsky as theorists, S. Y. Yursky as an art practitioner). Power as a subject of influence and object of analysis by Russian creators is studied on the material of perceptions and creative experience of A. S. Pushkin (in the context of works devoted to Russian “impostors” by numerous authors). Special attention is paid to the early twenty-first century television series on Soviet rulers (Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Furtseva). The conclusion is made on the relevance of Pushkin’s remark about “living power” “hated by the rabble” for contemporary Russia.

A Study into Psychological Mindedness in Relation to Different Types of Reflection

The paper describes the results of the empirical study into psychological mindedness in relation to different types of reflection. The relevance of the paper is determined by the necessity to explore such human psychological characteristics that contribute to successful adaptation in the world of information abundance, uncertainty and inconsistency. The consistency between tolerance towards uncertainty and openness to change, on the one hand, and an interest in subjective experiences (own and others’ experiences), interest in internal processes, on the other, was called psychological mindedness. Initially, this concept was used in the framework of a clinical approach due to the necessity to examine the psychological factors of group and individual therapy effectiveness. Later it became clear that psychological mindedness could be a reliable predictor of an individual’s success in different lines of work. In Russia, this construct is under-researched. That is why this given study aimed to collect empirical data on the linkage between psychological mindedness and the highest adaptive type of reflection on a sample of Russian testees. The sample consisted of 149 respondents aged 18 – 65. Methods exploited in the study included Psychological Mindedness Scale by H. R. Conte (adapted by M. A. Novikova and T. V. Kornilova) and Differential Test of Reflexivity by D. A. Leont’ev, et al. The obtained data have confirmed the hypothesis of a connection between psychological mindedness and the systemic reflection. A positive correlation between one of the aspects of psychological mindedness – an interest in the sphere of subjective experiences – and introspection and quasi-reflection was found. Introspection as one of ineffective forms of reflection is negatively linked to the most important parameter of psychological mindedness – subjective availability of experiences for comprehension and analysis. In the course of correlation analysis the specificity of interrelations between psychological mindedness and types of reflection in women, men and mixed-age groups was revealed. The obtained data allow for clarifying the concept of psychological mindedness and differentially carrying out further studies on mixed-age and gender groups.

Life Satisfaction and Happiness of Russians at a Mature Age

The article describes the results of the empirical study into sociodemographic correlates and subjective correlates of happiness. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the modern world places exorbitant, often conflicting requirements (information-driven, need and motive-based, value-oriented, etc.) on the individual. Our study aimed to define the linkage between the happiness of mature Russians and their satisfaction with different aspects of life. We formed the hypothesis of a connection between happiness and satisfaction with the job, material situation, health, proper rest, inter-spousal relations, and relationships with their children and friends. The results revealed that the feelings of happiness are connected with both objective socio-demographic indicators and the level of satisfaction with different life aspects. Happiness positively correlates with the number of children in a family and income, and also with overall life satisfaction. With age, a subjective sense of happiness “fades” a bit, and the respondents estimate happiness slightly lower (it is more characteristic of the female part of the sample). Men and women do not differ in the level of being happy but there exist some peculiarities in the linkage of happiness with such factors as marital status (being married) and the number of children – unlike men, for women these correlations are statistically significant. Also, men, compared to women, are more satisfied with the material situation and inter-spousal relations and less satisfied with their relations with friends. In general, the obtained results complement the data published in academic literature. Thus, it was found that not all factors considered as predictors of happiness in the public mind correlate with the feelings of happiness. For instance, it was revealed that such an essential factor of material wellbeing as homeownership has nothing to do with a sense of happiness: the respondents with and without own homes are equally happy