Sociology is an unusual science. Many authors call its current state “paradoxical”, other authors speak about the crisis of this science. The article presents sociology as a project of the modern era. This interpretation can explain many of the contradictions and eclectic results of its development.

Sociology as a project initiated by O. Comte was to combine social philosophy and empiricism. The latter was represented by socio-economic statistics and surveys, which were carried out in accordance with common sense by representatives of the state and other people. The project was aimed to create from these elements, different in nature, an integral science, built on the principles of natural sciences,i.e. representing a single hierarchy — from the most general ideas to concrete calculations.

This project failed. The article discusses the reasons for this situation and different results of the project.

The results of the sociological project can be conditionally divided into five groups: 1) “small” particular laws that say little about society as a whole; 2) specific methods of empirical research that yield accurate results in the fields of politics, marketing, human resource management, etc.; 3) the results achieved by deterministic theories; 4) sociological antinomies; 5)“negative results, which are also results” and lead to the comprehension of the fact, that there are some areas of social reality, to which scientific methods are radically inapplicable. Despite the fact that the goal of the project turned out to be unattainable, these results must be treated with reverence, because they are the work of outstanding scientists who called themselves sociologists, and some of them are really able to improve people’s lives. Today sociology is losing its monopoly on the production of useful knowledge about society, and its structure is beginning to be something like an exhibition of ideas in social philosophy and achievements in empirical studies of society.

The article examines the main research approaches to the category of “social inequality in health”. The author points out that this term, which reflects one of the topical areas of scientific discourse, has been involved into the studies relatively recently, up the second half of the XXth century. It has became the subject under study when scientific interest to the health problems was started among researchers. Used the historical-comparative approach and the qualitative analysis method of publications devoted to the problem of social inequality in health, the author highlights the main stages, approaches and directions of its study in foreign and domestic research fields. Based on their typology, this study shows that social inequality in health is considered as a complex phenomenon determined by various factors, which are considered as key causes of differences in health status among the population. Taking this argument into consideration, the author proposes an integrative approach that is found on the definition of health as a complex, socially conditioned, dynamic construct formed in the process of the combined influence of various factors which improve or worse its condition. As it is pointed out by the author within the framework of this approach, social inequality in health is considered as a complex social phenomenon determined by the peculiarities of the functioning of social institutions and the distribution of resources within the framework of the existing stratification model of society, the influence of which is dynamic and determined by specific historical conditions.

In the article, the author considers the specifics and features of the concept of “modernity” as a temporary state of society and a qualitatively new stage of social development. Theories and concepts of the late XIX — early XXI centuries that describe modern society are highlighted. The author analyzes the main social problems that arose during the emergence and active development of the Internet and high technologies in the XXI century.

Based on the empirical data from the sociological study conducted in 2012 and 2019, the article analyzes the nature of transformations in the value structure by the adult population of Russia and how they were impacted by the changes in the quality of life over 7 years.

Factor analysis is used in the article to reveal the changes in the typological values structure of the adult Russian population in 2012 and 2019. It is shown that in 2012 it was predominantly “materialistic” (according to R. Inglehart). The value of Active patriotism was the most significant. The value of hedonistic prosperity was of high importance, perceived as a desire for material prosperity for the sake of comfortable life. The family was of great importance. The significance of “postmaterialistic” values, i.e. creativity and freedom, was low. Bellicose patriotism was presented in the structure of values, but with low significance.

The change in the value structure of the Russian population that occurred in 2019 is revealed. Although it remained predominantly “materialistic”, it underwent significant changes in comparison with 2012. The value of active patriotism remained the most significant for people, and the value of Bellicose patriotism rose to the second place from the fifth one, which was due to the changes that had taken place in the economic and political situation in relation to Russia in the world over seven years, and sanctions pressure on it. High importance of the Family and Hedonistic prosperity was preserved. “Post-materialistic” values of freedom and creativity remained insignificant. Transformation of the value structure of the Russian population from “materialistic” to “post-materialistic” did not occur. The transformation nature of the value structure by Russian population under   the influence of changes in the state of the perceived quality of life is revealed. In 2012, physical and social activity of the Russian population had the highest level in comparison with other components. The role of physical and emotional problems in limiting the life of people and their subjective pain were at the mid-level. A relatively low level was characteristic for the mental and general health of people and their vitality. In 2019, the state of many parameters characterizing the quality of life of the population changed. Physical and social activity of people increased, and the role of physical and emotional problems in limiting their daily life and subjective pain sensations decreased. However, it was conjoined by the same relatively low level of indicators for mental and general health of people, their vitality.

