Abstract: The subject of this research is agnosticism as the methodological principle of postmodernism, and gnoseological pessimism as its social reflection. The goal of the research is the determination of the social role of science during the postmodern era. The authors present the pros and cons arguments, for the first time appealing to various philosophical and sociological concepts, as well as phenomena in socio-political and socio-economic spheres, as well as people’s everyday life. The work uses the method of complex (interdisciplinary, retrospective, and behavioral) comparative analysis, which allows revealing the direct and indirect connections between the theory of cognition and social perception of science. The conclusion is made that in the era of postmodernism, science and its place in society undergo the changes similar to those that happened in religion centuries ago. The conducted complex analysis is capable of initiating a broad discussion about the role and place of science in the modern world.

Keywords: epistemological pessimism, social reflexivity, social reflection, gnosticism, agnosticism, anti-scientism, scientism, epistemology, postmodernism, epistemological optimism

Abstract: This article reviews the general picture of poverty in the Republic of Buryatia and regions of the Siberian Federal Okrug. The author provides analysis, systematization and generalization of the data of federal and regional statistical services for substantiation of the existing level of poverty. The methods of determination of living standards and level of poverty among the population of Russia, including the regions, are examined. It is demonstrated that the Republic of Buryatia is referred to as a group of regions with a low density of population and low level of socioeconomic development if correlated with the nationwide indexes. According to the statistical data based on the absolute measurement of poverty, its level in the Republic of Buryatia can be compared with the more upscale regions of the Siberian Federal Okrug, such as Krasnoyarsk Krai. A more realistic picture of poverty is presented from the perspective of median approach, which underlines the imperfection of the absolute measurement of poverty.

Keywords: median income, average income, income of the population, living wage, absolute poverty, poverty, Economic indexes, socioeconomic development, living standards, Gini coefficient

Abstract: This article investigates the political dualism and the establishment of constitutionalism in the Russian Federation. The authors substantiate the position that the lack of constitutionalism experience of the pre-Soviet times in our country, as well as negative tradition of the Soviet era regarding the perception of the Constitution as a declaratory document that does not reflect the political realities of modern society, coupled with the political ambitions and desires of the political elite, led to the political dualism in the process of establishment of current Russian constitutionalism, in which we can observe coexistence of the elements of "socialist constitutionalism" alongside the principles of democratic organization of society and state that are accepted by the new Constitution using the international experience. The authors note that currently there is an actual need in the Russian Federation for formation of the certain set of rules of political interaction and party system whole, which emerges from the area of state regulation and does not depend on the policy of the existing system of executive authority on Russia.

Keywords: Russian Federation, constitutionalism, people, elite, state power, civil society, regime, development, political, dualism

Abstract: The questions of precariatization have attained a special popularity at the modern stage of study of the social-labor relations. The main cause for such trend is hidden in the entire number of negative effects, which results in this phenomenon. The goal of the article consists in assessment of the level of precariatization in the labor market of Altai Region based on the results acquired during the sociological research. The object of this work is the employees of enterprises and organizations of Altai Region, while the subject lies in precariatization as the problem of social-labor relations. The article includes the following tasks: determination of the content of the notion “precariatization”; revelation of tis basic characteristics; evaluation of the negative effects entailed by precariatization for the actors of social-labor relations; choice of the method of collecting information and ways of evaluation; description of methodology of the study of perception of precariatization by the employees of corporations and organizations of Altai Region; and discussion of its results. The results of this research allow claiming that despite the negative trend in intensification of precariatization in the region, the respondents refer themselves as precaria, in other words, individuals, the labor rights of whom are being infringed, but they still accept precariatization as a normal phenomenon and do not experience significant disturbances.   

Keywords: labor market, perception of precariatization , sociological study, the effects of employment precarity, factors of employment precarity, social-labor relations, social portrait of precaria, unstable employment, precariatization , employment

Abstract: The subject of this article is the attitude of population of the Republic of Mari El towards mass media (TV and radio programs, newspapers, and magazines), fiction in Mari language, as well as their place within the information and communication environment of this polyethnic region in the middle of 2010’s. The problematic in hand is examined considering such factors as national affiliation, age, and place of residence of the respondents. The article represents generalization of the results of sociological survey among the residents of the Republic of Mari El, carried out in 2015 by the sociological department of Mari Language, Literature and History Scientific Research Institute named after V.M.Vasilyev on the topic “Interethnic and Interconfessional Relations in the Republic of Mari El”. The author implements the method of discourse-analysis, within the framework of which examines public consciousness of the population in its census multilayerdness.  The Mari TV and radio broadcasts, newspapers, magazines, and fiction primarily represent interest for the indigenous (Mari) population of the Republic, but such interest is not widespread; it attracts very little attention of the representatives of other nationalities. This work proves the relevance for the region of formulation of the ethnocultural and integration strategy in public consciousness that is aimed at preservation of ethnic identity through the media and fiction in native language, as well as development of bilingualism and polylingualism, particularly within the Russian, urban and youth environment.

