卷 28, 编号 1 (2025)
Social Theory
Regularities of Wars in the Context of Social Evolution
摘要
The article discusses and explains multiple empirical generalizations related to the origins and dynamics of wars of different types made by prominent political scientists and historical sociologists. The generalizations concern the peculiarities of the pre-war periods, which were characterized by escalating conflict rhetoric and mutual provocations. The territorial basis of many military conflicts is examined. Traditional feuds with a series of crises are also fraught with wars. If the parties are roughly equal, wars become protracted and involve adjacent states. Large powerful states (great powers and superpowers) are more likely to start wars. Also considered are the more controversial positions on great power inequality as a factor preventing war, as well as the theory of "democratic peace". The weakness of the normative (moralistic) argument that rulers and elites are more peaceful in democracies is shown. Also unconvincing is the economic explanation, according to which democracies that trade with each other are therefore not inclined to go to war. The strongest is the institutional factor related to the plurality of power actors who can influence decisions. This explanation utilizes the concept of collegial power sharing. A distinction is made between leadership and hegemony in international relations. macrosociology of world history. The following approaches have been used in the context of social evolution and macrosociology of world history: the model of changing phases of social development, the challenge-response scheme, the extended functional model, the alternation of epochs of stability and periods of turbulence, the intersecting epochs of empire expansion and the formation of nation-states. Such epochs are characterized by special — transformational — wars. Fragile, weak, crumbling states can fall into civil wars that involve neighbors and great powers.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):7–26
7–26
Sociology of Labor
Was Everyone Scared? A Study of the Emotional Labor of Frontline and Non-Frontline Nurses in the COVID–19 Pandemic
摘要
The article is devoted to the study of the emotional labor of nurses involved in the pandemic crisis on the front line of the fight against COVID-19 and caring for patients not on the front line of the fight against COVID-19. The experience of nursing labor at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 is characterized by extraordinary, as is the COVID-19 pandemic itself, considered as a historical event that complicated the work of representatives of the health system, regardless of their involvement in the fight against COVID-19. We are faced with the task of finding and describing similarities and differences in the experience of managing emotions, in practices and opportunities for support by nurses safe working conditions in different zones of the hospital space. The choice in favor of analyzing foreign studies was made due to the insufficient representation in Russian-language scientific publications of the labor of non-frontline nurses. Due to the lack of Russian-language research on a given topic, it is difficult to assume what nurses, not only from COVID, but also from non-COVID departments with different resources to maintain safe working conditions, encountered in their work. It will be even more difficult to understand the reasons for the (non)sensitivity of nurses to various forms of inequality in the workplace after the pandemic, after their reunification into the teams of non-COVID departments. In this regard, we consider it advisable to review the empirical experience of English-speaking authors of scientific publications that problematize (not always using sociological approaches) the labor of frontline and non-frontline nurses, demonstrating similar risks arising in their emotional labor and different ways to minimize them. The application of the concept of emotional labor helps us in interpreting the results of interdisciplinary research abroad on the emotional experiences at the nurses of the hospital space. Generalization of foreign experience makes it possible to build a logic for further analysis of similar working conditions for nurses from Russia.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):27–56
27–56
Managing Human Capital of an Organization: Sociological Analysis of Conceptual Approaches
摘要
The article is focused on the analysis of the development of conceptual approaches to the management of human capital of an organization, as a lead to the conclusion that the differences in the models of human capital management of an organization occur in the chain of theoretical discrepancies. The starting point is the ambiguity of interpretation of the basic concept of “human capital”, which is mainly caused by scientific specialization of researchers of this phenomenon. The author argues that the concept of “human capital” is based on the concept of “human potential”, which under particular circumstances is transformed into human resources that that in market environment become a commodity. The next level of theoretical divergence linked to the definition of human capital at the organizational level. The author provides arguments for the necessity of applying an approach that integrates the analysis of human capital at the individual, the level of organizational units and the organization as a whole. The third level of debate relates to the choice of human capital management models, which relies on the application of various theories of the firm. The article proves the feasibility of applying the stakeholder theory to build a human capital management system consisting of four subsystems: the subsystem of corporate identity and value, the subsystem of work with personnel, the subsystem of personnel development, and the subsystem of HR-analytics. The digital transformation of socio-economic life leads to the emergence of the concept of "digital human capital", which meets the requirements of the digital economy. The management of digital human capital requires the widespread use of digital technologies and tools for working with personnel, as well as the restructuring of organizational relations. The author highlights the role of human capital analytics based on the application of a wide range of digital technologies and tools, and underlines the trend towards a gradual transition to a human capital management model based on aligning the interests of the firm's key stakeholders.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):57–77
57–77
Sociology of Education
Tutoring support within the framework of individual educational trajectories at the university
摘要
