ON THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SOCIOLOGICAL FACULTY OF MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY NAMED AFTER M.V. LOMONOSOV
The units that formed the basis for the creation of the nowadays Department of Economic Sociology and Management have undergone many reorganizations. They were accompanied by a change of leaders, changes in personnel, changes of scientific and educational priorities, and in many cases of names. The Department of Sociology of Labor and Labor Collectives, the Department of Sociology of Organizations, the Department of Economic Sociology and Sociology of Labor, the Department of Economic Sociology and Marketing, the Department of Sociology of Organizations and Management — all these divisions were predecessors of the Department of Economic Sociology and Management, existing in the structure of the sociological faculty since 2017 year.
The authors of the article analyze in detail the objective and subjective reasons for the transformations, as well as the consequences to which they led. Particular attention is paid to the change of words, terms and concepts used in the names of the structural units and courses that were assigned to them. Changes in language in a specific way reflected the transformations that took place in the economy and society. Words appeared and disappeared, acquired a positive and negative meaning, excited various emotions in all those involved in the educational process.
The authors concluded that multiple changes, often complicating the work of professors, simultaneously increased their cohesion and contributed to the mastery in many disciplines. These features allow them today to implement innovative projects in the scientific and educational spheres.
The article deals with approaches to the understanding of the profession and professional choice in domestic and foreign scientific thought. The key issues of the study of vocational guidance and professional choice are presented in the historical perspective. The interrelation of choosing future life path, professional future and that educational institution, which in the future will allow youth not only to get a profession, but also serves as a launching pad for future career, is considered particularly acute by the end of school before each graduate. Today, the choice of the educational institution by the applicants remains a significant problem for them and in this regard the researchers face the task of characterizing the educational behavior of modern high school students, future applicants.
To answer these questions, the staff of Faculty of sociology of the Lomonosov Moscow State University was conducted among senior pupil of Moscow schools. The article presents the results of studies of different years of satisfaction with the level of received education, the motives for choosing the future education of senior pupils, and value orientations of youth. The main factors influencing the choice of the desired level of education and educational institution, as well as the basic model-goals of education used by youth in choosing their life path, were highlighted. The significance of higher education for future applicants and a steady increase in the trend of the spread of consumer behavior of youth, orientation in their life strategies towards success and high material wealth, a certain social status, are confirmed on the basis of the obtained data.
MODERN SOCIOLOGY, THEORY AND METHODOLOGY
This article presents the results of a study of new forms of social inequality, as well as the features of their manifestation in modern Russia, carried out by employees of the Department of Modern Sociology of the Sociology Faculty of Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov. Social inequality as a whole is defined as a specific form of social stratification in which individual individuals, social groups, layers or classes are at different levels of the vertical social hierarchy and have unequal opportunities to satisfy their material, social or spiritual needs. Much attention is paid to the analysis of the ideological foundations of global social inequality, which also includes national states in the vertical hierarchy of individuals, social groups, classes, and layers, which are accordingly ranked within the framework of the world community. It is proved that global social inequality is based on “market fundamentalism” — a special type of political thinking that elevates the principles of the “invisible hand of the market” and “non-interference of the state in the economic activities of economic entities” to the level of a totalitarian type of dogma. The practical embodiment of this dogma entails the reproduction of social inequality and extremely unfair social relations on a global scale.
Among the forms of global social inequality, the leading role is played by resource inequality, however, along with the resource inequality, relatively new forms of social inequality are quite clearly manifested, which the Swedish sociologist G. Terborn singled out — vital inequality and existential inequality.
Vital or biological inequality captures the basic characteristic of human existence, since it refers to categories such as, for example, environment and health. Existential inequality outlines a system of hierarchies based on inclusion / exclusion categories (social inclusion / exclusion). The article discusses in detail the features of the manifestation of all these forms of social inequality both within the world community and in Russia. In addition, a new methodological approach to the analysis of inequality from the standpoint of social constructivism was substantiated, when the question of what constitutes the basis of social inequality was supplemented by the question of how people themselves produce and reproduce social inequality in the usual practices of everyday social life.
