International policy
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Reference:
Rednikova, T.V. (2026). The modern paradigm of the concept of sustainable development. Politics and Society, 2, 1–14. . https://doi.org/10.7256/2454-0684.2026.2.79014
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EDN: CFIVSH
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Abstract:
The article is dedicated to the transformation of the concept of sustainable development in the context of the escalating ecological and civilizational crisis. It discusses key stages of institutionalizing the concept, including the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and analyzes new approaches to understanding sustainability, such as the theory of planetary boundaries and the doughnut economy model. Special attention is paid to the contradiction between the institutionalized system of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contemporary geopolitical realities. The author analyzes the evolution of the concept from the classical model of balancing economic, social, and environmental interests to modern interpretations that include planetary boundaries, doughnut economics, and regenerative development principles, as well as the transformation of the timeframe for responsibility—from abstract care for future generations to the imperative of survival in the present. The research, conducted using an interdisciplinary approach with historical-legal, comparative, and systemic methods, reveals several key shifts in understanding sustainability. First, the ecological component has ceased to be an equal pillar, transforming into a critical condition for the existence of the economy and society. Second, there has been a shift from quantitative indicators to an anthropological dimension that includes subjective well-being, conscious consumption, and eco-sufficiency. Third, the concept has acquired a political dimension, facing conflicts of interest, the necessity for a “just transition,” and demands for technological sovereignty for developing countries. The author concludes that the escalation of armed conflicts, attacks on critical infrastructure (oil tankers, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric stations), and the breakdown of the global legal order can nullify efforts to preserve the biosphere. Sustainable development in the 21st century represents not an abstract concern for the future but an imperative for human survival, the realization of which faces a fundamental civilizational challenge.
Keywords:
sustainable development, concept evolution, planetary boundaries, donut economy, sustainable development goals, anthropocentrism, just transition, regenerative development, environmental safety, intergenerational responsibility
Ideology and politics
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Reference:
Konstantinov, M.S. (2026). Pre-reflexive Foundations of Ideologies: The Concept of Cognitive-Ideological Matrices. Politics and Society, 2, 15–32. . https://doi.org/10.7256/2454-0684.2026.2.78908
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EDN: CPEZPG
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Abstract:
The subject of this study is the analytical gap between social-psychological approaches to ideology, which explain why individuals gravitate toward certain ideological poles, and the morphological analysis of ideological systems, which describes the structure of fully formed ideologies. The starting point is Philip Converse’s classic problem of the fragmentation of mass belief systems and the low constraint of political attitudes. The aim of the article is to substantiate the concept of the cognitive-ideological matrix (CIM) as an independent analytical level between psychological dispositions and fully formed ideologies, to systematically demarcate this concept from related theoretical constructs, and to formulate criteria for its falsification. The methodology includes critical literature review, critical conceptual analysis, and theoretical construction. The explanatory capabilities and limitations of the theory of motivated social cognition (J.T. Jost), the dual-process motivational model (J. Duckitt, C.G. Sibley), the Receive-Accept-Sample model (J. Zaller), the domain-general psychology of ideology (L. Zmigrod), and morphological analysis (M. Freeden) are analyzed. It is shown that none of the existing approaches describes the mechanism of transition from disparate psychological dispositions to specific configurations of ideological elements in mass consciousness. The main result is the substantiation of the CIM concept, which describes a pre-reflexive environment for the formation of proto-elements of political ideologies, characterized by tolerance for contradiction, and the presence of flickering and migrating concepts. A demarcation of CIM from functionally similar concepts is conducted: habitus and doxa (P. Bourdieu), Lebenswelt (A. Schutz), cognitive-affective maps, and implicit attitudes. The scientific novelty lies in the systematic positioning of CIM within the landscape of the global debate on ideological thinking, which has not been previously undertaken. Three falsification criteria are formulated, and operational procedures for empirical verification are proposed. The results are applicable to political psychology, the sociology of ideologies, and research on mass political consciousness. Conclusions: CIM enables a reinterpretation of Converse’s problem, integrates motivational, informational, and morphological models of ideology through the concept of an environment preceding decontestation, and opens prospects for empirical testing of hypotheses about the pre-reflexive foundations of ideologies.
Keywords:
ideology, belief systems, cognitive-ideological matrix, decontestation, motivated social cognition, morphology of ideologies, flickering concepts, migrating concepts, habitus, psychology of ideology
Transformation in political processes
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Reference:
Zhao, W. (2026). ASEAN in the implementation of the Russian course "Turn to the East": the institutional role and the asymmetry of Russian and Chinese interpretations. Politics and Society, 2, 33–49. . https://doi.org/10.7256/2454-0684.2026.2.78590
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EDN: RHSYMH
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Abstract:
The study is dedicated to analyzing the institutional role of ASEAN in the implementation of Russia's "Turn to the East" policy in the context of the accelerated transformation of the international order after 2022. The object of the study is the relationship between Russia and ASEAN, while the subject is the mechanisms through which the Association forms a new institutional dimension of Russian policy in the Asia-Pacific region. The research aims to analyze the political-security and economic interaction between Russia and ASEAN, as well as to conduct a comparative study of the Russian and Chinese approaches to assessing the institutional function of the Association. The goal of the research is to identify the features of Russia's participation in ASEAN-centric formats and to determine how ASEAN performs its role as a mediator in political-diplomatic and economic dimensions. The methodological framework of the study relies on institutional and comparative political approaches. The empirical basis consists of official documents from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (2023), the Comprehensive Action Plan Russia–ASEAN (2021–2025), as well as analytical materials from Russian and Chinese research centers. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the conceptualization of ASEAN as an institutional mediator of the Russian eastern strategy, as well as in identifying the asymmetry of institutional expectations between Russia and China regarding the role of the Association. This allows for a new interpretation of the significance of ASEAN in the process of forming the emerging multipolar architecture of international relations and in the context of adapting the foreign policy strategies of states to the changing regional environment. The results of the study show that after 2022, ASEAN has become one of the key elements of Russia's eastern policy, providing Moscow with institutional mechanisms for strategic balancing, foreign policy diversification, and participation in regional multilateral processes. In this context, the Association acts not only as a platform for dialogue but also as a significant mediating institution that helps maintain Russia's presence in the Asian regional order and expand its opportunities for interaction with Southeast Asian countries.
