Current article offers a comprehensive analysis of the role, place, and developmental vectors of sociological science in Russia amidst new geopolitical realities and social challenges. The author poses key questions: Does sociology meet social expectations? What is its actual contribution to societal life? And what is the connection between its current stage of development and the national intellectual tradition? The work pays special attention to the ambiguity of the concept of «modernity» as applied to society and science. The author critically examines the formal-chronological approach and substantiates the productivity of a substantive approach, linking the beginning of the modern stage of Russian sociology with the institutional changes of the late 1980s.

The article highlights key developmental directions of post-Soviet sociology. These include expanding the boundaries of social cognition, the transition to an objective analysis of social phenomena, and a renewed interest in topics first explored during the Imperial period (such as the individual, identity, the city, medicine, youth, and social inequality). The author emphasizes an anthropological turn in sociology, where the individual and their social behavior become the central object of study. A significant part of the work is devoted to the problem of continuity in the development of sociological knowledge. The article analyzes the complex and dramatic path of sociology’s institutionalization in Russia, from its origins and «Golden Age» in the pre-revolutionary period, through the years of ideological prohibition in the USSR, to its post-Soviet reconstruction. The author criticizes both the extremes of Soviet dogmatism and the indiscriminate copying of Western theories in the 1990s, calling for a deeper assimilation of the rich heritage of Russian social thought. Using the history of the Russian Higher School of Social Sciences in Paris as an example, the complexity and ambiguity of forming the disciplinary boundaries of sociology are demonstrated.

In conclusion, the author focuses on the practical, social-constructive function of sociology. It is emphasized that sociology not only diagnoses social problems but is also capable of proposing scientifically grounded solutions and participating in social construction and the scientific management of society. Ignoring this potential, according to the author, leads to negative consequences. The article asserts the decisive role of sociology in choosing a strategy for Russia's revival, one based on historical continuity and consideration of its unique cultural and civilizational characteristics.

The article is devoted to the study of the creative heritage and biographical materials of the greatest Russian thinker, one of the creators of «Russian conservatism» Konstantin Nikolaevich Leontiev. The article reveals the difficult life path of K.N. Leontiev, provides basic biographical information, tells about the main circle of communication of the thinker, about the reasons for his life. Influenced the formation of his worldview. In addition, a detailed analysis of the teachings of K.N. is carried out. The author reveals the meaning of the civilizational approach, one of the creators of which was a Russian thinker, and shows how Leontiev saw the present and future of Russia and all mankind. The analysis conducted in the article allows us to conclude that K.N. Leontiev’s «Russian conservatism» offered humanity not a return to the past, but a breakthrough into the future. That is why the civilizational approach was further developed in its own way in the works of many Russian and foreign thinkers. The article is dedicated to the 195th anniversary of K.N. Leontiev’s birth.

The article examines the phenomenon of the social mask (persona) in the context of contemporary information environment. Drawing on the concept of Carl Gustav Jung, the study analyzes the process of identification between the individual and their social role, as well as its transformation under conditions of digitalization. Particular attention is paid to demonstrative practices, the formation of digital identity, the increasing role of self-presentation in online environments, and the risks of losing the authentic self. The paper argues that digital platforms intensify the expansion of the persona, turning it from a mechanism of social adaptation into a dominant mode of identity construction. As a result, the boundaries between the internal self and its external representation become blurred, leading to a growing dependence on external recognition and the reduction of personal complexity. The study concludes that the risks identified in classical theory acquire new significance in the digital age, where the persona increasingly replaces, rather than represents, the individual.

This article is a reflection of the priority factors and current threats to the development of modern Russian society and the state.

