Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya
The journal publishes articles on a range of sociological science: theory, methodology and history of sociology, methods and results of sociological research in the field of economic, social, political and spiritual life of society in Russia and abroad. Target audience consists of research scholars, teachers of the theoretical and empirical sociological problems, including those related to contemporary society. It is addressed to specialists and personnel of sociological and information-analytical services of the government and public organizations, commercial structures. It is aimed at undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral students of social and humanitarian profiles, as well as at all interested in social problems of society's development and functioning. The editorial board of the journal "Sociological Studies" accepts for reviewing papers, including translations and original sources from the sociological heritage, reviews of scholarly conferences, book reviews and others.
Editor-in-chief: Grigory Arturovich Klyucharev, D.philos.n.
Frequency of publication and availability: 12 issues per year (monthly). The archive for 2014-2020 is laid out in a new format. https://www.socis.isras.ru/archive.html . The archive of issues from 2000 to 2015 in the old format can be found here .
Indexing: Web of Science (SCI), RSCI , Scopus, RSSI , RSCI Core, eLIBRARY.RU . It is included in the list of peer-reviewed scientific publications recommended by the Higher Attestation Commission.
ISSN 0132-1625 (Print)
Media registration certificate: ПИ № ФС 77 – 81528 от 27.07.2021
Current Issue



No 5 (2025)
THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORY
Ctory day through the eras: memory and commemorative practices
Abstract
The article focuses on the memory of the Great Patriotic War and the victory in it, as well as the practices of commemoration associated with May 9, across the eras of Soviet and Russian history. With the passing of the generation witness of the memory of the Great Patriotic War moves from personal to collective one, and the issue of passing on memory to younger generations becomes relevant. The article uses data from personal diaries of the Prozhito corpus from 1946 to 2012, as well as two empirical projects in which the Centre for Youth Studies team studied the sociopolitical context of growing up, local identity, and patriotism of millennials (18–43 years old) from large Russian cities were studied through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Being the central event of the collective memory of Russians, the Great Patriotic War becomes one of the national identity pillars. Based on the data, we conclude that the memory of the Great Patriotic War and the victory in it remains an axis of solidarity between generations and is transformed over time, as the importance of passing on memory through family and vernacular commemorative practices increases. Victory Day is associated with an entire era in the life of the country, city, and family. Perceiving the Great Patriotic War and the victory in it as an emotionally charged and personally experienced event, young people nevertheless have a critical attitude towards the use of this memory as a tool for controlling patriotic feelings and civic affiliation.



Narratives of post-memory: the representation of the great patriotic war in the family memory of three generations
Abstract
The article is devoted to the identification of the Great Patriotic War memory reproduction features. Defining post-memory as the “remote” memory of generations about a significant or traumatic historical event, which they did not personally witness, but acquired memory of it through the stories of relatives of the older generation, as well as through empathy, self-identification and involvement with them, the authors refer to the data of a qualitative sociological study conducted in 2023 and 2024 by the method of in-depth interviews with representatives of three generations in 36 families. The results of the analysis show that family memory is discrete, with lacunae and white spots present in memories of all the 20th century historical periods, including the Great Patriotic War. A full-fledged family history, which is reproduced from generation to generation, can be said to apply to one fourth of the surveyed families. In most cases, it consists of disparate stories, short stories, and family legends, which is precisely what constitutes the so-called “cultural” family memory. At the same time, the period of the Great Patriotic War is one of the most fulfilling segments of family memory and includes both framed stories related to real events and family legends colored by emotional experiences. The authors identify several dominant frames of the family narrative: war as a catastrophe, war as suffering and overcoming, war as a feat, as an adventure. A certain conflict has been identified between the official historical narrative and family memory, which is fraught with the spread among young people of a detached and even indifferent view of the events of the Patriotic War.