In 2012, the state of people’s quality of life influenced the formation of only a few values; Active patriotism, the state of which was determined by all components of people’s quality of life and was a powerful factor in the formation of this value; the significance of Bellicose patriotism was influenced only by the state of people’s physical activity; the significance of hedonistic prosperity and creativity, fundamental values — family and self-preservation — also did not depend on the state of people’s quality of life.

In 2019, the nature of the quality of life impact on the formation of the value structure of the Russian population changed; its impact on the importance of active patriotism, hedonistic prosperity and self-preservation increased. The quality of life ceased to influence the formation of the significance of bellicose patriotism, its level did not depend on the state of people’s quality of life.

Thus, in 2019 the change in the state of the people’s perceived quality of life led to the transformation in the structure of their values. At the same time, a decrease or increase in their importance was influenced by the change of the socio-economic state of people and the international position of Russia, which in turn affected the state of their quality of life. Taken together, these parameters make up the social mechanism for the formation of the value structure of the population of Russia.

The article analyzes the influence of physical culture and sports on the health of the population. The author explores the behavioral factors of health and illness, using experience and examples from previous Russian and international research. The work highlights the main components of a healthy lifestyle and obstacles that prevent it from practicing, such as lack of material and time resources, lack of will, bad habits, high pace of life and work, etc. Based on the latest statistics and analysis, it is shown that there are few people leading a healthy lifestyle in Russia (from 12 to 25% according to various estimates), but there are real barriers to improving the situation. Furthermore, there is a lack of motivation among the population itself. The article focuses on the importance of adequate physical activity to preserve health. Author presents data on the share of those practicing physical education and sports in Russia and in the world, as well as the results of scientific research confirming the fact that the interest of Russians with sports activities has increased, they began to devote more time to physical development. However, it will take time to achieve the indicators typical for the countries of Northern Europe and the USA. The problem of high-performance sports, associated huge costs, its use as an effective instrument of “soft power” in world politics, dehumanization and commercialization of big-time sports and, of course, the issue of its impact on health are touched upon. It also analyzes the importance of professional sports for the development of mass sports and increasing the motivation of the population to engage in physical culture.

The situation in the development of physical culture and mass sports in Russia and the involvement of the population of our country in these practices are assessed. Author analyzes interlinks between physical activity on one side and influence of socio-demographic characteristics of the population, such as gender, age, level of education and income, region of residence on the other side.

The empirical basis of the work consists of data of the WHO, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat), the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) and the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), as well as the study undertaken in 2018–2019 by the Department of Sociology of Family and Demography, Faculty of Moscow of Sociology, Lomonosov Moscow State University (2489 respondents) “Interregional studies of life values and nontransitivity of family and child orientations among women, men and married couples on the basis of crosscutting analysis of comparable data” (SEDOZH).

The article analyzes the social aspects of Hinduism as a combination of not only religious, but also mythological, legal and ethical concepts. They form, on the basis on which the social life of Indian society is largely organized. The author’s analysis of the historical development of Hinduism shows that, despite the absence of a rigid organizational structure, it has an internal unity at the social, ideological and religious levels. Hinduism is united in a whole by sacred texts and the Pantheon of Gods, recognized by almost all its trends and schools, as well as the faith in karma — the causal relationship between the actions of an individual in past incarnations and his fate, character, position in society in the current incarnation, and reincarnation. The cornerstone of both the faith and the social component of the Hindu doctrine is the concept of classes and castes, which denote separate groups whose members have a common professional occupation, do not marry other groups, and do not even share meals with them. The article considers the hierarchy of classes that originated in India in the Vedic period, as well as the principles, primarily professional and regional, of the formation of modern castes.

