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No 8 (2025)
XXVII KHARCHEV READINGS
"Dual Process" Theory in Social Cognition and Outlook to Augment Sociological Knowledge
Abstract
The article examines two main approaches to integrating models, methods, and findings from cognitive science into sociological theory and methodology. It argues for comparative advantages of the first interdisciplinary approach – termed ‘cognitive social science (and neuroscience)’ – while critically assessing the limitations of the second, conventionally labeled ‘cognitive sociology’. Drawing on specific examples, the article highlights how the cognitive social science tradition benefits from the systematic application of models and research informed by dual-process theory to the study of social cognition. Particular attention is given to its prospective contributions to the sociology of morality and the refinement of sociological methodology.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):3-13
3-13
Development of digital technologies and the agency issue: Towards a new theoretical optics
Abstract
Digital technologies have radically transformed social reality and created new challenges for theory and practice. This puts under question prevailing scientific ideas about both the possibilities of institutional regulation/coercion of human activities and the transformative potential of human agency. Based on the analysis of discussions in sociological theory and on the review of the latest developments in neigboring disciplines, we propose a conceptual model to describe the possibilities and limitations of human agency in the context of digital reality as a special type of structure. Our focus is on the «strong» agency that is, activities that significantly change social environment. We outline two major points of interest. On the one hand, it is a zone of “conditionally” free creative individual action utilizing the resources of the digital environment as a means to achieve the goals of creating new or transforming existing communities, modes of behavior, practices, etc. On the other hand, it is a zone of “hybrid” agency, that is, human activity, stimulated (at least partially) and supplemented by a targeted, customized system of institutional influence provided by artificial intelligence systems. In our opinion, it is in these areas that the main challenges lie for advancing sociology towards understanding the problem of human agency as a key factor in institutional change, driven to a large extent by the advances in digital technologies.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):14-25
14-25
ECONOMIC SOCIOLOGY
“The Worker Sovereign”: a conversation with Axel Honnet
Abstract
The above text has been published under the headline “The Working Sovereign: A conversation with Axel Honneth” in the “Journal of Classical Sociology” Vol. 23, Issue 3, August 2023, Pp. 318–338. The Journal (published by Sage Publications)_is a quarterly academic journal covering all aspects of classical sociology. Its editors-in-chief are Bryan S. Turner (City University of New York) and Simon Susen (City University of London). The conversation with Axel Honneth covers the current state of sociology of labor as well as the changing field of the labor itself. He explains why he believes a political theory of labor is necessary, how the world of work has changed, and what opportunities and risks this entails for democratization processes.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):26-39
26-39
Samara school of labor sociology contribution to the labor motivation studies
Abstract
The presented article examines the significance of the Soviet experience of the Samara school of sociology of labor for contemporary studies of work motivation. An important aspect of analyzing the motivation of workers was studying their attitude towards work, job satisfaction, and the indicator of organizational inclusion. The article discusses social technologies for enhancing the productive activity of Soviet workers, such as the organization of technical creativity, socio-production information, professional advancement of workers, socialist competition, and brigade self-management. Special attention is given to the practical application of these technologies at AVTOVAZ (Togliatti) in the 1970s‑1980s and their positive impact on the economic and social indicators of this enterprise. The article emphasizes the possibility of adapting the existing methodology of the «motivational core» and the indicator of inclusion within contemporary studies of the attitude of industrial workers towards their work. It also highlights the prospect of the comprehensive application of social technologies to enhance productive activity.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):40-52
40-52
DISCISSION. POLEMICS
Labor Transformation: Genesis of a New Social System? (Comments on a Discussion)
Abstract
The article presents the key points of the discussion on the problems of labor transformation and diffusion of social structure at the current stage of development of the capitalist social system. The discussion was interdisciplinary in nature, with the participation of representatives of sociological and economic science from the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and leading universities. The initial formulation of the problems for discussion included the results of the analysis of contradictions indicating the formation of elements of a new system of social relations within capitalism (transitional relations), which can be called post-capitalist. The results of the discussion of the following issues are covered in detail: should creative activity be considered primarily a characteristic of the social-class structure, or does this relate to a greater extent to the spiritual world of a person; the problems of the precariat as a new social stratum (protoclass), its distinctive characteristics and the problem of its heterogeneity; peculiarities of the exploitation of a creative worker. The discussion also included questions about the appropriateness of using the terms “diffusion” or “differentiation” in the context of the ongoing transformation of the social structure and the increasing role of the creative nature of labour, and the problem of how new social strata (protoclasses) can be considered as bearers of liberating tendencies aimed at overcoming alienation. An important place in the discussion was given to the problem of theoretical qualification of the modern social system, in particular, arguments were presented in favor of defining it not as “late capitalism” (which is quite widespread in scientific discourse at the moment), but as “early postcapitalism”.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):53-64
53-64
ANNYVERSARY
CHERNYSH M.F. is 70!
