Abstract: The subject of this study is the phenomenon of existential uncertainty, considered as a social effect of the ideological and value polarization between Russia and the West. The author understands existential uncertainty as a state of meaningful disorientation of social groups and individuals, arising from the collapse of familiar value-semantic coordinates and the loss of the ability to generate stable meanings in the context of value conflict. This phenomenon manifests itself in the impossibility of individuals to answer fundamental questions about their own existence. Within the framework of the article, existential uncertainty is analyzed not as an individual psychological issue, but as a systemic social condition generated by macropolitical processes, value pressure, and the transformation of identity under the influence of external informational impact. Special attention is paid to how external value antagonism is projected into the inner world of individuals, creating a gap between personal experience and external demands that impose different value benchmarks. The primary methods employed by the author include a comprehensive socio-philosophical approach that allows for viewing existential uncertainty as a social state produced by macropolitical processes; axiological analysis of the value systems of Russia and the West; existential philosophy (the concepts of S. Kierkegaard and M. Heidegger); and political-philosophical analysis (K. Schmitt, S. Huntington). The results of the study indicate that the key mechanisms for the intensification of existential uncertainty include semantic destabilization, institutional duality, and the digitalization of fear. The author argues that the Russian ideological-value model, unlike the Western one, lacks a fundamental scientific-philosophical foundation, which exacerbates the problem. Strategies for overcoming this issue are proposed, including the formation of an ideological-value core and an individualistic strategy for the development of subjectivity and existential resilience. The area of application of the results encompasses socio-philosophical studies of identity, value conflicts, and existential states of society, and may also be used in the development of state strategies for social consolidation and educational programs aimed at fostering existential resilience. Scientific novelty lies in the introduction of the category "existential uncertainty" as an operational concept for analyzing the social consequences of value polarization, the identification of mechanisms for the transformation of external value confrontation into an internal existential state, and the justification of the dual nature of this phenomenon. The conclusions of the article indicate that existential uncertainty represents a fundamental challenge, requiring the development of a stable capacity for meaning generation in conditions of value turbulence.

Keywords: existential uncertainty, value polarization, social philosophy, identity, value conflict, semantic disorientation, semantic destabilization, digitalization of fear, traditional values, existential resilience

Abstract: The subject of the research is international migration. The relevance of studying migration processes is due to their unprecedented scale and dynamism, as well as their multifaceted impact on host societies. The object of the research is the methodological limitations of statistical accounting of migration flows. Migration processes remain one of the most developed topics in social sciences; however, the methodology of collecting statistical data on migration rarely becomes the subject of independent critical analysis. At the same time, it constructs the image of migration reality as interpreted by researchers and decision-makers. Accordingly, the choice of accounting methodology affects the objectivity of the perception of migration processes, as well as the formation and effectiveness of state migration policy. The author thoroughly examines the existing migration accounting systems in the Russian Federation and the European Union based on key categories of international migrants—long-term, temporary (seasonal or rotational), forced, and irregular. Particular attention is paid to the problems of statistical accounting in these systems, such as statistical artifacts, under- and over-counting, and the statistical invisibility of certain categories of migrants. The research is based on a comparative method, as well as logical and dialectical methods. Institutional and statistical analysis, along with a comparative-historical method, are applied in reviewing the changes in migration accounting methodology by Rosstat. The novelty of the research lies in the critical analysis of existing migration accounting systems in the Russian Federation and the European Union, as well as in their comparative analysis. A significant contribution of the author to the research topic is the systematization of methodological limitations of statistical accounting of migration flows in the Russian Federation and the European Union by the main categories of migrants. Thus, a priority issue is the criterion of the duration of the allowed stay, which effectively conceals large volumes of temporary migrants from statistics. This criterion can also lead to an overestimation of the number of long-term migrants, as there is no adjustment for the departures of migrants from the country. In the case of forced migration, granting citizenship or special legal status to refugees also leads to under-counting. Finally, the most problematic area for statistics is irregular migration. The author also evaluates the current reforms in the migration policy of the Russian Federation, which began in 2025. The findings obtained during the research can be applied to adjust the methodology of migration statistics accounting by relevant authorities and institutions.

