Abstract: The subject of this research is interethnic tenets of the population of the Republic of Buryatia. In order to preserve stability of interethnic relations in a multi-ethnic society, it is necessary to maintain favorable interethnic tenets and openness of different ethnic groups towards positive interaction with the representatives of other nationalities. This research is conducted within the framework of a larger research, conducted during 2018-2019 titled “Interethnic harmony in the Republic of Buryatia under the changing sociopolitical conditions”. A total of 900 respondents took part in this research. The results demonstrate that the population has an overall positive stance on interethnic relations in the Republic of Buryatia, but not everyone is ready to interact and accept members of other ethnicities. The election of levels of interaction, national or regional, family or neighbor, somewhat depends on age, nationality, place of residence and level of education. The respondents would more readily accept the other as a Russian citizen, than a citizen of Buryatia, and the closer the circle, the less willing are all groups of the population to accept a person of different ethnicity. The most favorable tenets are observed among young respondents, urban residents and respondents with higher education, regardless of ethnicity.

Keywords: urban population, interethnic interaction, interethnic attitudes, interethnic relations, ethnic groups, multiethnic society, interethnic harmony, rural population, level of education, nationality

Abstract: The subject of this article is the social stigmatization. The goal consists in determination and analysis of the forms of social stigmatization in particular conditions of the spread of pandemic. The authors underline that the persons who got affected by coronavirus, as well as their family members and close friends, are being stigmatized. Aggressive and inadequate behavior of the public often manifests with regards to medical personnel who deals directly with the virus. Identification of the factors affecting the process of social stigmatization in the conditions of pandemic would allow reducing the level of psychological tension in the society. The following methods were applied in the course of this research observation and analysis of theoretical sources, news and other broadcasting throughout the 4 weeks of self-isolation regime, analysis of publication in social networks, online survey involving 594 respondents. The empirical base is comprised of statistical data provided by the World Health Organization. The scientific novelty and relevance consist in the fact that Russian sociology does not give due attention to the problems of stigmatization. A particular social situation of pandemic represents a specific social background and field for stigma. In the conditions of pandemic, stigmatization intensifies and takes specific forms: it affects not only the people who differs by social role, appearance or lifestyle, but even those who have mild symptoms of cold. Stigmatization is accompanied by aggression, fear, anxiety, which are often generated by prejudices, stereotypes and rumors.

Keywords: COVID-19, fear, anxiety, stereotypes, pandemic, stigma, social stigmatization, psychological health, preconception, marking

Abstract: The subject of this research is the problem of politicization of ethnicity. This trend is substantiated by actualization of ethnic identity, which received the name of “ethnic renaissance” that affected the majority of population in different countries and continents, and became a natural response to the challenges of globalization. The author examines such aspects of the topic, as the analysis of politicization of ethnicity in the scientific discourse, process of political mobilization of ethnic communities and its stages, types of secession movements and their characteristics. Special attention is paid to the problems of ethnic separatism and ethnonationalism, which are the result of politicization of ethnic factor. It is noted that in the conditions of ambiguous global transformations, ethnic identity activates the political resource, successfully used in the conditions of informatization of society at various levels of sociality: macro, mezo, micro. Methodological framework is comprised of constructivist paradigm that allows viewing ethnic identity as the method of organization of sociocultural being of commonality based on delineation of its “symbolic” boundaries. The acquired results allow to theoretically substantiate that ethnic identity possesses strong political potential, which creates the centers of tension and conflicts worldwide. In the conditions of transformation of the international system and new round of geopolitical confrontation, the political resource of ethnicity is fully utilized. The process of political mobilization of ethnos includes the following stages: 1) formation of political consciousness among the representatives of ethnic group; 2) ethnopolitical mobilization; 3) organization of ethno-national movement. At first two stages, the paramount role is played by political elites, and at the third – by ethnic ideology. In the current conditions of nonlinear dynamics of world system, the emergence of a large number of geopolitical actors following various goals, as well as usage of information technologies, ethnic identity is an effective instrument for consolidation, as well as deconsolidation of groups by ethnic grounds, obtains its political agency.

Keywords: interethnic interaction, political subjectivity, ethnic community, political consciousness, politicization of ethnicity, geopolitical processes, ethnic identity, mythologization, secession, information war

Abstract: The goal of this article is the analysis of the impact of digital transformation upon social and economic structure of modern society, principles of social management, and structure of social ties. A conclusion is made that society is not fully adjusted to the changing social circumstances, which elapse oversensitively on the background of aggravation of socioeconomic and political problems. Analysis is conducted on the problem of social inequality in modern Russia, including recently most relevant spatial and digital inequality. Methodological framework contains the theoretical scientific methods, systemic approach, analysis of empirical data of sociological research and statistical data. Emphasis is made on the social challenges that would face Russian society in the conditions of digital transformation. The author underline the ambiguity of consequences of digital transformation for the modern Russian society and the state. The government should focus of finding adequate response to the global challenges and help the citizens to adapt to major social changes that affect socioeconomic space of the country in the conditions of globalization and digitalization.