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):65
65
Return of Society: Domestic Sociology in Search for Theory and New Generations (interview of M.F. Chernysh by Yu.B. Epikhina)
Abstract
В преддверии юбилея члена-корреспондента РАН Михаила Федоровича Черныша – замечательного ученого, преподавателя и научного руководителя – мы обсудили с ним вопросы, которые волнуют каждого социолога. Что происходит с социологической теорией в условиях, когда общество возвращается после эпохи глобализационных иллюзий, а социология оказывается не готова к этому возвращению? Какова роль академической науки в современном российском обществе, и как восстановить связь между социологическим знанием и процессами принятия решений? Почему методологическая подготовка находится в кризисе, и как преодолеть разрыв между теорией и эмпирическими исследованиями? Наконец, как воспитывать новые поколения социологов в условиях кадрового кризиса и низкой привлекательности академической карьеры? Эти и другие проблемы развития отечественной социологии стали предметом откровенного разговора о прошлом, настоящем и будущем дисциплины.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):67-77
67-77
GOFMAN A.B. is 80!
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):78
78
KNYAZEV V.N. is 80!
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):79
79
SOCIAL STRUCTURE. SOCIAL POLICY
Social structure in the eyes of Russians: Issues of legitimacy
Abstract
This article presents the results of a sociological study devoted to analyzing the perception of the social structure of modern Russian society through the eyes of three generations of Russians. A qualitative sociological study was conducted, including the results of 21 focus groups with the participation of 205 informants from 7 major Russian cities. The main ideas about the criteria of stratification of our society and the principles of self-positioning in it were revealed. A comparative analysis was carried out between three generational groups that underwent socialization in different socio-historical conditions: during the USSR, between late socialism and early capitalism and in modern Russia. According to the results of the analysis, the main trends include: the dominance of economic indicators of stratification in the public consciousness, the delegitimization of higher strata, the disproportionality of the middle class and the transparency of its boundaries, and the marginalization of lower groups. At the same time, serious problems of legitimacy have been revealed: higher strata are associated with dishonest origin of income, low moral qualities and unfair starting opportunities inaccessible to ordinary people. Such perceptions have a demotivating effect on vertical social mobility. The lower strata is presented to the focus group participants as deviation. In one case it is manifested in asocial lifestyle, in another case in unfair assessment of the labor of honest workers by the state. The middle class in this model becomes an island of tranquility, with which overwhelming number of informants identify themselves. Its volume is overestimated and its boundaries are blurred. In general, Russian society is characterized by atomization of public consciousness and lack of consensus in assessing the fairness of the social order.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):80-93
80-93
Human Potential in the Digitalization Context
Abstract
The paper examines the readiness of Russian society to live in an increasingly digitalized environment and to function in it in a safe and effective manner. Based on the concept of human potential (HP), the authors proposed an operational model to measure its digital component. It was tested on the data of a representative survey of the Russian population (N = 10,038). This study provides the first estimates of the development of the digital component of HP among Russians and their readiness for life in the ‘digital world’. The results obtained present a more comprehensive picture compared to studies that focus exclusively on access to digital technologies and/or digital literacy. They confirm that various segments of society exhibit differing degrees of adaptation to the realities of digitalization, and almost a fifth of it has no digital component of HP or it is developed at a fairy low level. This blocks their access to the benefits of digitalization that groups with a higher level of digital component of HP derive for themselves. The reasons of this variation include not only socio-demographic characteristics, many of which have long been the focus of social research, but also individuals’ attitudes towards new technologies, their digital skills, and their jobs’ characteristics.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):94-107
94-107
Theoretical Conceptualization of the Social Transformation Mechanism in Alcohol Consumption Practices
Abstract