Specific uses of the great patriotic war thesaurus in Russian military bloggers telegram channels
Abstract
This article explores the transformation in the discourse of historical memory surrounding the Great Patriotic War in contemporary digital environments with a particular focus on Telegram channels operated by Russian military bloggers. In present-day Russia, the memory of the Great Patriotic War serves not only as a foundational component for national identity but also as a powerful tool for emotional unification and political legitimation. As hybrid warfare and information turbulence intensify, Telegram channels have become key sites where war symbolism is recontextualized and actively employed to frame current events especially those related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The study draws on semantic and contextual analysis of a corpus comprising over 110,000 messages posted between February 24, 2022, and March 31, 2025. A thesaurus of 91 key lexemes related to World War II was used to identify linguistic patterns and rhetorical strategies. Findings feature a high prevalence of terms such as “Nazi,” “Soviet,” and “USSR” employed not merely to evoke the past but as instruments of ideological polarization, moral condemnation, and emotional mobilization. These lexical items structure narratives to demarcate friend from foe, sacralize collective action, and legitimize present-day political decisions. The analysis reveals that Telegram channels contribute to the production of politicized historical memory by embedding war-related symbols and references into the contemporary information flows. Digital memory in this context is non-linear, affect-driven and closely linked to performative modes of communication, turning historical references into strategic rhetorical tools. The study contributes to broader debates on digital memorialization, political communication, and the instrumentalization of the past in times of conflict.



“Everything for the front, everything for Victory”: the contribution of social groups to victory in the great patriotic war (Round Table)
Abstract
The call “Everything for the front, everything for victory!” began to be implemented from the first day of the war. This slogan, reflecting a new version of the social contract, relationships and interactions of the main historical subjects of the Soviet country – the people and the state, was publicly voiced by I. V. Stalin on July 3, 1941 in a radio speech. It briefly and precisely formulated the goal and the main meaning of the Great Patriotic War, as well as the main means of achieving them. Hundreds of thousands of people came to the military registration and enlistment offices – workers, peasants, intellectuals, students and even schoolchildren, ready to immediately go to the front, including the labor front. The new social contract turned the entire country into a single military camp, subordinated to one goal – Victory. It is obvious that the Red Army played the primary role in the victory over the Nazi invaders, however, the supply and provision of the front with everything necessary, from weapons to food, largely depended on the rear, which implied the restructuring of the economy on a war footing and the mobilization of all forces of the population. The main method of achieving this goal was the centralization of management of the national economy and the establishment of strict labor discipline. The whole country began to work for a common goal. All efforts to defend the independence of the country, the uniqueness and autonomy of the Soviet people, and above all the Russian people, their historical and Soviet culture were subordinated to its implementation. The round table discusses the contribution to the Victory of such social groups as Red Army servicemen, home front workers, scientists, youth, women. It is shown that the common interests of the secular state and the people, despite the costs and defeats in the first stage of the war, became the basis for mobilizing all forces to defeat German fascism, which led not only to the liberation of the Soviet country, but also the entire world from the threat of enslavement.



Belarus’ in the great patriotic war: (re)constructing and rethinking historical memory
Abstract
This essay may be considered a product of memory studies, but it represents not only the historical memory of Belarusians about the war and the image of Belarus that has long been established in the mass consciousness. This is an attempt to rethink the past at the national level, taking into account the 80 years lived after the Great Patriotic War. In the anniversary year, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, many new materials are appearing in the Belarusian media, government structures, and educational institutions, making us to take a new look at the events of the war years and their influence on the entire subsequent development of the Republic of Belarus. The unambiguity in the assessments of this or that event and factor of wartime is on the wane, information previously known only to a narrow circle of people is becoming public, as a result of which the historical memory of those citizens of Belarus whose ideas about the war were formed long ago is being updated, and the perception of the war by the younger generations is arguably becoming multifaceted and well-reasoned national narrative.



