Merzlyakov, An. Al. (2021), “Conceptual foundations for the study of the population subjectivity”, Research Result. Sociology and management, 7(4), 33-47. DOI: 10.18413 ...

Abstract

The article presents the author's approach to the study of the subjectivity of the population. The relevance of the study is dictated by the fact that the authorities, as a rule, do not foresee and do not predict possible changes in the social situation that may occur in connection with the intensification of the activity of social groups or communities showing subjectivity. As a result, the authorities are unable to effectively regulate social processes in the new realities, which leads to spontaneous, uncontrollable actions on the part of certain groups of citizens. In this regard, the practical problem is to search for possible ways to anticipate the emergence of such social groups and find mechanisms for harmonizing interests, thereby preventing the possibility of social conflicts. The scientific problem lies in the search for new knowledge regarding the list of sociological indicators that can determine the features of the manifestation of the subjectivity of the population, as well as give it a comprehensive description. The main theoretical directions of the study of subjectivity are considered, methodological foundations are formulated, a program for the study of the subjectivity of the population and a system of empirical indicators of its measurement are developed. The empirical base was the results of a whole complex of sociological studies, in the course of which a whole range of methods was used: a mass survey of the population, analysis of the websites of authorities, content analysis of media materials and social networks. The results of the study made it possible to confirm the key hypothesis that the manifestation of the subjectivity of the population is determined through an assessment of the existing system of interactions between society and the government, where for the former, the readiness for such interaction, the ability to self-organize and consolidate to participate in management are significant, and for the latter, the provision for of these relevant conditions. As the main conclusions, we can say the following. The population has a certain potential for subjectivity. However, despite the readiness of certain social groups of citizens for social self-organization and interaction with the authorities, the strategy of their behavior is more often focused on confrontation, and not on the search for a compromise solution. In turn, the authorities and administrations are in no hurry to organize feedback; the mechanisms of bilateral effective interaction are still poorly developed in the regions. All this can lead, firstly, to an increase in the dysfunctional (protest) nature of the population's response to decisions made by the authorities, and secondly, to the possible loss of control by the authorities of the social processes taking place in the region.