The article proposes a synthetic conceptual model of reproduction of the practices of refusing alcohol consumption as an everyday phenomenon, which focuses on the one hand on the analysis of the social space as a field (V. I. Ilyin), on the other hand, on the study of individual practices (P. Bourdieu), which are reproduced in the context of social situations (E. Goffman). It is shown that the practices of sobriety are realized relative to other related practices (alcohol consumption, its promotion and prevention) taking the form of gabitus (natural sobriety, the cessation of moderate alcohol consumption, and overcoming alcohol dependence). The reproduction of consumer practices in relation to alcohol occurs in the conditions of structural restrictions and disposable capital, accompanied not only by the loss and accumulation of the latter, but also by the preservation of already accumulated. This is especially characteristic of the natural teetotalers, which represent the bulk of modern non-mana youth. The nucleus of reproduction of the practices of refusal of alcohol are social situations in which carriers of various gabitus are interacting with various volume and structure of capital at the intersection of sociocultural fields.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):108-118
108-118
ЭТНОСОЦИОЛОГИЯ
Formation and Development Features of the Russian-Speaking Koreans Community in South Korea
Abstract
As the number of Russian-speaking Koreans (Koryoin) flowing into South Korea increases every year, their densely populated residences are being formed in various regions of the country. In some places, these zones are developed into full-fledged communities, while in others, they remain simply densely populated areas of Russian-speaking Koreans. This article examines the formation and development of the Koryoin community in the urban-type settlement of Poseung, Pyeongtaek City, which is home to an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 Koryoin. This study focuses on the role of the village headman, his wife and Russian-speaking Korean migrants in the development of the community. Their activities, based on the effective use of the resources of a small administrative unit, have become a key factor contributing to its intensive development. A notable feature of this community is the active involvement of elderly Russian-speaking Koreans, previously excluded from labor and production activities, in participation in public life.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):119-131
119-131
CULTURAL SOCIOLOGY
The Russian Literary Field in the 21st Century: Assessing its State Through Interviewing the Critics
Abstract
The study examines the transformation and disintegration of institutional structures within the Russian literary process during the 21st century, analyzing how post-Soviet commercialization and digitalization have reshaped the field. Through interviews with 35 literary critics, the research traces evolving forms of literary existence, recognition mechanisms, and the changing status of writers. Building on Bourdieu’s field theory, the work documents a paradigm shift from hierarchical, institutionally-embedded systems to fragmented, networked and unstable configurations of the literary field. The findings reveal literature’s adaptive capacity despite the crisis of traditional institutions, demonstrating how creative work maintains symbolic value while losing former economic and institutional support. These transformations represent a social process generating new forms of cultural agency among writers, critics, publishers and digital platforms. Hybrid interaction formats emerge between: authors and readers, literary institutions and commercial structures, traditional media and social networks. Consequently, a text’s symbolic value now derives not just from traditional arbiters (writers’ unions, established journals) but equally from networked communities, platform algorithms and market mechanisms. This dual legitimization creates constant tension between autonomous artistic principles and heteronomous market/digital logics. The study ultimately maps how Russian literature negotiates its position amid competing value systems, where institutional authority coexists with decentralized, algorithmically-driven recognition processes in the digital age.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):132-141
132-141
FACTS. COMMENTS. NOTES
Perceptions of Russia and the USA by Japanese public opinion against the background of the SMO, negotiations and trade wars
Abstract
The present article explores the shifts in public opinion in Japan regarding the Special Military Operation (SMO) and the changing policies of the new U.S. administration. The principal objective of this analysis is to delineate the direction and velocity of transformations in the collective attitudes of the Japanese population amidst the rapid evolution of the international landscape. This study relies on a secondary analysis of empirical data sourced from representative surveys conducted during the period from 2024 to 2025-approximately six months after Donald Trump’s assumption of the presidency in the United States. The findings reveal that Japanese perspectives on Russia remain steadfastly negative; Russia is perceived as the foremost threat to Japan, and there exists a substantial public endorsement for anti-Russian sanctions. Consequently, the recent softening of the U.S. approach towards Russia has yet to resonate with the public sentiment of its principal ally in East Asia. This durability of Japanese public opinion indicates that any potential for enhancing Russian-Japanese relations in the near future is unlikely. Conversely, perceptions of the U.S. are undergoing swift and significant changes. In the context of an impending trade conflict, a form of rhetorical anti-Americanism appears to be gaining widespread acceptance among the Japanese population. The insights derived from this analysis highlight the pressing need for the formulation of more nuanced and non-linear models to effectively assess the dynamics of public opinion within the sphere of international relations.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):142-146
