Ukrainian Society

9-19

Authors: Kondov K. V.

This article is devoted to the problems of social control, with a special emphasis on the complexity and multilevelness of its mechanism. There is an ambiguous interpretation of social control functioning mechanisms within the conceptual boundaries of substantially opposing theories of structural functionalism and social conflict. Based on the theoretical analysis of Talcott Parsons` objectivistic theory of structural functionalism, emphasis is placed on the constructive measurement of the social control functioning. Its essence is revealed as a process of internalization of social values and internal stimulation to conformal behavior; as a process of external value-normative regulation of behavior and support of social order. The structural peculiarities of exercising power over other people based on the occupied social position is depicted. In the process of analysis, a system of concepts that reveals the content of social control, such as “social status”, “social role”, “sanction”, “value”, “norm”, “power”, etc. is developed. These concepts within the institutional theory explain the processes of structural differentiation of the social system through the institutionalization of values and norms in the system of statuses and roles; organization of social order through the use of social control coercive forms of economic, political and cultural-symbolic order; social integration through the formation of loyalty to society and its institutions in the course of socialization and institutional intergenerational transfer of values.

33-44

Authors: Bilous Ye. V.

Author explains the essence of the “ideological representations of everyday consciousness” concept. The relevance of this consideration is that a more general notion of “ideology” remains as relevant in the ontological as in the epistemological dimensions, despite numerous reports of its disappearance. In addition, in modern scientific discourse the concept of “ideology” is actualized in the context of its consideration through the prism of everyday life that creates a situation with huge amount of this concept obscurity. The solution to the problem of clarifying the theoretical and methodological essence of the ideology functioning is in the context of everyday life stimulated by the excretion of the sociological concept of “ideological representations of ordinary consciousness”. To achieve this goal, the author has solved a number of tasks. In particular, the general aspects of the “ideology” concept were clarified and distinguished that allowed to identify its specificity. Theoretical space of the ideology study in the context of its interaction with the mundane world was suggested. The existing developments on the concept conceptualization and selected empirical findings of the researchers on this issue were revealed. Author explained the concept of “ideological representations of everyday consciousness”; suggested the definition and clarification of everyday consciousness ideological representations; compared concept of “ideology” and “everyday ideology” and described the structure of data representations. In particular, a dedicated cognitive (representations, knowledge about the object), emotional (emotional attitude to the object) and connotative (focus on action) components of ideological conceptions were presented. Author indicated the need to continue theoretical and applied studies, which would have the concept of “ideological representations of ordinary consciousness” as a study subject. The potential of such studies is quite significant, because ideological ideas in modern people’s minds are gaining greater resonance with diverse, non-traditional forms of expression and mechanisms of translation. This requires flexibility of approaches and techniques. The article will be interesting for sociologists, political scientists, philosophers, and others interested in the study of clarification of the essence and peculiarities of the ordinary consciousness ideological views.

58-67

Authors: Zherdetska A. G.

The article dwells upon socio-environmental risks of modern society and socio-environmental issues as a field of sociological knowledge. It reveals the social nature of the ecological problems in modern society, its annual increase of the risks that accompany social development. Author analyses existing in international and domestic science definitions of “risk”, discloses the relationship of the concepts of “risk,” “social risk” and “socio-environmental risk”, gives is the definition of socio-environmental risk and its classification. Paper considers theoretical and methodological basis of socio-environmental issues, explored as well as analyzed is the actual empirical research that allows to identify socio-environmental risks at the present stage of social development. Special attention is given to the problem of scarcity of natural resources. Revealed is the social nature of this issue, its theoretical origins in sociological knowledge. Author analyzes the socio-philosophical concept of the consumer society, gives the definition of a “consumer society” and its characteristic features. The problem of scarcity of natural resources is depicted in the context of the concept of the consumer society. Papers suggests problem features analysis of the natural resources scarcity in the Ukrainian society, and determines the condition of the natural resource balance of Ukraine and dynamics of key natural resources production over the last 10 years. Given the reasons for the dynamic fluctuations of extraction of natural resources, author updated features of the resourcing of Ukraine as a whole and outlined the directions of further development of the problem of natural resources scarcity in the sociological discourse. Special attention is given to the rationale for introducing a comprehensive system of evaluation and prevention of socio-environmental risks, public opinion and cultural practices, as well as regular and detailed sociological research on the current and projected state of the socio-environmental situation of the various aspects of the influence of socio-environmental risks in public life. Also the objective necessity is emphasized to familiarize the sociologists and to engage them in participation in such studies.

77-86

Authors: Pankratova L. L.

In the case of export-oriented economy, domestic prices are naturally influenced by world prices. The objectives of the study is to analyze the main factors that form the stock exchange listings of wheat futures on the leading stock exchanges of the world; to explore the relationship between the stock price trends and developments in grain prices in the Ukrainian market, as well as the reasons for the differences between them. The study established that the main influence factors on grain futures are: the level of world stocks, exchange rates, inflation etc. Authors confirmed the existence of inverse correlation between the level of ending stocks and wheat price on the leading exchanges in the world in the long run. It is found that in the short term, prices are influenced not only by objective economic factors, but also by subjective, i.e. unrealistic expectations of market participants, the rumors and the distortion of market information. In particular, the exaggerated information in the summer of 2017 was the message about the drought, which greatly damaged the wheat crop in the United States. This information did not materialize, but influenced the stock exchange quotations of wheat futures. Thus, the trend of stock prices in the short term is not always subject to “King effect”. Compared are the trends of the domestic and world grain prices. It was found that the factors of internal nature can have a serious impact on prices within a specific country, then there is divergence in the trends of development of world and domestic prices, as was shown by the example of the Ukrainian wheat market. Due to such internal factors as active export of wheat and flour from Ukraine, the mechanism of VAT refunds to exporters, the concern of the domestic market players of the alleged national currency depreciation, domestic prices of wheat were kept in a growing trend, while stock prices on world markets went down.

100-116

Authors: Balakireva O. M., Dmytruk D. A.

Based on the data of the national survey, public opinion is presented on essential issues of the state policy and reforms, abolition of parliamentary immunity, introduction of a visa-free regime with the EU, certain aspects of pension reform, trend analysis of socio-economic sentiments, sources of income and self-assessment of financial status, savings strategy and monetary structure savings.