This article discusses the conditions, contents, and assessment of the effectiveness of tutoring support as a relatively recent practice in Russian higher education, which was introduced in the process of implementing individualized learning pathways. The Center for Educational Analytics of University of Tyumen conducted a sociological survey, including a survey of first- and second-year undergraduate students (N = 1013), semi-structured interviews with university administrators (n = 20), and focus groups with both experienced and novice tutors (n = 2). According to the findings of the study, the majority of interviewees believed that the current educational system requires a professional support service for students. Approximately 60% of respondents agreed that interacting with a tutor could be beneficial, but only if the tutor's role was focused on designing an educational path or supporting professional development. To date, surveyed students who have worked with tutors have already seen some results in their general development: almost 40% reported that they improved their communication skills, and one out of four learned how to work in teams, set goals, and achieve them. Additionally, one out of five students learned how to select electives and develop skills in emotional self-regulation. However, during the survey, it was found that the majority of students were not well-informed about the activities of the Tutor Support Center. As a result, they were unable to evaluate the effectiveness of their tutoring assignments.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):78–109
78–109
Sociology of Science
Expert Activities of Scholars in the Context of Age Differences
摘要
The expert activities of scientists are diverse and represent one of the professional roles both within the academic world and in the social space beyond it. The article presents the results of sociological survey of the expert activities of researchers and university professors in the context of age differences. The study involved an online questionnaire survey of 486 experts from 14 regions of Russia in 2023. The survey showed that a researcher providing expertise essentially always goes beyond the boundaries of his institution. The older respondents more often have to act as experts outside their primary workplace predominantly working with government authorities. The article provides data on the degree to which age influences experts' commitment to their specialization, their focus on the needs of a specific region or institution, and the role of authority, reputation and status. The older experts primarily rely on their professional experience highly valuing methodological competence. Younger experts pay more attention to objective facts focusing on the logic of analyzing the situation and the object of expertise. With age and experience there is an increase in refusals to conduct expertise partly due to the significant time investment, lack of payment for this activity, and the conflicts of interest. Young experts refuse to conduct expertise much less frequently mainly citing a lack of relevant competencies as the reason. The older experts are significantly more confident in their authority, while young experts are interested in developing their professional reputation and pay special attention to the review of scientific manuscripts. This indicates stable and reproducible norms in science where expertise is an integral element of the verification of scientific knowledge.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):110–132
110–132
Environmental Sociology
Articulation of the Value of Natural Resources and Landscapes in the Discursive Practices of Kuzbass
摘要
The article is devoted to the discourse on natural resources and landscapes of Kuzbass as a way to establish their value. Such discursive work, as the author shows, influences the development of nature. Resource use is necessarily related to the questions of what exactly matters in the environment and how it should be evaluated. Appealing to the theory, the author demonstrates that natural resources and landscapes do not have universal value, but acquire it in the processes of competition and struggle of values. Arguments are given in favor of understanding natural objects within the implementation of discursive practices, the scope of which extends both to the level of language and to the level of action in a specific socio-material space. Based on the analysis of the materials of the Kuzbass public discourse, four discursive fields related to four types of natural resources of the region are identified. First, coal mining, which is gaining a dominant symbolic status. Coal metonymically represents the region and is valued for economic development and well-being. In this regard, the Kuzbass landscape is discursively subordinated to the value of a resource, for which the lands are managed as a «resource location» devoid of local features. Secondly, gold mining, which is present on the periphery of the region's public discourse. It is characterized by less consistency and fixed values. Value contradictions are associated with the definition of the impact on river landscapes, which gain different material capabilities and properties in the discursive practices of gold mining companies, government and the active public. Thirdly, practices of forest management that embody the values of sustainable and rational nature development. The discursive practice of regional government enacts the forest as a potential commodity (wood), discarding its significant ecosystem functions. Fourth, the tourism potential of the territory, which relates to both natural and industrial landscapes. The article concludes that in the articulation of discourses by various actors, the same natural objects (subsoil, forests, reservoirs, etc.) acquire different value, semantic and material existence.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):133–159
133–159
Pro-Environmental Behavior of Lecturers as a Factor of University Greening
摘要
This article aims to characterize the pro-environmental behaviors of lecturers who teach environmentally-focused courses and to evaluate the potential of eco-practices for promoting sustainability initiatives within the university. The methodology employed qualitative methods, specifically five focus groups. Data analysis was guided by the Kollmuss-Agyeman model, which elucidates the discrepancy between environmental awareness and pro-environmental action. The analysis revealed five distinct attitudinal groups among the lecturers: educational, research-oriented, personal eco-practice advocacy, trend-following, and professional experience transfer. Findings indicate that lecturers do not perceive themselves as proactive agents capable of influencing the development of university-level environmental policy. Instead, they emphasize the responsibility of the state and university administration in implementing top-down solutions to environmental challenges. This suggests a prevailing external locus of control among the participants. The study concludes with recommendations for enhancing sustainability practices within the university and outlines avenues for future research.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):160–180
160–180
Sociology of Religion
Religiously motivated silence: opportunities for sociological study
摘要