142-146
Social tensions in the southern federal district: a retrospective protest practices analysis, 2015–2024
Abstract
In the article, the authors’ attention is focused on solving an urgent scientific problem of studying the dynamics of protest activity within the Southern Federal District. The quantitative dynamics of protest activity in the Southern Federal District as a whole by year for the period from 2015 to 2024 has been determined, the frequency and mass of protest actions, peaks and epicenters of socio-political tension have been identified. The periodization of protest activity in the south of Russia is presented, indicating destabilizing causes of discontent among the population of the Southern Federal District. Four stages of protest activity have been identified, in each of which foci of social tension have been identified. The first stage of protest activity was characterized by the dominance of socio-economic discontent with the formation of a political protest against violations of civil rights and restrictions on freedoms, with epicenters in the Volgograd and Rostov regions. The second period was characterized by an expansion of the protest agenda: environmental demands were added to economic demands, as well as increased politicization of protests in connection with elections and constitutional changes with epicenters in Sevastopol, Astrakhan region and the Republic of Kalmykia. In the third period, there was a shift in protest focus to healthcare and education due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, as well as an increase in local protests related to environmental and infrastructural problems with the epicenter in the Republic of Kalmykia. The fourth stage of protest activity is associated with the intensification of political protests and the emergence of new triggers related to the consequences of its epicenters in Sevastopol and the Krasnodar region. In conclusion, the authors conclude that the analysis of protest activity in the Southern Federal District reflects all-Russian trends, identifying local problems typical of the Southern Federal District regions. Modern challenges (economic crises, pandemic, special military operation) exacerbate systemic problems, transferring them to public space in the form of street demonstrations.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):147-152
147-152
ACADEMIC EVENTS
Genocide – Ethnocide – Identity: Problematic Issues of the Russian-Serbian Academic Seminar
Abstract
Обзор посвящен очередной сессии международного российско-сербского научного семинара «Идентичности и реальные практики в социокультурной и геополитической динамике Евразии», где прошло активное обсуждение проблем идентичности, этноцида и геноцида в современном мире. На конкретных исторических примерах участники семинара выявили политические, культурные и идеологические предпосылки возникновения условий, а также реальные практики применения насилия.
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):153-155
153-155
Civic and patriotic identity of the Russia’s youth
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):156-157
156-157
Anniversary Readings on the Social Agenda in Sociological Research
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):158-159
158-159
Social Processes in Modern Russian Society
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):160-161
160-161
Support and Socialization of Men with Acquired Disabilities
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):162-163
162-163
BOOK REVIEW
164-168
Radayev V.V. Non-Standard Consumption. Moscow: VSHE, 2025.
Abstract
В монографии представлен сравнительный анализ пяти типов нестандартного потребления – панического, импульсивного, компульсивного, статусного и этичного. Автор показывает, что эти модели потребления являются не индивидуальным отклонением от рациональной нормы, а закономерной адаптацией к условиям кризиса, цифровизации и неопределенности. В рецензии обсуждаются наиболее интересные эмпирические результаты исследования, ставятся методические вопросы об измерении нестандартных форм потребления. Оценивается вклад рецензируемой монографии в развитие экономической социологии. Отмечается вывод автора об укорененности экономического поведения в социальных структурах и отношени
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):168-173
168-173
BOOKS IN BRIEF
BOOKS IN BRIEFS
Sociological Studies. 2025;(8):174
174