Keywords: digital transformation, digital divide, spatial inequality, state social policy, social inequality, social transformation, social tension, social conflicts, social structure, employment

Abstract: This article presents the results of research of individual needs from the perspective of determination of the peculiarities of mechanism for their fulfillment. The author reviews needs of the youth as a complex dynamically changing social group. In analyzing the intentions of young people, major attention is given to the level of tension in the state of young people, probability assessment of accomplishment of desires and aspirations, dynamicity and elasticity of the needs. The research is conducted on the levels of person’s knowledge on how to achieve the goals, estimation of previous activity aimed at fulfilling the needs, frequency and degree of fulfilling the needs. The article presents sociological survey reflecting the desires and aspiration of youth of Lipetsk through determination of their currently relevant needs; it involved 451 persons aged from 16 to 35, for the period from December 2019 to February 2020. The key characteristic of intention and potential for fulfilling the needs of young people were identified. The acquired data were compared with the results of other sociological research. It is underlined that all characteristics are directly related to the living conditions and interconnected with each other. The author determine the external aspect, which manifests in the importance of actions oriented towards satisfaction of personal need and needs of others, as well as correspondence of the process of fulfilling the need to the social norms and traditions.

Keywords: the mechanism for implementation the needs, personality, social norms, youth, dreams, desires, needs, intention of need, potency of need, result of fulfilling the need

Abstract: This research is dedicated to examination of the dominant factors of well-being expressed by the Russians, as well as determination of regional specificity with regards to components responsible for satisfaction with life of population of a corresponding region. Well-being is a growing area of research, however the question of its identification remains unresolved. Currently, more and more scholars lean towards the opinion that the countries should compete not in the level of power or wealth, but happiness and content of their citizens. A crucial task for the government consists in ensuring stable well-being to their citizens, when people have sufficient psychological, social and physical resources. The relevance of this article lies in the need for integration of scientific knowledge on well-being of the population, special sociological analysis of its nature, essence, content, factors, social indicators and regulators in formation of sociological model of well-being, which would allow to adequately assess and optimize government strategy aimed at provision of well-being to social subjects. The empirical base contains four waves of surveying that involved 897 person from Tyumen Region, Yamalo-Nenents Autonomous District, and Saint Petersburg. Using the software SPSS 23.0 for statistical data processing, the author conducted factor analysis of 65 signs that affect people’s well-being. The dominant factors became the economic, ecological, felicitological, medical-technological, social-valeological. It is also determined that the religious factors is not as important for Saint Petersburg, as it is for two other regions. The article describes the factors of well-being essential for men and women. Emphasis is made on clarification of the content of such factors as state-protectionist, investment-strategic, sanological, psychological, etc. A conclusion is made that well-being of the population simultaneously depends on the subjective components (family relations, friends, health condition), and objective components (living conditions, ecological situation in the region, income, state of healthcare system, public order and legal protection). The acquired results are valuable for the scholars, representatives of government structures and government authorities responsible for preparation and implementation of projects aimed at ensuring well-being of the population.

Keywords: well-being concepts, life satisfaction, dominants of well-being, factor, region, well-being of the population, happiness, health, material wealth, family relationships

Abstract: The goal of this article consists in presenting the results on analysis of visual representations of COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian-language digital mass media from the perspective of the functions of color, its correlation with the theme, frequency of dominant shade of images and its dynamics. Publications in the digital mass media for the period from February to May 2020 related to topic of Coronavirus became the material for this research. The time framework captured the period of 100 days, since January 31, when the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in Russia. The author applied multi-stage cluster strategy; the material was sorted into clusters using the search function by the dominant color of Google. The search was conducted by 12 key colors: 9 chromatic (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, dark blue, purple, pink, and brown), and 3 achromatic (white, grey, and black). For each main color, the research database included first 100 articles. The study was carried out using the method of content analysis. Statistical analysis demonstrated that color of the image correlates with the theme of information text, given overall assessment of the situation and its development prospects. The dominant form of visual representation of COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian-language mass media is depiction of the source of coronavirus infection, which presented in the online publications in all main colors, except two achromatic – white and grey. The dynamics of color representation of coronavirus is associated with the important events for development of the situation. Coincidence and changeability of the color image of coronavirus reflects high level of social anxiety, which is supported and aggravated by publication on the uncertain nature of the virus and course of the disease caused by it. The author sees solution of the problem in reserving the grey color common to the visual image of coronavirus. In this case, the color would correspond with the scientific reality (since there is no color without the light), and the image of coronavirus, purified from the aggressive color, would become less threatening and virulent.

Keywords: COVID-19, coronavirus, pandemic disease, electronic media, content analysis, visual culture, visual representation, color communication, color, color categorization

Abstract: It is substantiated that social instability and riskiness, as a result of inertial influence of disjunctive processes of 1990’s, represent the characteristic features of the modern regional development. The article explores the phenomenon of sociocultural constants, which  manifest as the values, conventionally accepted norms and behavioral patterns, leaning on which the members of regional community could build their life strategies and establish interpersonal and intergroup communications. It is underlines that formation of the system of such constants can underlie the reproduction and development of regional communities. In methodological aspect, the article is based on the theory of social anomie (value instability of society), as well as theory of social risks, according to which risk more often becomes a leveling norm of everyday presence in the instable social environment. It is substantiated that the indicators of social uncertainty of regional development consists in: high dynamics of social transformations; exaggerated role of random factors; frequency of crisis situations in the development of social system; strengthening of dissipative character of evolution of the society. Leaning on the analysis of limited capabilities of formal-bureaucratic management model to overcoming disjunctive processes and ensuring social stability, a conclusion is made on possibility of sociocultural constants to take on a “communicational” role and provide to the members of regional community grounds for continuous social dialogue. Based on the accumulated in Belgorod Region experience, the author proposes a potential way for stabilization of social reality using the sociocultural constants.

Keywords: solidarity, social disjunction, social reality, risks, chaos, social instability, region, socio-cultural constants, bureaucracy, social conjunction