Public administration. Рубрика в журнале - Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast
The role of the elites in the evolutionary process: conceptual framework and modern interpretations
Scientific article
The article considers the influence of the elites on the evolutionary process and the current global upheavals that have evolved into a confrontation between two megacivilizations (West and NonWest), which threatens humanity with extinction. The aim of the study is to try and answer the questions whether these processes were to be expected; whether they correspond to the general principles of social development or are a coincidence. The research on the elites in the context of a civilizational approach and combining it with the concept of democracy allowed D. Zolo to build an elite model of civilization development, linking three components: stages of civilization development, type of elite, and form of government. It has been established that as civilization develops (from its inception to its demise), the elite moves from power forces to its supranational form, and this movement is accompanied by the transformation of forms ofgovernment from anarchy to tyranny. It is shown that the period of the heyday of a civilization coincides with the period of the rule of national elites; as soon as the elite loses the quality of national power and becomes supranational, the civilization starts declining. The source of the evolutionary development of a civilization is the creative potential of the elite, the vital energy of which is found in the passionarity of the ethnic group, “triggered” by the action of the hypercompensation mechanism based on A. Toynbee’s “Chahenge-and-Response” principle, which may not work in the case of the rule of the supranational elite. An assessment of the current state of the Western elite has shown its supranational nature and the worsening process of degradation accompanying the decline of Western civilization. This corresponds to the paradox of lagging behind, according to which a civilization that is more advanced in terms of technological development finds itself in a state of spiritual crisis and disintegration earlier. From this point of view, the unfolding confrontation is a clash between the supranational elite and its national opponents, who defend the traditional values and interests of their own countries. The novelty of the research lies in the construction of an elite model of the development of civilization, and in the consideration of a structural model of an evolutionary leap in the case of the rule of supranational elites.
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The strategic dilemma of support settlements: Between self-development and transfer dependence
Scientific article
The relevance of the study stems from the introduction into the Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2030 of a new instrument of regional policy – support settlements, formally intended to become growth points for balancing spatial development. The aim of the work is to identify systemic contradictions in the concept of support settlements as presented in the Strategy and to substantiate necessary adjustments aimed at reorienting this institution from a compensatory to an economically stimulating model of functioning. The scholarly novelty lies in the comprehensive identification and structuring of four key institutional contradictions: between goal-setting and unified instrumentation; in the logic of selecting settlements based on the criterion of "problematic nature" rather than potential; between the functions assigned and available resources; between long-term development goals and the short-term nature of budget planning. The methodological basis of the study comprised systemic and content analysis of the text of the Strategy and related documents, as well as conducting a series of semi-formalized expert interviews with representatives of local self-government bodies from twelve constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The main results indicate that the current implementation of the support settlement institution tends toward the logic of fiscal equalization, and the empirical data obtained confirm the skepticism of municipalities and their demand for economic incentives. A stimulating model has been developed, proposing specific institutional solutions for transitioning to a paradigm of self-development, the key elements of which are a functional typology of settlements, the introduction of special economic regimes, a clear delineation of powers, and a shift to long-term program-based financing. A limitation of the study is its focus on qualitative analysis of the perception of the problem, which determines the need for further quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of pilot projects implemented within the framework of the proposed paradigm
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Thorny paths of modern Russian higher professional education
Scientific article
The article analyzes problem situations on the way to acquiring professions that require higher professional education. The main attention is paid to the fact that in society there is a real gap between personal (individual) goals in obtaining highly qualified professions and the socio-economic, socio-political and socio-cultural needs of society. In this regard, the reference points of acquiring and passing professional socialization are analyzed, which, in the author's opinion, consists of a consistent solution (algorithm) of interconnected, consistently implemented tasks – professional education, professional orientation, professional selection and professional adaptation. The author examines how these tasks are solved from the standpoint of: a) official state educational policy; b) actions and activities of schools and universities; c) behavior of schoolchildren and students; and d) their regional characteristics. Moreover, attention is paid not so much to the educational, methodological and organizational problems of mastering professions, as to the social aspects of the process of training and obtaining higher education
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What will be the emerging new world order?
Scientific article
A new “world order”, a notion that originated with the idea of an institutionalization of international relations that developed at the beginning of the 17th century, is emerging. The old “world order”, inherited from the end of the Second World War and essentially centered on Western countries and the United States, had become dysfunctional since the beginning of the 1990s. It had gradually fragmented since the international financial crisis of 2008-2010. We can follow the trace of this fragmentation in the study of international trade, in the failures suffered by the United States in its multiple military interventions, but also in the emergence or re-emergence of new economic powers. The two major shocks constituted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the international crisis that has unfolded since the start of the conflict in Ukraine have put an end to it. This new world order will likely unfold based on the probable development of the BRICS. It could give rise to more balanced international relations. This could allow a new social contract to emerge in many countries.
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Who in Russia embodies the struggle for the preservation of mankind?
Scientific article
The paper provides an analysis of the main ideas of the article by S.Yu Glazyev “Russia is fighting for the preservation of mankind” (newspaper Zavtra, April 6, 2022), in which an important, actually central place is occupied by reflections on the role and significance of social consciousness and state ideology. However, the article pays little attention to the questions of WHO embodies the struggle, WHO the bearer of social consciousness is, and WHOSE INTERESTS should be expressed by the state ideology in modern Russia. In accordance with this goal, an analysis of the role of social consciousness in the historical destinies of peoples, the place and role of state ideology is carried out. The characteristics of the main classes and communities (strata) in modern Russian society and their worldview attitudes and orientations are given. Particular attention is paid to the precariat, which, in the author’s opinion, determines the face of modern Russian society. The conclusion is substantiated that worldview, ideological positions are not only a part of public life, but a certain penetrating component that concerns not only culture, but also all spheres of economic, social and political activity.
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