The author of the article, first of all, refers to such factors and threats: 1) the presence of Russian society in a state of spiritual and moral crisis, a kind of «yoke of false intelligence», associated with the rejection of its civilizational, national identity, originality and worship of the secular West, its anomalous, perverted values, spiritual, socio-political and economic practices; 2) the value crisis of society and most socialization institutions, associated with the active promotion by the media and propaganda of the standards of the «consumer society», the Western way of life, destructive propaganda, non-traditional values and relations for Russia; 3) the Russian Federation lacks full state sovereignty; 4) the absence of a clearly formulated national idea and strategy for national development, an ideological vacuum; 5) unfinished transformational processes taking place in modern Russian society in various spheres of human life and the associated troubles; 6) the presence and significant influence on the processes of «quasi-elite» taking place in Russian society: «fifth column» and «anti-system»; 7) the presence in power of various oligarchic clans (financial, bureaucratic and party); 8) vertical social mobility, which is almost completely absent in modern Russian society; 9) the presence of a «mass society» imported from the West and gaining a foothold in Russia; 10) the external activity of our geopolitical enemies, primarily the Anglo-Saxon powers, within the framework of the «Big Game» conducted by them against Russia; 11) the spread and growth of manifestations of extremism and terrorism in modern Russian society and the state.

The problem of global climate change and depletion of natural resources makes environmental security a key issue, directly linking them to public health and the quality of life of the population. Environmental security is a complex interdisciplinary field, uniting economics, ecology, and sociology. This article aims to identify existing contradictions in the understanding of the problem of environmental security. To this end, the complex nature of the phenomenon is analyzed, which is considered as a multi-level (global, regional, national, local) and multi-component phenomenon, including resource, institutional-legal, economic-technological, and socio-cultural elements. Differences in the understanding of environmental security and the measures to achieve it actualize the need for a comprehensive sociological analysis, while existing studies often demonstrate fragmentation, focusing on economic, technical aspects and supervision, but ignoring a significant number of social aspects, including the impact on public health and the quality of life of the population. A critical analysis of the international agenda reveals the neocolonial nature of the dominant model of environmental security imposed by the countries of the Global North. This model, based on the concept of sustainable development, manipulates public «green sentiment» through «green myths» and ecofakes, masking economic interests and the desire to maintain global inequality. The authors systematize and analyze the most common «ecofakes» such as electric vehicles, e-waste, «eco-cities», and others. The article argues that the global environmental agenda, replete with myths and illusions, serves to protect the interests of Western powers and entrench neocolonial development logic, while the brunt of the consequences of the climate crisis falls on the populations of the Global South. To ensure genuine environmental security, it is necessary to abandon the aggressive imposition of an alien «green» course and focus on socioeconomic development and financing adaptation to climate change.

This article presents an analysis of the impact of the structural and socio-economic features of the stock market in the information society on various levels of social reality. The stock market as a socio-economic institution is a complex set of norms, rules, informal institutions and social practices related to the circulation of securities and the interaction of people in this regard. Since the stock market is the most powerful investment market, with millions of people participating in its activities, its functioning has a structure-forming effect on other markets and socio-economic processes in modern society. In modern conditions, the stock market performs an important function in relation to the socio-economic development of the country.

The possibility of using the stock market as a measure of socio-economic development is determined by its relative objectivity – the independence of its functioning from the will and desires of even very influential people and groups. This independence is due to the multidirectional interests of numerous stock market participants, the presence of a large number of non-professionals acting on the basis of emotional preferences and irrational intuition.

In the context of the information society, one of the stages of development of which is the modern electronic-digital society, the stock market has ceased to be a place of direct interaction between people, here people come into contact with machines and programs, and computers themselves constantly interact with each other. The use of ICT greatly facilitates the relationship of transaction partners, provides quick and easy access to information, and reduces transaction costs.

The author identifies and substantiates the basic trends in the development of the stock market in the information society: 1) democratization – facilitating entry to the stock market for millions of people due to the use of computer and telecommunication technologies; 2) active use of information and computer technologies and digitalization achievements – the ability to process ever–increasing information flows, conclude a huge number of transactions simultaneously, and use artificial intelligence to predict market development; 3) globalization – national stock markets are increasingly becoming elements of the global stock market, their interdependence is increasing, and at the same time the opacity of price rises and falls is increasing due to the fact that the causes of these processes are located tens of thousands of kilometers from the place of transaction.

