Abstract: This article is dedicated to the search of factors that intensify protest activity among youth in the modern Russian society. The relevance of research into this field is substantiated by the increase in real protest activity of Russian youth and its direct involvement into a number of resounding protests in 2017 and 2019. The author attempts to figure out the deep subcurrent of the increase of protest activity among young Russians. Polemicizing with the established research practice, the author formulates a hypothesis that the grounds for increase in protest activity of the Russian youth is created by not only external or institutional factors, but also internal experiences of the youth. The empirical base for this work became the questionnaire-based survey conducted by the author among the youth of Yekaterinburg just prior to 2019 large-scale protests that attracted a substantial number of young people. In the course of this study, it is underlined that the impulse for growth in protest activity among Russian youth can indeed be a product of internal experiences of its representatives. The main conclusion les in the thesis that the grounds for increase in protest activity of young Russians is largely created by their formation of a special political culture, raising their demands towards society and preparing the groundwork for growth of their dissatisfaction with the surrounding living conditions.

Keywords: sociologial research, Russian society, political values, political culture, protest potential, protest activity, political protest, protest, youth, youth policy

Abstract: The object of this research is the world politics, while the subjects is the psychoeconomic stimuli that incite the Libertarian Party of Russia to manifestation of altruism in world politics, reflected in participation in peacekeeping operations or rendering humanitarian assistance. At the same time, the classical concept of “regional choice” or the school of realism cannot explain propensity of the states for displaying altruism. In majority of cases, it was beneficial for the states to choose the strategy of “fare evader”; but the practice demonstrates that many countries spent considerably on altruism that are disadvantageous from the perspective of classical paradigm. The research methodology is bases on the historical and anthropological methods; the latter can be interpreted extensively, since the article uses the concepts of evolutionary psychology and economics. The scientific novelty consists in application of the concept of “conspicuous consumption” and “costly signaling” to the analysis of foreign policy of the states. The article underlines that certain foreign policy acts of the countries may be aimed at gaining additional prestige, rather than acquisition of actual strategic profits on the international arena.

Keywords: humanitarian aid, peacekeeping operations, prosocial behavior, handicap principle, ratioal choice, costly signaling, conspicuous consumption, foreign affairs, potlach, frustrated power

Abstract: Over the recent years, multiple Muslim countries are involved in geopolitical crises and disputes. The strengthening of Islamic Salafist fundamentalism and extremism, which is a threat to the world, manifests as one of the most discussed and studied problems. Special relevance this question gained after the events known as the “Arab Spring”. Extremist groups that attempted to implement their own administrative model were able to seize the power in a number of countries of Near East and North Africa due to the weakness of political regimes. One of such groups is the prohibited in Russia terrorist organization “The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIS), which emergence was influences by both, internal and external factors. The scientific novelty consists in a comprehensive analysis of various external and internal aspects that contributed to creation of ISIS. The author meticulously examines the extremist ideas based on the Salafist way of thinking, as well as acknowledges the widespread in Saudi Arabia irrationality, economic issues and impact of countries outside the region as the key factors contributing to establishment of “The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant”. The paper also analyzes the role of financial and logistical support of the United States, presence of regional allies, primarily Saudi Arabia, which are viewed as the external stimuli of the emergence of ISIS.

Keywords: worldwide caliphate, Saudi Arabia, Al-Qaeda, foreign governments, internal factors, Salafist extremism, ISIS, Middle East, Islamic government, financial resources

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the development of methods and applied aspects of the typology of international geopolitical conflicts in modern world. Relevance of this topic is substantiated by intensification of intergovernmental conflicts on the regional and transregional levels, as well as escalation of sociopolitical tension. The author offers a method of classification of geopolitical conflicts that considers spatial and time specificity of such forms of cooperation and is based on the comprehensive analysis of all components of the process. As one of the key factors, the author highlights the causes and prerequisites for formation of a conflict. An integral approach towards typology of the forms of conflict interaction between the countries is being developed on the basis of three-way classification matrix. The matrix is based on the three diagnostic features that characterize the key factors of formation and development of a conflict, and substantiate a subsequent model of intensification of a conflict. This allows achieving the necessary level of objectivity for conducting further complex diagnostics of geopolitical conflict and precision of the result of typology using the instruments and methodology of different scientific approaches towards studying such type of processes. The proposed method may be used in studying certain types of geopolitical conflicts of the past and present, forecasting the development and qualitative changes of a certain conflict in future, as well as comprehensive assessment of conflict potential of a particular territory of region as a whole. In the course of this work, the author established and confirmed interpretation and interdependence between the political decisions of one or another country and the corresponding geographical environment. Determination of causal lings allow viewing the method as a foundation for future examination of conflicts and forecast their development.

Keywords: classification, typology of conflicts, international conflict, geopolitical space, geographic space, geopolitical processes, geopolitical conflict, conflict, international relationships, conflict potential

Abstract: The subject of this research is the conflict models of transformation of civilizational political projects: “cyclic models” of conflict transformations, “linear” models of conflicts transformations, “impulse models” of conflict transformations, “discrete models” of conflict transformations. Analysis is conducted on the factors and mechanisms of conflict transformations of civilizational political projects: “energy sources” of conflict transformations, impact of “sociocultural potential” of a civilizational political project upon the character and vector of its changes. The article also assesses the heuristic capabilities of civilizational-project methodology of studying transformations of civilizational political projects. Methodological framework is comprised of the civilizational theory coupled with the project approach. The author examines the causes of conflict transformations of civilizational political projects, as well as highlights typical models of conflict transformations. The modern scientific literature has multiple studies dedicated to the specificity of creation, implementation and maintenance of civilizational political projects. The internal mechanism of their creation and functionality are subjected to detailed expert examination. At the same time, systematic scientific research that touch upon the problematic of transformation of civilizational political projects are carried out fragmentarily. It particularly pertains to the works focused on the conflict aspects of transformations of political projects.

Keywords: design subject, core state, conflict transformation, models of transformation, transformation of projects, civilizational political design, civilizational political project, project identification, project resources, project structure