Keywords: Ethnocultural integration, Ethnic identity, Mari language, Fiction, Mass media, Information and communication environment, Public consciousness, The Republic of Mari El, Polyethnic region, Ethnic sociology

Abstract:   The subject of this research is the students’ assessment of their own vulnerability as an intrinsic characteristic of the institutional and personal risks of socialization in the higher educational facility. The author, based on his original approach towards examination of socialization in the higher school, thoroughly reviews the highlighted from the perspective of personal vulnerability characteristics among the groups of students. The goal of this research consists in verification of hypothesis regarding the presence of interconnection between the evaluation of personal vulnerability and indexes that describe the socialization process in the higher educational institution. The author conduct the analysis of students’ survey by the criterion of subjective assessment of the present and future, as well as similarities and differences of these groups based on the socio-demographic and personal indexes. The analysis affirmatively demonstrated the existence of correlation between the self-evaluations of vulnerability and the entire number of indexes of success of the higher school socialization process, as well as confirmed the presence of institutional and personal risks within the structure of socialization context of the studentship. This data can be implemented in formulation of measures pertaining to the lowering of the level of student’s vulnerability during the socialization process in the higher educational institution, which will allow lowering the institutional risks of organization of education process.  

Keywords: personal risks, institutional risks, elements of risk, vulnerability, student community, socialization trajectories, higher school socialization, empirical data grouping, sociological theories of socialization, social processes

Abstract: The object of this research is the concept “traditional society” as an element of modernization theory. The subject area is justified by the difference in interpretations of the aforementioned concept, primarily, depending on the period of establishment of the modernization paradigm. The relevance of this research is defined by ambiguity of the notion of “modernization”, which complicates the definitions of the main terms of modernization discourse. The author analyzes and compares the theoretical constructs of the Western and Russian scholars regarding the stated concept at different stages of development of the modernization theory. Attention is turned to the interconditionality of interpretations of the traditional society in Western and Russian humanitarian sciences. In methodological aspect, the author identifies modernization in classical variant – as the transition from traditional society to modern, from agrarian to industrial. The conclusion is made about the socioeconomic determinism of outlooks of the first developers of modernization paradigm. In examination of the views of the Western and Russian researchers, the author highlights that the most productive in reference to the definition of “traditional society” consists in a comprehensive approach, which suggests its characteristics in all spheres of live of the society. The author also proposes the original vision of the concept of “traditional society”, as well as its main peculiarities.

Keywords: Preindustrial society, Non-West, Agrarian society, East, Socioeconomic determinism, Comprehensive approach, Western research, Russian research, Modernization, Traditional society

Abstract: This article exa,ins the problem of correlation of the phenomenon of ideology with the modern technique in the concepts of F. G. Jünger and J. Habermas. Special attention is given to the question on the transformation of ideology as a form of public consciousness in the conditions of the modern technical civilization. In Jünger’s concept, the criticism of technicism is realized in the prospect of returning of human to the more original and authentic way of existence. Within the framework of Habermas’ philosophy, the criticism of technocratic and scientist consciousness is realized from the humanistic positions with the future expansion of the space of “communicative rationality”. Jünger reviews the technique as a favorable environment for assertion and domination of the ideologies, while Habermas transform technique and science into quasi-ideology of society of the later capitalism. Jünger considers the technical (technocratic) consciousness as axiologically and ideologically neutral; and Habermas sees a new form of ideology within this type of consciousness, which becomes more dangerous while less noticeable and achievable for the critical reflection.

Keywords: ideological mind, technicism, technocratic mind, technical mind, ideology, technique, policy, depoliticization , Jünger, Habermas

Abstract: The subject of this research is the Russian world concept, while the object is the various dimensions of the concept establishing historically, as well as by means of the current tasks and challenges, which add form and content to this concept. The article represents Russian world as the concept aimed inside and outside of Russia, which gives it multiple meanings, but simultaneously turns it into one of the most efficient mechanisms of the so-called soft power. The main aspects of examination of the Russian world consist in its political (ideological) and legal dimensions. In order to study the multiple meanings of the Russian world, the author apply the complex approach and systemic analysis, because the Russian world is presented as a certain integral system that preserves the dynamicity of development and cultural codes. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the authors are first to suggest legal consciousness as the integral of the initial Russian world. It explains the dynamic of development of the Russian world, its clarity in preservation of the blurred boundaries, because they are defined by the presence of the “critical mass” of the Russians, expressed by the legal consciousness and culture.

Keywords: sociocultural integration, civilization, nation, political culture, ideology, Russian world, soft power, citizenship, justice, Constitution