The article presents a critical analysis of existing classifications of interest groups and develops a new, more complete typology that is adequate to modern political realities. The author systematically examines the evolution of theoretical approaches to classification, from the works of T. Parsons, M. Olson, E. Heywood to the typologies of G. Almond and J. Powell. Key differentiation criteria are brought into focus: the degree of organization, the nature of represented interests, size and the scale of activity. The author identifies systemic shortcomings of existing typologies, such as blurred boundaries between categories, underestimation of the role of individual corporations as key lobbying actors, and the ideological bias of the pluralist approach, which complicates the distinction between public and private interests. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the interest group system under the influence of neoliberalization and globalization, which has led to the increased influence of private corporations and the decline of traditional large associations (trade unions, business associations). Based on the analysis, the article proposes an original comprehensive typology that integrates various criteria. Its core consists of six main types of lobbying actors: corporations; business associations; associative professional groups; institutional groups; organized promotional groups; unorganized promotional groups. This classification aims to overcome the conceptual gaps of previous frameworks and provide a tool for a comprehensive study of lobbying in the context of multi-level governance, changes within political systems and mechanisms of interest representation.

When identifying the value bases of Russian business culture, as well as the specifics of the social management model in Russia, the characteristics of managerial practices, the labor attitudes of Russians, etc. it is impossible not to note the dominance in the values structure of traditional spiritual and moral values (respect for authority, mutual support, mercy, collectivism, diligence etc.). Russian business culture, even partially absorbing and assimilating Western and Eastern values and borrowing social practices, still does not lose its identity, preserves traditional values and the foundations of public life, relying on the Russian historical-cultural context. The business culture in Russia has a distinctive «duality»: business culture is equally characterized by collectivism and individualism, masculinity and femininity, mono-activity and polyactivity, long-term and short-term orientation, centralization and decentralization. Duality is explained, among other things, by the characteristics of «Russian national character», its binary: militancy – peace, industriousness – laziness, fear of change – revolutionary mood, unity and desire to live in peace with all – isolation and mistrust of strangers, collectivity – individualism, rationality – irrationality etc. This ambivalence is largely due to the country’s geographical position (Russia – a Eurasian country, both Europe and Asia), and historical context (including the permanent confrontation with Anglo-Saxon countries), and the multi-nationality composition of the population, with the diversity of cultures, religions and ethnicities. Despite Russia’s intermediate position between Western and Eastern civilizations, it is a little closer to Eastern-dominant values and a number of parameters of intercultural differences. At the same time, Russia represents a separate civilization, which is based on spirituality, community, identity, priority of ethical assessment of individuals' behavior over pragmatic motives.

Based on the analysis of VCIOM research data, the author has established that the individualistic ideology popular in modern society, according to which the interests of each family member are more important than the interests of the whole family, destroys the social institution of the family. In the past, almost every family had a head who was responsible for the well-being of all its members. Most modern families don’t have a head at all. In traditional families, spouses received help from their parents and helped them if necessary. Nowadays, most married couples refuse this help because they do not want to depend on their parents and help them when their parents grow old. Many people do not want to depend on their spouses, and also do not want to take care of children. However, only single people can be completely independent of family members and relatives. Such extreme individualism is no different from selfishness. This leads to a decrease in the number of marriages, an increase in the number of divorces, a decrease in the birth rate and a natural decline in the population – depopulation. All the factors influencing the family demographic crisis continue to operate. The crisis will continue until family and demographic policy leads to the fact that most Russian families will be based on a solid legal marriage, have at least three children and raise them so that they do not become selfish.

This article analyzes the social construction of old age. The author notes that, despite the topic's relevance in the context of global population aging, science has not developed uniform criteria or clear chronological boundaries for defining old age. Accordingly, this study deliberately avoids setting rigid age boundaries. Its focus is not on pinpointing a specific age threshold, but on analyzing old age as a social construct and a process of self-determination.

