Social Contract in Modern Russia: Reality or Illusion? Sociologist's Reflections on J.T. Toshchenko's Monograph «The Fates of the Social Contract in Russia: Evolution of Ideas and Lessons of Implementation»

The purpose of the article is to analyze the concept of the social contract and the conclusions that follow from it, outlined in the monograph by the famous Russian sociologist J.T. Toshchenko. The relevance of this topic is determined by its weak elaboration in the Russian sociological literature. The practical role of the concept of the social contract is also significant, which is an important tool not only for research, but also for managing the processes of state and social change. The article shows the essence of the concept of the social contract proposed in the monograph. The important advantages of the monograph include a detailed insight into the evolution of the interpretation of the social contract, as well as the processes of its implementation at various stages of the existence of Russia / the USSR. The article reveals the prospects for the development of methodological approaches arising from this concept and their application to the analysis of modern Russian society. Attention is drawn to the need to study the latent moods and orientations of various social groups of the population. Along with the analysis of sociological data using the apparatus of mathematical statistics, it seems advisable to use the methodological arsenal of psychological sciences. The features of the formation of a social contract from the perspective of modern Russia as a "trauma society" are shown. The article pays special attention to the influence of the moral state of the country's population on the process of forming a social contract, the consequences of a number of negative processes in the spiritual life of society. This has led to the loss of many positive meanings, the spread of orientations towards material well-being, career, prestigious family, hedonism, and various forms of antisocial behavior. Based on the use of empirical research results, an increase in the closeness of the "recruitment" of Russia's top economic elite has been noted. The important role of such large social groups as the precariat and pensioners in the formation of the ideology of social contract is shown, the role of ethnic diasporas in this process. The article substantiates the complexity and inconsistency of the processes of forming an effective social contract in the modern realities of our country.