The author analyzes a set of religious prescriptions and cult practices that regulate the daily life of Hindus, the ritual side of Hinduism associated with the most significant events in human life. Special attention is paid to new practices of “redemptive rites”, including asceticism, fasting, various methods of mortification of the flesh, and redemptive gifts. It is noted that the essence of Hinduism is not limited to its religious and ideological content. An organic integral part of it is a number of social institutions, legal and moral norms, social institutions and cultural phenomena. In this regard, Hinduism is not only and not so much a religion, but a way of life and holistic behavior, which can also have its own spiritual practice.

The article deals with current problems of the development of stateconfessional relations in modern Russia, as well as analyzes individual historical stages that directly determined the main directions in the interaction between the institutions of the Church and the state. The author highlights the key areas of relations between the Church and the state in modern conditions, and notes the difficulties in spreading the religious worldview. The article identifies the challenges and threats that arise in the conditions of functioning of stateconfessional relations, as well as considers the positive and negative aspects of the impact of religious organizations on various spheres of society. Based on empirical data, it is shown how adherents of various religious doctrines perceive the activities of religious organizations in the framework of cooperation with the state. The influence of religious values and attitudes on the functioning of moral norms in society is analyzed. New prospects and ways of development in the interaction of various public institutions and religious organizations in the modern socio-political space are outlined. As a result, we identified common tasks directed towards transforming the social life of society, which are being solved jointly at the state-Church level in our country.

The article analyzes the processes taking place in the youth environment in the context of digitalization of society. The role of social networks is discussed. Since its inception, network analysis has been formed as an interdisciplinary direction in which psychologists, sociologists, communication specialists, anthropologists, mathematicians and statisticians combine their efforts. The social network as a way of organizing social knowledge requires a special methodological approach, different from the traditional methods of analyzing sociological information. “Digital habits” significantly affect the behavior of young people, change the “traditional” way of life. The article is of interest to specialists dealing with problems of sociology of youth, sociology of global processes, methodology of sociological research.

The article analyzes the main trends in the transformation of the modern system of higher education in Russia, which contain objective risks and contribute to the growth of social tension in the educational environment. The author points to the main aspects of considering significant changes in the higher education system, including: active dissemination of new digital technologies in the educational process; the consequences of integrating the Russian higher education system into a single European educational space; the emergence of new educational and management practices; the consequences of the commercialization of the higher education system. The period of transition of the higher education system from the traditional model to the digital one is characterized by the exacerbation of existing structural contradictions and social inequality, as well as the emergence of new risks in development.

The article examines possible sources of social conflicts in the higher education system and provides their typology: conflicts of the “society — higher school” type, “administration — collectives of an educational institution”, “subject-subject”. A significant source is also the contradiction between the traditionally established educational practices and new digital practices that require special training of scientific and pedagogical personnel and an effective information base.

The author conclude that the growth of social tension and, as a consequence, the emergence of new forms of social conflicts in the educational environment, can be explained by the unpreparedness of the Russian higher education system and society as a whole for the ongoing changes. Results of the transformation of the modern higher education system in Russia, on the one hand, new prospects have appeared for training and professional development of participants in the educational process, and on the other hand, sources of social tension and conflict in the educational environment have become more active. To implement a systematic and effective final transition from a traditional to a digital education model, a radical restructuring of the entire higher education system at the state level, the introduction of modular digital educational environments and the creation of an effective information base on an integrated educational platform are required.

The purpose of the article is to characterize the problems and prospects of development of volunteer activities in the youth environment of the Orel region. The article provides a brief review of the literature on volunteer activities. The article presents the results of the author’s sociological study “Coordination of volunteer activities among the youth of the Orel region” –materials of interviews with the heads of volunteer organizations (volunteer groups; volunteer groups; volunteer centers (movements)), volunteer projects) of the Orel region. Based on the analysis of the interview materials, groups of problems typical for the development of volunteer activities in the Orel region are identified. A comparison of the materials obtained by the author during the interview with the results of a questionnaire survey of residents of the Orel region, organized by the sociological laboratory of the Central Russian Institute of Management, a branch of the Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, and the results of a VTSIOM study are carried out.