“Children of war” as the last eyewitnesses of the great victory
Abstract
The article contains the results of an analysis of interviews with residents of the Kurgan region who experienced the Great Patriotic War as children. The author relied on the theory of children’s reflection of culture and parental behavior, as well as on the dispositional theory of personality by V. A. Yadov. For the analysis, 14 interviews and memories of military childhood were selected, collected by local historians in the city of Shadrinsk. The problem of the article is related to the identification of the phenomenon of contrast between the sharply negative attitude of “war children” to “enemies-symbols” with a condescending attitude to “enemies-humans”. The results show that children' attitudes to events were greatly influenced by films about the war, cartoons in newspapers and on propaganda posters, and conversations at school. Children aged 12–13 felt hatred for Hitler, and younger children felt anger against the background of the hardships they had to experience. The attitude towards the prisoners was cautious, without a feeling of hatred. The children learned their attitude towards the internees from their mothers, who pitied them. The author comes to the conclusion that the memories of the “children of war”, the last bearers of “living” memories, can write important pages in the social history of the Great Patriotic War.



THEORY. METHODOLOGY
The debate on the civilizational approach: essentialism, constructivism and contemporary historical sociology
Abstract
The article presents a critical review of the debate on civilizational identity in contemporary social science. The theory of clash of civilizations is discussed as an example of the essentialist approach to that problem. It is argued in the article that this approach did not make a substantial theoretical contribution to civilizational analysis and lacks empirical confirmation. Social constructivism represents an alternative to the essentialist approach. From the constructivist perspective civilizations are characterized as imagined communities. However, that perspective displays some limitations in conducting empirical research. It has been argued that civilizational identity can be studied with the same methodological tools as any other form of identity. Nevertheless, it should be taken into account that civilizational identity in today’s societies is generally weaker than its national or regional forms. The article highlights the peculiarities of civilizational analysis in contemporary historical sociology. It is emphasized that this approach occupies an intermediate position between essentialism and constructivism. The article makes a conclusion that historical civilizations – from the axial age to modern times – can be discussed from the essentialist perspective although these civilizations were more changeable than essentialism supposes. At the same time studies of civilizational identity in today’s societies should draw on a moderate version of constructivism.



Professional reputation in the digital society: from social capital to networked assemblage
Abstract
The advent of the digital era has transformed modern society from centralized hierarchical management structures to decentralized information networks that interconnect individuals, institutions, and states. The dominant metaphor of society has shifted from a pyramid to a rhizome. This transformation has made professional reputation a critical prerequisite for career success and professional development. This study employs the methodological framework of actor-network theory, particularly J. Law’s ontological turn, to explore the social dimensions of professional reputation as an independent actor. The research examines the interactions between reputation and its subject and between reputation and the general public. Professional reputation is conceptualized as the discursive assessment of an individual’s qualities and actions regarding professional success. Its sociality emerges through its integration into existing interaction systems, which shape public perceptions of professional reputation. These perceptions align with the internal needs of social groups, often diverging from the attributes that the individual associates with their reputation. From the perspective of actor-network theory, professional reputation functions as a dynamic network of interactions, where present assessments are shaped by records of past interactions and extrapolated into the future. The subject of reputation acts as a “translation center,” strategically leveraging these records to inform calculated actions. In the digital society, indicators of professional reputation span both the physical and social worlds. Quantitative metrics – such as the number of professional connections or rankings – combine with qualitative factors, such as the strength and significance of those connections, to shape the contours of professional reputation.