Keywords: international migration, statistics, methodology, Russia, European Union, long-term migration, forced migration, irregular migration, Rosstat, Eurostat

Abstract: The subject matter of the study comprises the pragmatic and linguoecological characteristics of the digital information field, regarded as potential indicators of the communicative conditions in which mass consciousness is formed. The object of the study is digital public communication under conditions of distributed authorship, in which bloggers, influencers, channel owners, and ordinary users participate alongside professional media in the production and dissemination of socially significant messages. The relevance of the study stems from the fact that the expansion of the circle of public authors has not been accompanied by the universal adoption of professional standards of responsibility for language-mediated influence. As a result, evaluative, emotionally charged, and directive constructions may be reproduced on a mass scale, contributing to the emergence of a stable communicative climate and increasing the risk of mass communicative harm. The aim of the article is to identify and theoretically substantiate a metric, tailored to the specific features of the digital information field, for analysing the communicative conditions in which mass consciousness is formed. The methodology of the study draws on a range of methods and principles used in the philosophical study of social communication. In particular, the research employs theoretical analysis and synthesis, linguistic analysis, hermeneutic and systematisation methods, as well as induction and analogy. The principal conclusion of the study is that an analysis of mass consciousness should take into account not only the attitudes already formed among audiences, but also the communicative conditions under which these attitudes develop. Accordingly, the article proposes the introduction of a pragmatic and linguoecological profile of the communicative climate and identifies a set of indicators that may constitute its principal characteristics. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the theoretical substantiation of the possibility of developing a communicative-climate metric intended to compare the characteristics of the information field with changes in sociological indicators. The article also substantiates the inclusion of pragmatic and linguoecological analysis in the broader methodological framework for studying mass consciousness, alongside analyses of media content topics and tonality, examinations of media-consumption patterns, and measurements of trust and anxiety levels.

Keywords: mass consciousness, digital information space, communicative climate, communicative security, social philosophy, pragmatic-linguistic-ecological analysis, pragmeme, mass communication damage, communicative climate metrics, linguoecology

Abstract: The subject of the research is the theoretical and methodological foundations of the analysis of the image of a region as a socially constructed system of meanings and an object of social management. The aim of the work is to uncover the mechanisms of formation, consolidation, reproduction, and transformation of representations about the territory, as well as to define the possibilities and limitations of managerial impact on this process. The image of the region is considered not as a direct reflection of the objective characteristics of the territory and not merely as a result of targeted image policy, but as a product of the interaction between government authorities, mass media, business, expert and local communities, residents, and external audiences. Special attention is paid to the relationship between everyday interpretations, institutional practices, symbolic resources, discursive frameworks, and feedback mechanisms that ensure the stability or change of socially shared representations of the region. The methodological foundation consists of the principles of interpretive sociology by M. Weber, phenomenological sociology by A. Schutz, the concept of social construction of reality by P. Berger and T. Luckmann, symbolic interactionism by J. G. McDonald and H. Blumer, and frame analysis by E. Goffman, which reveal the unevenness of symbolic resources and discursive opportunities of social actors. The scientific novelty lies in the clarification of the concept of social construction of the region's image and the development of a theoretical and analytical framework that unites the everyday, communicative, institutional, and discursive levels of this process. Social construction of the region's image is defined as a multi-subjective process of production, selection, interpretation, institutionalization, legitimization, and transformation of socially significant representations about the territory. It has been established that the manageability of the region's image is limited and depends on the established systems of relevance among various audiences, the distribution of symbolic resources, the coherence of actions by social actors, and the presence of feedback. It is shown that a stable image is formed not through one-sided information impact but through the correlation of managerial initiatives with the everyday experiences, expectations, and interpretations of internal and external audiences. The results can be applied in the development of regional communication strategies, diagnostics of territorial representations, and coordination of management activities among participants.

Keywords: social construction, regional image, social management, region, symbolic resources, institutionalization, legitimation, framing, territorial identity, territory

Abstract: In the context of studying military propaganda, the internal armed conflict in Ecuador associated with a surge in drug cartel activity in 2024, allows us to examine how the propaganda is used in direct and indirect political communication. Direct political communication is carried out through government media, while indirect communication is carried out through private and public media, which in this case can be considered as information intermediaries between the government and the people. Therefore, the focus of this study is on the social media posts of Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa, which were posted during the internal armed conflict, as well as the materials published by the Ecuadorian newspapers El Universo and El Telégrafo during the same period. The study particularly focuses on the methods used to create an image of the enemy, which in this case is organized crime. The research methodology combines elements of content analysis and quantitative methods. Publications related to the armed conflict were counted and divided into categories. Key phrases used in relation to the conflict participants were also found out and analyzed. We found that Daniel Noboa used classical methods of military propaganda in his political communication, and also used the armed conflict as a central point of his political agenda. At the same time, some techniques were used to soften the more aggressive aspects of traditional military propaganda. We also found that Ecuadorian media during the escalation aligned with Noboa not only on issues related to the conflict, but also on inner politics in general. However, we also revealed that there were certain areas that remained unaffected by government military propaganda and where the Ecuadorian media demonstrated independence, presenting narratives that challenged the official viewpoint.

Keywords: conflict in Ecuador, Ecuadorian media system, military propaganda, political communication, social media, frame analysis, discourse analysis, Ecuador, Latin American studies, Andean region