The global sociology was formed at end of the XXth century — at the beginning of the XXIth century. It consists of a great number of sociological theories belonging to different sociological traditions with different methodological approaches. These theories have a common object field and a common vision of sociological problems which need to be analyzed. The aim of the article is to clarify and to give a theoretical structure to the object field of the global sociology as a specifie research sphere. This specifie sphere of sociological research has its own systemic character due to the unity of the object field. The object field of the global sociology is formed, first, by the processes which have shaped the contemporary global world and second, by the structure and order of this global world. The theoretical and methodological analysis of the theories which make up the global sociology shows that these theories can be divided into two large groups. The first group is formed by theories based on a universalist approach and a universalist vision of the actual global order. The universalist sociological perspective is rooted in the Enligtenmeht social philosophy, in the theories of development of classical sociology, in the original impulses of theories of modernization and Westernization. The uniting principle of all the mentioned theories is the common vision of the contemporary world as the one universal social space which to one extent or other transcends both concrete societies and nation-states. This large group of theories can be subdivided in two subgroups. The first subgroup of universalist theories views the contemporary global world with its order as a result of some original impulses of development of modernity. These impulses are being realized as the universal global order. The article analyzes the sociological theories of I. Wallerstein and A. Giddens as examples of such universalist theories. The second subgroup is formed by theories of globalization which are based on the analysis of the processes of digitalization, networking and also of new basic “mobilities” which are shaping a new global morphology of the space of “flows”. The theories of M. Castels, J. Urry and U. Beck are the examples of such universalis theories. The article also analyzes a global sociological universalist discourse which conceptualizes the global order through “theories of empire”.
The Part I of the article is dedicated to universalis theories of global sociology. The Part II is dedicated to the second large group of theories of the contemporary global sociology. These theories are based on the civilization approach which views the contemporary world as a set of civilizations.
HISTORY OF SOCIOLOGY
POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY
The article deals with the methodological problems of transformation processes in political science in the late XIX-th-early XX centuries and in the period between the two world wars. The author reveals the causes and origins of the crisis phenomena in political science due to the new political realities in the world and new trends in the political science development. The process of modern political science formation is analyzed in its gradual development (formal-legal, traditional, behavioral and post-behavioral). The special role of the Chicago revolution in political science, which created the environment and the ground for the emergence of the “behavioral” revolution, is revealed. The main program provisions of the “behavioral” revolution are indicated, its results, the main vectors of political science development in the post-behavioral era are revealed.
The role of structural functionalism (G. Almond and his school) in the formation of modern political science is revealed. The article deals with the interaction of political science with related social disciplines, which led to the emergence of some hybrid disciplines of political knowledge, including political sociology and political management. The content of the hybridization concept is revealed. The role of sociology in this process as the “main donor” of political science in the considered era is revealed. Object-subject areas of political sociology and political management, their place and role in the mechanism of socio-political systems functioning in the subject field of political science are defined. Generalizing conclusions are made.
Based on the empirical data of two sociological studies conducted in accordance with the uniform methodology using the personal questionnaire method in April 2012 and May 2018 (almost immediately after the election of the President of the Russian Federation), the article analyzes the structure of values of Russian urban voters, influencing their attitude to participation in the presidential elections and to the competing candidates. The socio-economic and socio-political conditions in Russia and their influence on the structure of values of urban voters are considered in the article. The article reveals the reasons why the fewer urban voters participated in the elections and a much larger number of them voted for Vladimir Putin when the economic situation of voters deteriorated in 2012 compared to 2018.
The article shows that the structure of values of urban voters remains predominantly “materialistic” (according to Ronald Inglehart). The influence of the value structure of voters on their participation in voting at the presidential election and on the support of a certain candidate is revealed. On the basis of comparing the results of the presidential elections in 2012 and 2018, it is shown that during 6 years the ideological spectrum of candidates has expanded and began to express a wider range of political views on the further development of Russian society and state — from extremely liberal, democratic to extremely conservative, totalitarian, which is essential feature of the modern Russian party and political system. The middle of this spectrum was represented by liberal conservatism of Vladimir Putin, and his support in 2018 reflects a shift in the values of urban voters from the extreme right and the extreme left to the middle, toward liberal conservatism that is becoming inherent in an increasing number of urban voters.
