Abstract: This article explores the problem of utopian universals applicable to the concept of “information society”. The author interprets utopian universals as most general representations on the best social structure that became widespread within a particular epistemological tradition. The subject of this research is the determination and evolution of the universal social attributes characteristic to projects of best social structure within the epistemological tradition of scientific rationality developed throughout the XVI – XXI centuries. From T. Mohr's "Utopia" to D. Bell's "post-industrial Society" and M. Castells '"Information Age", the author traces the universal features of social attribution. The researcher comes to the conclusion that projects of an optimal or ideal social structure, changing their concrete form of expression, retain a utopian character throughout the entire line of development of the epistemological tradition of scientific rationality. Utopian universals of aggregation and codification of theoretical knowledge, transformation of science into the major driving force of political and economic development, transition of power to the wisemen-philosophers, collective maximally egalitarian and democratic participation in decision-making is the attributes that to greater or lesser degree are inherent to the utopias of Western civilization, beginning with the work of T. More. These same attributes retain in the concept of information society, which allows raising the question of the need for critical revision as a theoretical scientific concept and practical political project of the information society.

Abstract: The subject of this research is modern celebratory culture in the context of impact of globalization processes upon festivities. The author explores a new phenomenon that emerged in the early XXI century – a “global holiday” within the framework of sociocultural transformations related to transition of humanity towards the Digital Age, and formation of the global information space. Special attention is given to the following aspects: creation of media and post-mythological global holidays of the Digital Age, and transformation of the traditional holiday into new metanational forms. The methodological foundation for studying the holidays that received the status of "global" in modern culture became the adaptation of “head page method” applied in sociological, cultural and futurological research and sociocultural monitoring, including overt observation. The conclusion is made that modern culture marks the formation of several types of global holidays that carry metanational character: the first group includes media-produced holidays associated with post-folklore and post-mythology of modern society, or represent celebratory events as award ceremonies in the field of politics, art and science; the second group includes ethnic traditional holidays that received the global status (Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, Mexican Day of the Dead, Holi “Festival of Spring”, etc.). The phenomenon of global holidays should be taken into account in creation of the national strategies of cultural policy, and the global holiday itself may become one of the "soft power" tools in the Digital Age.

Abstract: The author examines the problem of evolution of the social and cultural institutions that emerge within the framework of implementing the project of “Information Society”. The subject of this research is the development trends, which ensure the process of humanization of the society. Information society is designed at two levels – the level visionaries and technical specialists, and the level of global politics, presented by the state leaders and transnational corporations. In both cases, the project of information society is the version of scientist utopia; however, the most noticeable trends underline the dystopian character of the nearest future. Therefore, it is so important to identify the trends towards humanization of the society, which became the result of the processes of establishment of information society. To the number of the determined humanistic trends of the development of information society the author refers the following: qualitative increase of the level of cooperation and self-organization of human communities; voluntarism and collective action; quality change in the monetization models of intellectual property and exclusive rights of the author; transition towards post-capitalistic exchange logic, for example, digital daronomics; growing control of civil society over the political sphere; information permeability of margins; work release; increasing the number of creative industry employees and scientific workers. The scientific novelty lies in actualization of the discourse of strong humanistic utopia in the context of social transformation, caused by the development and implementation of digital technologies.