The central focus of the research is the historical evolution of the concept of old age, reconstructed using sociological, linguistic, cultural, and narratological analysis. The author traces a transformation in perception: from the traditional view of the elderly as exclusive bearers of wisdom to the contemporary situation where this status is being questioned. This meaning of aging is formed in the public sphere through the clash of established narratives and new languages for describing late life. The historical path—from the cult of wisdom to the stigma of frailty—has led to the duality characteristic of our time, where the public rhetoric of «active longevity» paradoxically combines with the euphemistic exclusion of old age itself from discourse and the dominance of the cult of youth.

The conclusion argues that the contemporary task is not simply to replace one simplified stereotype (such as helplessness) with another normative ideal (like «successful aging»). A genuine understanding of late age requires deconstructing rigid schemas and recognizing its inherent diversity. A key finding is the need to legitimize the right to an individual, subjectively meaningful aging trajectory, free from the dictate of ready-made social scripts.

This article analises the specifics of physicians’ speech behaviour when interacting with patients of varying social status. The author examines key concepts that reveal the essence and content of the problem under study, namely, «speech behaviour» and «social status», based on research approaches developed in such disciplines as sociolinguistics, pragmalinguistics, and psycholinguistics.

Speech behaviour, as a multicomponent concept, is defined by the author as the process of selecting the most optimal, socially correct speech utterance, influenced, on the one hand, by the social attitudes of the particular group in which the individual lives, and, on the other, by the unconscious aspects of their personality structure.

Communicative interaction between physicians and patients pursues a single goal: the provision of medical care. Meanwhile, the effectiveness of this service depends not only on the professional skills of the medical professional but also on their ability to tailor their speech behaviour to the patientэs social status. The author concludes that, in their professional activities, physicians should primarily focus on markers of an individual’s social status, such as gender, age, and education level. The latter are significant not only for the physician but also for patients, many of whom prefer qualified specialists of their own gender with extensive medical experience.

The author notes the importance of reinforcing verbal communication with nonverbal means, which enables the physician to comprehensively form a clinical picture and accurately diagnose the disease, especially when there is a language barrier between the physician and the patient.

Medical professionals build verbal communication with patients primarily within the framework of two main models of interpersonal interaction: authoritarian and collegial. The main difference between these models is that the former emphasizes subject-object relationships, while the latter emphasizes subject-subject relationships between the physician and the patient. The similarity between these models lies in the physician's dominant role in shaping verbal communication with the patient.

By structuring interactions with patients based on their social status, medical professionals ensure that their individual characteristics, needs, and wishes are taken into account when developing a treatment plan. Effective verbal communication facilitates understanding between the physician and the patient and is the key to the effectiveness of treatment.

The article, drawing on Hanna Pitkin’s four-dimensional concept of political representation (formal, descriptive, symbolic, and substantive), analyzes the social profile of women’s political representation in contemporary China and the mechanisms of its distribution across levels of governance. The empirical basis of the study includes official statistics and monitoring reports, programmatic and regulatory documents, as well as data on the gender composition of key party–state institutions at the central, regional, and grassroots levels. The findings show that institutional measures and quota mechanisms have contributed to the expansion of women’s formal and descriptive representation, producing an effect of symbolic inclusiveness and reinforcing the legitimacy of gender equality in the public sphere. At the same time, the transition to substantive representation is constrained by persistent structural barriers associated with cadre selection practices, the distribution of power resources, and the hierarchical structure of decision-making. At the central level, a «funnel effect» is observed, manifested in a sharp decline in the proportion of women as they approach the core of strategic governance. At the regional level, quantitative growth coexists with positional and sectoral segregation: women are more frequently concentrated in deputy, coordinating, and socially oriented positions, while access to resource-intensive and coercive sectors remains limited. At the grassroots level, governance practices and patrilineal local norms reduce women’s political agency and hinder the transformation of formal inclusion into real influence. The article concludes that women’s political representation in China is characterized by an institutional model of mobilizational inclusion that ensures stable numerical representation and symbolic visibility, but does not create sufficient conditions for the sustained expansion of women’s influence in key decision-making arenas and resource allocation.