It is revealed that within the framework of the “materialistic” value structure of urban voters, the value of material wealth does not play a significant role when voters choose the future development of Russia. The value of unselfish patriotism and family is in the first place. The difficult political conditions in Russia in 2018 gave the voters patriotism a militant character that was absent in 2012. It united Russian society around Vladimir Putin even more and was the cause of a significant increase in his support from voters. Liberal component of conservatism in the program of Vladimir Putin (the expansion of economic, political, and spiritual freedoms) led to his support from moderately liberal voters. All these factors together predetermined the great success of Vladimir Putin in the presidential elections in Russia in 2018.
The article analyzes the role of mass media in the process of political socialization of the Russian youth in the context of deep socioeconomic and political transformations.
Especially significant for the development of political views is the period from 15 to 25 years. Young Russian citizens are just at the stage in the process of developing political habits and are easily influenced by different factors. Much of political information comes from the media, both traditional: newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and innovative — through the Internet. Television helps to shape public opinion by providing political news and their assessment, touching upon important problems, existing in the political sphere. The growth of the Internet is especially significant. News aggregators and online bloggers present a broad range of opinions on political events. The importance of an adequate assessment of the role of the traditional and innovative media in the political socialization of young people, in shaping the political subjectivity of young Russian citizens is obvious.
SOCIOLOGY OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL
ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Downshifting is a phenomenon of the postmodernity. It could not exist in neither pre-industrial nor industrial society. If classical philosophy of postmodernism has debunked the idea of progress in theory, downshifters do this in practice. Downshifting has multiple causes. Resent restructurizations in organizations limited the possibility of the traditional vertical career path for many people. The process of globalization and familiarization with Eastern cultures has shown the arbitrariness of success as a major meaning of the human being’s life. The movement of people from centers of megalopolises to the outskirts and suburban areas enabled to realize the possibility of the life outside the “benefits of civilization”. The spread of freelancing has also become an important factor that allowed people to implement the life strategy of downshifting.
Analysis of the Internet space (downshifting communities in social networks, content analysis of posts and comments about downshifting, online publications, etc.) revealed trends related to this strategy of professional and personal development. In particular, interest in downshifting is growing among various age audiences. In recent years, much very young man who have not yet begun their professional career actively discussed this social phenomenon and ideologically supported downshifting. It is also notable, the change in the popularity of different types of downshifting in Russia.
Downshifting strategy regardless of the number of people who have use it, demonstrates a real understanding of social space as a multidimensional entity and limitations of the outdated and seemingly axiomatic ideas of the social dynamics.
SOCIOLOGY OF A FAMILY AND DEMOGRAPHY
The article analyzes the impact of lifestyle, tobacco smoking in particular, on health and life expectancy. Using the latest statistics, the author examines the problem of tobacco smoking in Russia and the world, describes the impact of this harmful habit not only on the health of the population, but also on the environment and the economy. The paper provides a brief history of tobacco control, describes modern anti-tobacco measures taken by the world community under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Special attention is paid to the state of public opinion on issues related to the prevalence of tobacco smoking in Russia, its impact on the health and life expectancy of the population, the motivation of the population to abandon this habit and the impact on its presence / absence in social environment. It addresses the problem of child and adolescent smoking, analyzes the degree of parental influence and the likelihood that the child, in consequence, will become a regular smoker.
The author deals with the problem of passive smoking and the impact of secondary smoke on the health of children and adults, and notes that the anti-tobacco law adopted in Russia in 2013 undoubtedly reduced the number of passive smokers, which had beneficial effect on public health.
The work touches upon the currently relevant issue of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), provides usage statistics, and also raises the question of the consequences of the increasing popularity of ENDS.
The empirical base of the work is the data of WHO, the Federal State Statistics Service, the American Cancer Society, as well as studies of the Department of Sociology of Family and Demography (Faculty of Sociology, Lomonosov Moscow State University), the Public Opinion Foundation and the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center.
This article will be of interest to specialists in the field of sociology of medicine, as well as to a wide circle of readers interested in the issues of addictive behavior and the formation of a healthy lifestyle.
Index of articles and materials published in the journal “Bulletin of Moscow University. Ser. 18. Sociology and Political Science” in 2019
ISSN 2541-8769 (Online)