Keywords:
ASEAN, Russia, turn to the East, Asia-Pacific region, multipolarity, institutional cooperation, regional security, regional cooperation, ASEAN-centric formats, Institutional dimension
Political communications
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Reference:
Samoilov, P.A. (2026). Cross-Platform Organization of Official Communication within the Municipality’s Digital Contour: A Comparative Analysis of Balashikha and Khimki. Politics and Society, 2, 50–63. . https://doi.org/10.7256/2454-0684.2026.2.79585
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EDN: YSIULG
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Abstract:
The article is devoted to the analysis of the cross-platform organization of official municipal communication within the municipality’s digital contour. The subject of the study is the specific features of the distribution of communicative functions among the official website, the VKontakte community, and the Telegram channel, as well as the forms of cross-platform content correlation within a unified official digital contour. The study proceeds from the assumption that the official digital contour of a municipality is not a mere collection of fragmented platforms, but an internally interconnected system of official communication within which informational, service-related, and limited reactive functions are distributed in different ways. Particular attention is paid to whether different official platforms reproduce the same agenda, adapt a common information occasion to platform-specific logic, or form relatively autonomous segments of official communication. The empirical basis of the study consists of materials from the official digital platforms of two municipalities. The methodological framework of the research is based on comparative case analysis, content analysis, and cross-platform comparison of publications. The analysis was carried out using a unified coding matrix that included thematic, functional, and actor-related characteristics of publications, cross-platform status, as well as indices of service orientation, dialogicity, and civic subjectivity. The scientific novelty of the study lies in considering official municipal communication as a unified digital contour and in identifying differences among its official digital platforms through the types of cross-platform content correlation, indicators of service orientation, dialogicity, and civic subjectivity, as well as the specific features of the distribution of communicative functions. The study establishes that the official digital contour of a municipality is not reduced to the mechanical duplication of information across platforms, but rather constitutes an internally differentiated system with varying degrees of cross-platform interconnectedness. It is shown that the overlap of agendas across platforms may take the form of a full cross-platform duplicate, partial adaptation, or platform-specific content. It is also revealed that, in the cases examined, the multiplicity of official digital platforms is primarily accompanied by a redistribution of informational, service-support, and limited public-reactive functions, but does not automatically lead to an expansion of civic participation.
Keywords:
official municipal communication, municipality’s digital contour, cross-platform organization, local self-government, VK, Telegram, civic subjectivity, digital government communication, content analysis, municipality
Law and human rights
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Reference:
Nagaitseva, D.A. (2026). Problems of implementing the organizational and legal mechanism for regulating the turnover of batteries and accumulators in Russia. Politics and Society, 2, 64–78. . https://doi.org/10.7256/2454-0684.2026.2.79503
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EDN: CVLLNC
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Abstract:
Against the backdrop of the problem of electronic waste, which is projected to exceed 65 million tons in 2025, the issue of disposing of chemical power sources containing highly toxic substances becomes especially acute. In Russia, 100–150 thousand tons of used batteries are generated annually; however, the level of their collection and recycling does not exceed 3–5%. Despite the obvious danger, the legal regime for the management of used batteries remains fragmented and is considered a peripheral element of the waste management system, lacking comprehensive legislative support. In the current Federal Law "On Production and Consumption Waste," batteries and accumulators are not classified as a separate category of waste with a special legal status, but are treated as waste of classes I–IV of hazard depending on their chemical composition, alongside other types of solid municipal waste. The author analyzes the general and specific requirements of legislation, as well as established recycling standards and licensing requirements, resulting in the identification of key legal gaps in this area. These include the lack of a separate classification for batteries, the fragmentation of collection infrastructure that primarily covers large cities, low public awareness, and the ineffectiveness of administrative liability mechanisms. The conclusion is drawn on the need to improve legal regulation in this area, including the introduction of mandatory separate collection for citizens, the development of federal infrastructure for free and commercial collection of used power sources, and the strengthening of the state's control functions through authorized bodies. Despite the existence of specific norms regulating the handling of used power sources, domestic legislation lacks a comprehensive approach to their legal regulation. Batteries and accumulators are not distinguished by an independent legal regime and are considered within the general array of waste of classes I–IV of hazard. The absence of imperative norms requiring citizens to engage in separate collection undermines their specificity as a highly toxic consumer product, resulting in the overwhelming majority of batteries continuing to be disposed of in landfills as part of municipal solid waste.
Keywords:
power sources, batteries, accumulators, legal regulation, electronic waste, environmental law, natural resource law, ecology, public safety, hazardous waste