Abstract: The subject of this research is the public sphere of modern society, as well as the modern information and communication technologies based on the Internet. The authors carefully examine the evolution of Internets as a vector of overcoming the deficit of public and modern democratic practice; as well as analyze the “powerful” deliberative model of democratic policy, views of the New Left upon the decentralized democracy, position of the communitarians who advocate the need of the advancement of media as an instrument of ensuring citizens’ access and participation in public sphere, as well as the critical attitude of cyber-libertarians with regards to government initiatives on cyberspace control (on the example of Singapore and China). The research methodology leans on historical, comparative and analytical methods that reveal the main peculiarities of transformation of the public sphere affected by the modern Internet environment. The scientific novelty lies in examination of limitations and capabilities of the corporate and government control over the public sphere of the Internet; peculiarities of development of the open-source software, modern Internet technologies, work of the civil activists and public organizations that support democratic practice in terms of the growing monitoring potential of the network.

Keywords: New Left, Communitarianism, Deliberative democracy, Information and communication technologies, Internet, Democracy, Public sphere, Cyberlibertarianism, State control, Singapore

Abstract: The subject of this research is the dynamics of interethnic relations in the Republic of Buryatia. On the background of the changing socioeconomic realities in the Russian Federation and around the globe, examination of the process of ethnic mobilization, ethnic employment, and politicization of ethnicity becomes mainstream. The State Ethnic Policy Strategy and the need for expertise support of implemented solutions in the ethnic regions, requires government programs and forecasting of ethnosocial processes. The author determines the factors contributing to destabilization of interethnic balance in the republic, among which is the escalation of hate speech in the Internet, weakening of the system-based educational work, contest for the political leadership to the benefit of ethnic groups. The sociological survey in form of expert panel was conducted over the period of 2016-2017; information was collecting through questionnaire and focus group methods. The main conclusion lies in the fact that at the present stage, the experts in various spheres see the problems of ethnosocial stability in the Republic of Buryatia, acknowledging the weakening of state educational policy, inefficient development of regional economy, unsecured social guarantees that serve as the foundation for interethnic concord in the region. Considering the formation of civic identity of the oncoming generation, the ensuring of stability is associated with the development of sociocultural ties, establishment of social capital and interethnic solidarity.

Keywords: ethnic tensions, sociocultural values, inter-ethnic interaction, polyethnic region, inter-ethnic harmony, ethnic mobilization, ethnosocial stability, Information society, educational policy, civil identity

Abstract: In the modern and rapidly developing world, under the conditions of advancement of the information and communication technologies (ICT), crowdsourcing gradually encompasses one sphere after another. Increasingly frequently, such instrument is applied not only in business and social projects, but also the public administration system. Thus, in terms of social and political transformations, crowdsourcing takes over a sizeable place among the well-known methods, technologies, and instruments of control, conducing the integration of efforts of the state, business, and society in resolving the socioeconomic issues, which defines the reasonableness of examining the possibilities and forms of development of the aforementioned technology in the work of government bodies of all levels. Methodological foundation of this research leans on the analysis of the Russian practice of realization of the crowdsourcing projects, which allowed identifying the critical spots in theory and practice of their implementation into the system of public administration. Relevance of the topic at hand is substantiated by the insufficient methodological elaboration regarding the introduction of crowdsourcing into the work of government bodies on the background of rapid development of ICT and growing number of the Russian crowdsourcing projects, which possess great potential for development of the system of relations between society, business, and government agencies.

Keywords: Modernization, Social initiative , State management, Authority, Civil society, Internet, Information and communication technologies, Crowdsourcing, Municipal administration, Public administration

Abstract: The subject of this research is cooperation of corporations and non-governmental organizations on the context of corporate social responsibility. The authors carefully examine the theoretical aspects of functionality of the cross-sectoral unions (alliances) in the American socioeconomic space. A special attention is given to the symbiotic model of stability, developed by the researchers Michelle Shumate and Amy O’Connor. This macro-level model is being examined from the position of communicational approach, and makes an accent on the functional differences of corporations and non-profit organizations and means of overcoming them. In addition to that, the authors concentrate on the role of various groups of stakeholders in creation of cross-sectoral alliances. The authors conclude that the functional differences between commercial and non-profit organizations can be surmounted through communicational collaboration, within the framework of which each of the partners addresses the other on possibilities of establishing various forms of capital. Existing in symbiotic relations, the non-governmental organizations and corporations increase their sustainability towards the effects of external environment. In Russia, such type of cooperation can promote professionalization of the “third sector” and consolidation of the society as a whole.

Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, CSR, Non-governmental organizations, NGO, Corporations, Business, Social partnership, Civil society, Cross-sectoral unions, Third sector

Abstract: In this article the author defined the strategic priorities in the state migration policy as a preventive measure against social desadaptation, where the political strategy and tactics were presented as the basis for the migration policy, then the author develops his own draft for the Declaration on Migration Policy of the Russian Federation.

Keywords: political science, migration, adaptation, desadaptation, immigration, emigration, declaration, migration policy, selection, demography.

Abstract: The article includes analysis of causes and effects of the Islamisation, which took over the European continent. The comparison of sociological data characterizing the religious level in European states, Russia and the USA shows that Islamisation of Europe is a consequence of the de-Christianization and demographic crisis. The growth of Muslim community in the European states (its quantity being over 44 million people) shall continue due to high birth rate in Muslim family and immigration. It is supposed that the most harmonious solution for the problem of conflict in the relations between the native Europeans and the European Muslim community may be the renaissance of Christian values and morals among the native Europeans, leading to improvement of demographic situation and refusal from the mass admission of immigrants. Additionally, renaissance of Christianity in Europe shall allow to improve the relations between the two communities (Christians and Muslims) using the Islamic dogma on peaceful co-existence of representatives of different monotheistic concepts.

Keywords: social studies, demography, crisis, Muslims, Christians, Islamisation, secularization, Europe, family, values.

Abstract: The article includes differentiation between the involvement of migrants into a social structure (integration) and culture (assimilation) of the basic society. The author describes the social characteristics of migrants with various level of integration, provides social portraits of fringe migrants groups, showing the contradictory character of integration of the Middle Asian migrants in Russia.

Keywords: social studies, migration, integration, assimilation, biculturalism, multiculturalism, identification, acculturation, de-ethnicization, Muslims.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the problem of involvement of citizens into administration of municipal unit. The article contains an overview of measures, which are taken by local municipalities of Canada in order to involve the citizens into municipal self-government. The materials for the article were collected in three Canadian provinces: Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick. In order to collect the information, the author analyzes the documents, took expert interviews and used participant observations.

Keywords: political science, involvement, participation, information, consultations, self-government, accessibility, transparency, interest, discussion.