Ukrainian Society

20-28

Authors: Pankova O. V., Kasperovych O. Yu., Ishchenko O. V.

The Revolution of Dignity, other events of 2014-2015 in Ukraine indicate a significant potential ofdifferent social groups public activity. The planned decentralization is a major reform aimed at fundamentalchangesnot only in public administration sector in Ukraine, but also in the entire system of social relations. Civilsociety and NGOs activity play special role in these processes. The study is devoted to the analysis of theoreticalapproaches to determine the nature and structure of social resources of NGOs, and to the justification of theoreticaland methodological approach to develop mechanisms to implicate social resources of associations to ensure thedevelopment of Ukraine’s regions in decentralization context. The paper explores the applicability of the classicaltheory of social resources and the resource mobilization theory for the revitalization of NGOs in Ukraine byimplicating social resources. In particular, it concerns public activities in the area of regional development. Thecreation of mechanisms aimed at the development and implicating NGO’s social resources is a prerequisite for thedecentralization and other reforms in Ukraine. It is shown that sociocultural approach is appropriate to ensurecompliance mechanisms to implicate social resources with Ukrainian social characteristics (first–worldview andvalue-motivational). It is possible to use the socio-cultural approach as a methodological basis for the use of theresource mobilization theory. This will determine the status of social resources, indicators to measure it andcapabilities to implicate social resources of NGOs to the needs of regional development. Addressing these problemscreate the necessary conditions for the development and implementation of effective mechanisms of implicating NGO’s social resources in the processes of reform and development.

42-47

Authors: Sogorin A. A.

Social science plays an important role in the study of interference of advertising and society. The maindirections of advertising research in modernsociology are aimed at the general issues of advertising functioning asa modern phenomenon, gender peculiarities in advertising, advertising as a social institution, etc. The author alsotries to determine what aspects of advertising is the object of social science study at the current stage. In theframework of modern sociology there are two positions according to which advertising is understood as a socialinstitution (this opinion is shared by most sociologists) and as a social practice. Majority of modern works aredevoted to the analysis of discriminatory advertising practices towards femininity that actualizes attention to theissue of masculinity, which is poorly developed in modern sociology. Advertising must use power of social influenceto create audience’s flexible gender imagination. The issue of gender tolerance in the advertising process hascultural, moral, social character, and without making special rules in the relevant law it is rather difficult to ensurethe social impact of advertisingfrom the perspective of gender equality. A sociological methodology takes a specialplace in modern research which forms the methodological basis and methodological arsenal for provision ofreliable information about the actual demands and needs of the population, compliance with targeted products. Effective advertising research conducted by social science requires a multidisciplinary approach at the presentstage.

56-62

Authors: Khutka S. V., Nagorniak K. M.

This paper focuses on the investigation of the relationship between individual’s professionalindependance(autonomy) and subjective well-being in a comparative perspective. The objective of the presentedwork is an analytical overview of key studies of the links between life satisfaction, subjective well-being andprofessional autonomy in the context of comparative analysis. Research interest in this topic was determined by thefact that the definition of the level of life satisfaction is not possible without taking into account socio-structuredfactors that determine and influence the level of psychological well-being of the individual. The feeling of happinesstogether with the satisfaction and psychological well-being are relative concepts, because individual determines thelevel of life satisfaction, comparing himself to others, to the standards of «normality» and «consumption norms»within a society. If the standard of living of an individual exceeds this standard, the feeling of satisfaction is higher,and vice versa, if does not reach «normal levels»–lower. However, at the micro level environment is family,friends’ or professional relationship can serve as one of the evaluation factors of psychological comfort. Socio-structured position of the individual and his quality of life evaluation are interdependent variables: professionalaffiliation, level ofeducation and income has positive correlation with the feeling of life satisfaction. Professionalactivity is a significant part of that as the person spends most of their time on it. Therefore, the professionalconditions, where it is located, can serve as indicators for his psychological comfort or discomfort, life satisfactionetc. Referring to previous sociological works, paper dwells upon general logic of the respective studiosdevelopment. In particular, the focus is on professional communication environment where the individual is, and hislevel of life satisfaction. It is important to note that there are both direct and indirect relationships between thesevariables. The specificity of this connection is defined by both individual characteristics andmore general socio-cultural conditions of the labor organization. Authors point out the necessity of attention to the influence of thegroup relations context, group interactions and dynamics of the personality’s life cycle on the relationship betweensubjective well-being and professional autonomy.

74-85

Authors: Bodnarchuk T. L.