The results of the study-the analysis allowed the author to formulate the problems of development of volunteer activity in the youth environment of the Orel region and to identify the prospects for the further existence of this type of activity in the region.

Gradually realizing the consequences of development related solely to economic growth, modern cities are turning their attention towards the concept of sustainable development. Using the World Heritage Cities of Wismar and Stralsund as an example, this study examines how the concept of sustainable development relates to World Heritage status. This paper aims to identify what is the implementation of the World Cultural Heritage (WCH) protection program in urban policies and the limitations of sustainable development programs related to.

The innovation of this research lies in the fact that the article considers how local governments make decisions regarding the implementation of WCH programs or sustainable development programs in cities similar in structure and historical past. The materials for the study are expert interviews with the author’s city administration, local activists, employees of museums and tourist centers, representatives of local businesses. Based on the obtained data, the main directions were identified why the city administration implements the WCH and restricts the sustainable development programs.

The study showed that urban policies are formed in a situation where the status of the WCH cannot be considered solely as a benefit to the city. Today, the city administration sees the strategy of implementing the WCH program as more beneficial in the time perspective and implements sustainable development programs only with significant limitations.

*The article deals with the concept of participatory design proposed by the american urban planning specialist Henry Sanoff. The author provides with historical and sociological context of the formation of the concept of participatory design. The key episode in the development of the concept of participatory design is defined by the dispute in the theory of architecture between functional modernism in the person of L. Corbusier and individual-oriented concepts of urban planning, which were formed in the works of P. Geddes, E. Howard, J. Jacobs, L. Mumford and J. Gehl. The author considers the concept of participatory design as a conceptual deepening of individual-oriented theories, resulting in the justification of not only taking into account the needs of city residents in urban planning, but also the need for their participation in urban design. As the author notes, the key premises of forming the concept of participatory design are the culture of participation and the policy of participation. The culture of participation defends the position of the individual as an active subject and as a producer of social and cultural meanings. The policy of participation is based on participatory democracy and the idea of active involvement of civil society in management processes. The article discusses the basic principles of the concept of participatory design by G. Sanoff and the mechanics of their implementation.

The article discusses the current problems of functioning democratic institutions in the United States. The consequences of presidential elections and their influence on public opinion are analyzed. In the face of growing tensions toward world democracy and democratic values, US citizens usually agree on the importance of democratic ideals and values that are important to the United States. The results of the study also demonstrate the awareness of American society of the objective existence necessary criticism. Most respondents emphasize their knowledge of basic facts about the political system and democracy in the United States. The majority of respondents said that “significant changes” are necessary in the fundamental structure of the executive bodies of the American government in order for it to work effectively at the present time.

The article states the complexity of the ongoing domestic political processes in the United States, the existence of existing contradictions and the split of public opinion regarding the stability of democratic mechanisms of the functioning of the US political system. The complexity of religious, national, social and other contradictions of social development brought to the surface of public debate a complex of problems of the dynamics of political development and the state mechanism of government.

The article presents the results of Russian organizations social capital formation internal factors studies. This problem is considered from the conceptual-theoretical model proposed by the author point of view which assumes to consider social capital as a specific management resource the formation of which is influenced by a set of external and internal factors.

The author notes a certain inconsistency of the research in particular heterogeneity of social groups which negatively affects the formation of organizational social capital due to the lack of a general tendency to pro-social behavior.

The analysis of the structural aspect of social capital using data on social networks reflects to a greater extent its relational component characterizing social networks in terms of content and strength of connections.

The article highlights the typical limitations of studies (such as indicators limitation, incompleteness of coverage of social capital different aspects, the aspiration to consider the organizational social capital as the sum of the individual capitals, insufficient sample sizes) contributing to their fragmentation and the narrative.

The author notes the special role of corporate social responsibility system and social policy as a factors in organization social capital formation process. Corporate culture is defined as a factor of social capital formation as well. It is considered as an independent component of organization functioning.