Russia-2021: Experiencing the Present and Looking into the Future (original) (raw)
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VICtORIa SEmENOVa Institute of Sociology FCtaS RaS moscow
the article is devoted to the problem of the transmission of scientific knowledge in the context of globalization of qualitative paradigm. this has to do not only with language barriers but also with political and scientific contexts, in which research is embedded [Flick 2014]. here we will try to touch upon some aspects of the process focusing on Russian specifics in receiving and interpreting F. Znaniecki’s ideas and concepts. 1) how did the dominant normative model of society influence the professional attitudes and behavior towards “new” kind of sociological thinking? 2) how did “new” interact with the habitual system of knowledge and methodological orientations of scientific community? 3) how did internal differentiation influence on perception of new ideas? (“man of knowledge” type). the article tries to follow this process in a chronological way in the frames of changing social and professional context of the country. the first part is devoted to late Soviet period; the secon...
Global Sociology - Russian Style
Abstract: Although the sociological tradition in Russia reaches back to the late 19th century and is historically linked with western European sociological traditions, it is only since the end of the 1980s that contemporary Russian sociology has begun to blossom again and take tangible shape. This article elaborates the characteristic role that Russian sociology has played, now plays, and could possibly play in “globalizing sociology.” An integrative perspective or synthetic approach to knowledge most suitably defines the Russian tradition, placing sociology creatively between the humanities and natural sciences. This is partly due to the cultural and geographic diversity of a nation that crosses borders between east and west. Significant figures in the history of Russian sociology such as Pitirim Sorokin and Maxim Kovalevsky show how both importing and exporting sociological ideas constitute globalization, as well as the importance of traveling outside of one’s home nation to discover the views of other civil societies. The article gives an overview of problems, resources, and recent events in Russian sociology, highlighting lessons from Russia’s experience in the transition to democracy and from state to market. These two transitions pose significant challenges to academic autonomy for professional sociology that are widely shared in the discipline outside the Big Four of the United States, Britain, Germany, and France, further suggesting the potential importance of the Russian experience for globalizing sociology. Résumé: Bien que la tradition sociologique en Russie ait une histoire remontant à la fin du 19ième siècle et qu’elle soit historiquement liée aux traditions sociologiques d’Europe occidentale, c’est seulement depuis la fin des années 1980 que la sociologie russe contemporaine a commencé à se développer à nouveau et à prendre forme. Cet article traite du rôle caractéristique que la sociologie russe a joué, continue à jouer et pourrait probablement jouer dans le futur en termes de perspectives pour la ‘sociologie globale’. La tradition russe se définit le plus convenablement par une perspective intégrative ou une approche synthétique à la connaissance qui place la sociologie entre les sciences humaines et les sciences naturelles. Ceci est partiellement dû à la diversité culturelle et géographique d’une nation qui a des frontières avec l’Occident et l’Orient. L’étude de figures significatives de l’histoire de la sociologie russe tels Pitirim Sorokin et Maxime Kovalevsky montre comment l’importation et l’exportation des idées sociologiques constituent un élément de mondialisation. Mais, dans une telle étude, il faut galement s’attarder à l’importance du déplacement en dehors de sa nation d’origine à fin de découvrir les vues d’autres sociétés civiles. L’article donne une vue d’ensemble des problèmes réels, des ressources et des événements récents dans la sociologie russe. Il insiste également sur leçons de l’expérience de la Russie, un pays qui a connu une transition à la démocratie et au marché. Pour la sociologie professionnelle, ces deux transitions posent des défis significatifs à l’autonomie universitaire qui sont largement partagés dans la discipline en dehors des quatre grands que sont les États-Unis, la Grande-Bretagne, l’Allemagne et la France. L’expérience de la sociologie russe pour la mondialisation de la sociologie est donc potentiellement importante. http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/CJS/article/view/4156/3400
Sociology of Politics in Russia: Formation and Contemporary State
Universe of Russia, 1997
Sociology of Politics has emerged more than hundred years ago. At this moment Russia was among other countries that were the leaders in the field of Sociological Science. The Russians made significant contributions to the international socio-political thought during early period. Concepts of Sociology of the State (M. Kovalevsky, B. Kystyakovsky) and Parties (M. Ostrogorsky), Sociology of Political Change (J. Gourvitch) and Political Stratification (O. Sorokin) were among other well known theories in Political Sociology at the end of XIXth and in the beginning of XXth century. But after the Great October Socialist Revolution during the early Soviet period Sociology of Politics has been prohibited by official authorities untill the end of the 1960s. During next two decades there have ocasionally been signs of an impending breakthrough in securing the status of Political Sociology. And only at the end of 1980s Sociology of Politics won the battle for legitimation and recognition as an independent academic discipline within Russia. Now one could see many attempts to lecture the University courses on Political Sociology in our country. New academic discipline would have certain concrete areas and methods, including examination of sociological aspects of the State, Parties, Pressure and Elite groups, Elections and so on. The Process of the Formation of Russian Sociology of Politics consists of three main stages (or waves): 1) Presoviet (or Prerevolutionary); 2) Soviet and 3) Postsoviet. During the first prerevolutionary period (late 1860s - middle 1920-s) we could see the first steps and works in Political Sociology: "Politics as the Science" by A. Stronin (1872), "On People's Representation" (1866) by B. Chicherin, the cycle of books written by M. Kovalevsky and so on. Second stage has been opened by "Khrushchevs reforms", because during I920-50s all political matters interpreted only under the totalitarian control of Marxist-Leninist Ideology. This Ideology prescribes a conceptual framework based on a specific interpretation of Marx's and Lenin views on classes, history, progress and the role of the workers' party and writers on social matters have to express themselves within this framework and vocabulary. Now we have the third Postsoviet period of the formation and development of Political Sociology in Russia. All the topics that has been prohibited to study during previous time such as elections, bureaucracy, elites, pressure groups, power and many others are in the centre of the sociological analysis now. But as usually at the same time the perspectives of the future development of Political Sociology in Russia depend on political factors and interrelations between academicians and Government.