The article explores the possibilities of studying silence in a religious context as a social practice included in the continuum of everyday actions of a monk. Understood in such a “down-to-earth”, literal sense, this type of silence can be studied through the methods of participant observation, interviews, and through the analysis of monastery charters and other relevant documents. The Christian practices of silence discussed in the article differ from other “everyday silence” in that they have not only microsociological, but also well-recognized religious, extra-ordinary meaning. The specificity of religiously motivated silence and the discourse in which it exists obliges us to recognize that silence, at least in the minds of practitioners, is divided into “external” — following the norms of silence established in the monastery — and “internal” — the internalized need for silence for one’s own realization in spiritual work. Achieving “inner” silence is the goal of all speech restrictions prescribed in the charter or operating in the monastery tacitly. Despite the need for solitary communication with God, monks most often do not live alone, but form a community. In organizing such a “silent” community, the separation of “external” restrictions and “internal” work plays a special role. Silence, together with “leaving the world”, refusal from society and communication, plays a socializing role for the monk, strengthens and accelerates the process of religious transition. Being included in monastic life as an element of obedience, silence becomes both a socializing practice and the result of the individual’s consolidation in the monastic community.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):181–207
181–207
Religious and mythological aspects of national consciousness (on the material of the Republic of Altai)
摘要
The article deals with the processes in the religious life of the Altai people, the titular ethnic group of the Altai Republic. It is noted that there is an active process of formation of the national form of religion, called Burkhanism or White Faith, among the adherents of which two versions struggle for dominance. The first of them considers Burkhanism as a regional variant of Buddhism, the second — as the original “Altai faith”. After its emergence in the early 20th century, Burkhanism played a decisive role in the formation of the Altai ethnos and became a key factor of national self-consciousness and identity. Thanks to Burkhanism, the Altai people (Southern Altai or Altai Kizhi) began to contradistinguish themselves from other autochthonous peoples inhabiting the mountainous region. Burkhanism became a mark of separation from the foreign and the first manifestation of a young ethnos. Modern Altai society is in the process of developing a common pantheon, dogma and ritual practices of Burkhanism. The national, primarily urban intelligentsia offers several variants of understanding Burkhanism and codification of its doctrinal provisions. Burkhanism still remains one of the main pillars of Altaian national identity, although its justification, offered by local intellectuals, takes mythological forms called “Altai philosophy”. It is pointed out that the current stage of Altai national consciousness can be called ethnosophical, because it is based on mythological models disseminated and supported by the national intelligentsia. Burkhanism and the practices of its mythological justification retain a potential for conflict and lead to further ethnic differentiation within the Altai ethnos itself. The future of the people itself depends on which version of Burkhanism prevails: either inclusion in the context of one of the world's civilizations, or isolationism and conflictual existence.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):208–231
208–231
News / Information
Conference “Social Studies of Aging. Delayed Aging in the Times of Post-COVID and Uncertainty”
摘要
On November 19–20, 2024, the Sociological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences — a branch of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences — hosted the conference “Social Studies of Aging. Delayed Aging in the Times of Post-COVID and Uncertainty”. During the conference, speakers not only highlighted diverse methods of integrating and reintegrating older people into modern social life, but also analyzed how this topic might develop in the future, taking into account current realities and future prospects. Significant attention was paid to the analysis of social and cultural factors that shape the perception of aging in different communities, as well as the prospects for using new technologies to improve the quality of life and integration of older people.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):232–238
232–238
New Books on Social Sciences and Humanities
Books about books, readers and collectors: the effect of simultaneous reading
摘要
The synergetic effect of simultaneous reading is examined using the example of a recent book by Oxford professor of English literature Emma Smith, “Portable Magic: A History of Books and Their Readers”, and the half-century-old “History of Soviet Bibliophilia” by Leningrad professor of Russian literature Pavel Berkov. Simultaneous or joint reading is likened to conjoint analysis, where the reader finds himself in the role of a test subject. By confronting two traditions of book perception: the domestic one of the 1960s and the current British one, such reading helps to evaluate the current turn to materiality, which tunes attention to the agency of things. Modulations of the personal mode of writing, difficult memory, bookhood, and anthropomorphism are analyzed. The differently resolved inclusion of the author’s “I” is relevant in the context of current discussions about the transformation of the norms of academic writing. To what extent can a scientist’s text be personal and biographically colored, raising special questions and permeated with fundamental ethical issues? Joint reading shows in what cases and for what purpose the authors resort to personal accents. In Berkov's work, the personal mode is involved in the work of difficult memory, in the story about repressed scientists, bibliophiles (N.N. Orlov, N.P. Likhachev), in Smith's work it is somewhat different. She also solves the theme of difficult memory differently, in the context of global inequalities, but it is also there. Smith's concept of bookhood differs from that accepted in the Russian tradition and describes the multisensory materiality of a book, uniting form with content. Moving away from the romanticization of bookhood, Smith considers the participation of books in social macroprocesses: the confrontation of ideologies, the spread of marketing strategies, etc. Both authors insist on the agency of the book, but in Berkov's work it is an elevating force for a person, while in Smith's work it is ambivalent. For Smith, the refusal to equate books with people is fundamental.
The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology. 2025;28(1):239-261
239-261