SOCIAL STRUCTURE. SOCIAL POLICY
Social transformation of society during the great patriotic war and during military operations in Donbass in 2014 to 2025
Abstract
The study and description of the consequences of military actions in the territory of Donbass impacting changes in the main spheres of DPR public life, in comparison with the events of the Great Patriotic War, are the subject of paper. The task of assessing public consciousness changes of the Republic residents after the end of the SVO can be solved by comparing and jointly studying two similar social transformations’ processes in society: (1) during the Great Patriotic War, and (2) military actions to liberate the territory of Donbass in 2014–2025. The destruction of industrial and social infrastructure, as well as the loss of labor resources during the Great Patriotic War and during military actions to liberate the territory of the DPR are comparable and relevant. The socio-demographic conditions in the DPR, as a resuylt of military actions, is influenced by other reasons and factors than in the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War. As author found a most significant factor in changing the socio-demographic situation in the DPR is labor migration. While liberating the territory of the DPR, one of the most significant among the social and moral priorities is the attitude towards the small Motherland – Donbass. Patriotism, inherent to the population of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War, was reflected in the public consciousness of the citizens of the Republic, both in terms of voluntary mobilization and in the restoration of the Donbass social and industrial infrastructure. The author describes consequences of martial law and military operations in the Donbass territory in 2014–2025, and also stresses the tasks and actions in the main spheres of public life in the DPR (political, economic, social and spiritual).



Basic social infrastructure in populated areas of Russia and the dynamics of their population
Abstract
Receiving education and healthcare services is a basic need of the population, therefore, providing the population with access to social infrastructure institutions (various types of schools, preschool institutions, hospitals, rural outpatient clinics) is an important task of regional and municipal authorities. If by “access” we mean “the availability of social infrastructure at the place of residence”, then problems with it can be observed in small populated settlements of Russia. The presented study analyzes how settlements of different sizes are provided with above types of institutions; what are the shares of the population who have and do not have the opportunity to receive these services in their settlements. 16.7 thousand settlements in Russia are analyzed, representing 226 municipalities in 79 regions of the country. Their population is estimated based on data from the All-Russian Population Censuses of 2010 and 2021. The database of educational and healthcare institutions was formed on the basis of open Internet sources and verified. According to calculations, secondary schools were in 13.7% of settlements, basic schools – in 5.3%, primary schools – in 1%, kindergartens – in 13.1%. Healthcare institutions of various types are more widely represented, they are in 32.4% of settlements. Despite the low indicators of provision of settlements with social infrastructure institutions, the concentration of the population in larger settlements contributes to the fact that the provision of the population “at the place of residence” with them is significantly higher. In 2021, 90.9% of the population of the selected municipalities lived in settlements with a secondary or basic school. In settlements provided with at least a rural outpatient clinic, 93.4% of the population.



SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION
Flagship universities as drivers of territorial development
Abstract
Today, there are 34 flagship (regional) universities in the most developed and promising regions of Russia. These are “second-tier” universities following the leaders – National Research (29) and Federal (10) Universities. The specific and main task of the flagship university is to become the “engine” of the socio-economic development of the region by training the required professional personnel, developing and implementing innovative technologies. In addition to implementing higher professional education (HPE) programs, they master new technologies, including digital ones, within the framework of additional professional education and advanced training (APE) for the personnel of local (regional) knowledge-intensive (innovative) enterprises. At the same time, it turned out that the use of digital teaching methods (machine learning) in APE is especially effective and, in many ways, anticipates their use in APE. This turned out to be possible because the APE (corporate education) sphere is a least regulated and formalized, and enterprises have the best understanding of their needs for qualified personnel and are not inclined to spend extra time and money on their (re)training. The article examines features of interaction between flagship universities and local enterprises and businesses including through digital educational technologies. The conceptual framework of the study is defined by the “Triplex” model of Henry Etzkowitz: universities/research institutes – enterprises/business – state/regional administrations. The novelty of the study is seen in a comprehensive approach to the current analysis of the flagship universities role as drivers of territorial development.