Make Way for Professional Sociology!'Public Sociology in the Russian Context
Current Sociology, 2008
This article presents the context of the current debate on the status of sociology in Russia, maps the controversy between professional and public sociology and locates the public sociology agenda in the context of a fight for professional sociology using the case of sociological education. To test the thesis of sociological internationalism, it is necessary to take into account local contexts, especially three aspects: the political opportunities for the public sociology manifesto; the situation with respect to civil society (as 'a natural location of sociology'); and the level of institutionalization of sociology. All three contexts frame the cultural translation of the public sociology manifesto to the Russian sociological scene.
This issue of Laboratorium presents a selection of papers that grew out of a conference titled Russian Field: Views from Abroad, which took place in Saint Petersburg in May 2009. The idea behind the conference was to invite foreign ethnographers who have undertaken fieldwork in Russia to present their research to an audience of Russian colleagues—in most cases in Russian. The disciplinary background of participants was less important than their use of ethnographic methods in the broadest sense, and thus the conference program featured contributions from anthropologists, sociologists, political scientists, oral historians, and even an art historian. The one condition for participation was that the scholars invited should have been trained outside of Russia.
Social Dynamics Of Russian Society In Context Of Socio-Cultural Processes
The European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences, 2018
Contemporary Russian society is in the process of transition to a new form of social organization, which is constantly undergoing profound transformation. The changes dramatically modified not only the system and the structure of all society's spheres but also public consciousness. This reason explains the Russian society's condition of fragility, instability and socioeconomic processes of ambivalent character. All these processes reflect the qualitative development in the Russian society. In recent years, a positive dynamics in the social sphere (health, education, culture) is observed. However, it is impossible to consider that these changes are productive. Development dynamics of the modern Russian society is instable, having difficulties in transition to the market society, reflecting the instability of social institutions, unsustainable development of economy and social sphere. The reforms led to the destruction of the state, social and professional relationships and, as a result, to the changes of social structure. Mistakes, miscalculations in the organization, management and control on the part of the state contributed to the crisis. This situation gives rise to contradictions of social consciousness causing the discontent of the people, provoking a protest phenomenon in society. Instability and imbalance are the reasons giving a strict answer to the question why social norms, moral principles and values are of a temporary nature, which contributes to the manifestation of destructive phenomena.
2008
The paper deals with the theoretical-methodological foundations of post-non-classical approaches in contemporary Russian sociology. At the end of the 20th /beginning of the 21st century, Russian sociology began shifting to the post-non-classical stage of its development. A significant number of monographs, textbooks and articles, published in leading scientific journals, deal with different aspects of these new approaches in sociology. The school of post-non-classical sociology emerged in Russia at the end of the 1980s. Since then more than 25 doctoral theses have been written on this subject. The genesis of postnon-classical approaches in sociology is concerned with the formation of a new scientific worldview. It no longer sees an individual as an exceptionally rational being, but considers him in the unity of his conscious and unconscious, his rational and emotional manifestations. The socio-engineering function of sociology also increases. Post-non-classical sociology pays attention to qualitative research methods and applies methods of mathematical statistics for quantitive data analysis. New original methods of analysis have been developed on the basis of post-non-classical sociology as well. Post-non-classical approaches in contemporary sociology allow unknown tendencies in social development to be revealed and efficient social forecasts to be formulated.