Social Perception of Life Success: Socio-Cultural Projection of Social Inequalties

Abstract

The concept of life-course success belongs to the daily life culture as the one that is gathering goaloriented life activity of the person and social recognition of some goals, patterns of behavior and life style. Perception of the concept “life-course success”, legitimating “successful person”, “life success” in public opinion, as well as the practices of life success achievement undergo significant changes during postUSSR transformation. They are framed by artifacts of western culture spread massively through mass media and consumerism, as well as by rapid social stratification, deepening and widening of social inequalities. The article is to argue the importance of sociological measurement of the life-course success attitudes, resources, practices and directing the individual activity within the frame of social inequalities studies. Arguments are based on the secondary data analysis from Sociological Monitoring IS NAS of Ukraine 2007 and International Social Survey Program 2009, module on Social Inequalities.