University-industry research collaboration: faculty perspectives
Abstract
The article draws upon the findings of in-depth interviews with faculty from four Russian universities to offer a comprehensive examination of scientific cooperation with companies and its evolution from the late Soviet period to the present day. Scientific cooperation encompasses knowledge creation and its transfer. The generation of knowledge occurs through two primary mechanisms: joint research and contract research. The transfer of knowledge encompasses the commercialization of R&D results, such as consulting or sale and licensing of patents. Research indicates a preference among universities for engagement in knowledge creation. Our study delved more profoundly into the intricacies of the knowledge creation process. We explore the intensity of research collaboration, its initiators, and the motivations of the parties involved. The findings of the study indicate that these parameters have undergone significant transformations in comparison to the Soviet period. Historically, collaboration was driven by the flow of state funds and a well-established scheme of interactions. Universities often initiated cooperation, and faculty primarily sought additional income. In contrast, contemporary practices are marked by the predominance of single contracts initiated by companies. However, a notable exception emerges in the context of resource-based companies, where scientific collaboration with universities is characterized by its enduring nature. A salient development is the broadening of the range of motives for collaboration. They include not only the pursuit of supplementary funding but also the acquisition of novel knowledge and scientific ideas.



DISCISSION. POLEMICS
Primordialism and constructivism in ethnosociology as reflexively symmetrical cognitive positions
Abstract
The author addresses the discussion of the current state of Russian ethnosociology. This discussion has sharpened the confrontation between constructivist and primordialist cognitive positions and has drawn attention to the role of this confrontation in the development of ethnosociology and other disciplines dealing with the problems of ethnicity. Attempts to synthesize primordialism and constructivism are considered and their criticism is made. With this in mind, the author analyzes the ontological and epistemological foundations of primordialism and constructivism, but relies on the theoretically unloaded category of ethnic activity. This category is taken in the tradition of cultural-historical approach and its interpretation corresponds to the thought of Lev Vygotsky. The used theoretical and methodological technique of refocusing the research optics allowed us to reveal the dispositions of primordialism and constructivism in relation to each other in a new way. Based on Mikhail Rozov’s principle of reflexive symmetry, it is shown that primordialism emphasizes external-social forms of relations and focuses on the ways of mediating the surrounding world through collective ethnic activity. Constructivism focuses on the issues of personal regulation of activity, which have to do with the mediation by a person's behavior in acts of activity and the expansion of mental arsenal by including the dimensions of ethnicity. It is concluded that primordialism and constructivism are not opposite to each other, but reflexively symmetrical. This means that they can be synthesized. The synthesis of primordialism and constructivism can be realized through building up their heuristic potential by approaches that can expand the empirical field of ethnosociology. Such approaches include those focused on the macro level of ethnic activity – world-system analysis and geopolitical theory. In conclusion, the author hopes arguments will indicate a possible horizon for expanding the theoretical and methodological foundations of ethnosociology and will smooth the opposition between primordialism and constructivism.



ACADEMIC EVENTS
Identity: theoretical and methodological problems
Abstract
Актуальность проблематики идентичности была ярко продемонстрирована на очередном заседании Научного совета ООН РАН «Новые идеи в социологической теории и социальной практике» 10 февраля 2025 г. в Институте социологии ФНИСЦ РАН. Были представлены доклад М. Ф. Черныша, а также выступления дискутантов Ю. В. Попкова и С. А. Ляушевой. Рассматривались теоретико-методологические подходы, агенты и субъекты идентичности, разнообразные формы ее проявления и интерпретации. Дискуссия показала неоднозначность трактовки понятия и сложность измерения идентичности в социологической практике.



Social responsibility and potential capacities of Russian youth
Abstract
XIX Международная научная конференция «Сорокинские чтения» по теме «Современная российская молодежь: ее социальная ответственность и потенциал в развитии страны (к 270-летию Московского университета)» состоялась 17 февраля 2025 г. на социологическом факультете МГУ имени М. В. Ломоносова. Конференция привлекла широкое внимание научной общественности. Были поданы рекордные 1 010 заявок из более чем 10 стран мира, 41 субъекта РФ, представляющие более сотни вузов, что подчеркивает особую актуальность темы. Представлен обзор основных докладов конференции, обсуждавших проблемы, стоящие сегодня перед российским обществом и государством в деле работы с молодежью.



ANNYVERSARY
Danilov A. N. is 70 years old!



Pinchuk I. K. is 90 years old!



Simonyan R.Kh. is 90 years old!



BOOKS IN BRIEF
Books in brief