The article is a study of the historicalexperience of the Russian empire’s state policy implementationagainst Ukrainian region in the second half of 19th–early 20th century. The subject of this study is the impact ofthe Russian state policy on Ukrainian economy in the period of market and industrial transformations. The purpose of the study is to determine the mechanisms and effects of the Russian state policy on Ukrainian economy. It wasrevealed that Ukraine due to some certain competitive advantages has become the center of market modernizationand industrialization of the empire and, therefore, has turned into the economic base for the implementation offinancial exploitation governmental policy. Author characterizes the peculiarities of the Russian state policy such asthe directing at achieving fiscal targets and forcing the pace of market modernization; expansionist and exploitativenature of the political measures against Ukrainian region. It was revealed that the tax, countervailing measures andtrade protectionism among the mechanismsof the Russian state policy had the most significant impact on Ukrainianeconomy. It is proved that the destructive state policy despite some short-term positive effects caused a number ofmicroeconomic and macroeconomic disproportions in the developmentof Ukrainian economy such asmonopolization and imbalance of the internal market, decline of agricultural and small industry production,technical backwardness of enterprises, low labor productivity and quality of products, decrease of wages and profitsetc.

96-103

Authors: Lesiv M. M.

Paper provides analysis of the interactions peculiarities between agricultural producers, foodmanufacturers and food products consumers. Author describes the key role of raw materials in the welfare ofagricultural producers and quality food products provided to consumer markets; suggested are the advantages ofall participants of the interaction process: to the farmers it is a stable market for food; to manufacturer it is aquality of agricultural raw materials in the right quantities; to consumers it isfood of high quality. The advantageof such cooperation for rural environment is the farmers’ well-being, which affects the development of rural areasthrough employment opportunities for rural residents, development of rural infrastructure, the development of non-agricultural activities in rural areas. With the help of supply and demand curves, and production possibilities curesauthor reflect the influence of food quality on the demand volume for agricultural raw materials. According to themodel, the conclusion is made: to receive food products of high quality, the user needs to pay the ultimate price,which, however, will affect the amount of support that a food manufacturer will allocate to the supplier ofagricultural raw materials. Paper shows analysis of support mechanisms for rural development by the companyNestlé, which is the world’s largest food manufacturer, with factories, offices and branches in more than 197countries around the world, including Ukraine. The main support mechanisms include the provision of high qualityplanting material, technical support, training and financial assistance to farmers. Considered is the «Hospodar»programm, which operates in Ukraine and is aimed to help Ukrainian farmers to meet the standards of Nestlé’s rawmaterials, so that the company could use local raw materials exclusively in the production of food in Ukraine. Withthe example of Nestlé’s conclusions are drawn, regarding the feasibility of promoting collaboration between thefood producers and suppliers of agricultural inputs.

114-124

Authors: Mnykh M. V.

Among the major problems of civilized societiesprominent place is taken by the social processes anddynamic changes, which reflect the results of social policy. Social processes related to the social status of citizens insociety are formed as a result of factors’ unity that creates appropriate conditions for the existence and developmentof the social structural components. Thus, every society creates its own type of social situation. The latter dependson their protection in the society, as it is a prerequisite that ensures minimization of social dangers of instability anddeterioration of population’s social condition. The main task of social policy is to harmonize social relations, toprovide socio-political stability and civil agreement in society. Thus, long-term social policy in Ukraine shouldprovide consistent increase of the level and quality of life, comprehensive human capital development based onstate’s social justice, social cohesion, social responsibility and its support for self-realization of every citizen. Ukraine integrates into the global society under the conditions of the development of new approaches to the contentof social relations. Accordingly, the European Union approved social criteria by which state’s social policy shouldbe formed and implemented: extension of freedom of lifestyle choices, life benefits, expanding educationalopportunities and creative skills, improving of material well-being and quality of life, improving health andincreasing the duration of labor activity, increased life expectancy, strengthening of national and social security.

146-157

Authors: Balakireva O. M., Bilous Ye. V.

Authors analyzed the dynamics of the involvement of the economically active population in the informal economy (in various practices and processes, such as corruption, shadow income, tax evasion); the level of involvement in extra-legal practices of bribery, as well as their causes. The prevalence of these practices suggests that there is a «normalization» of extra-legal practices –bribery, tax evasion, informal payments for services. It is determined that the socio-economic policy should be aimed at improving minimum social standards, improving the provision system of the state social assistance based on differentiation and addressing, taking into account family income and the income per household member; the formation of the middle class, the eradication of poverty; the introduction of economic incentives for preventing the undervaluation of skilled labor, its low cost (at the majority of public enterprises and organizations), and on the other hand, the introduction of economic levers of regulation of the expenditures related to the extremely high wages in some monopolized industries.