Visnyk of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Sociological studies of contemporary society: methodology, theory, methods

Problematisation of Discourse and Discourse on Problems: a Methodology of Research

Alexander Golikov — 2023-06-30

The article analyses theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of discursive practices of constructing social problems. Two classes of theories are considered: theories of critical discourse analysis and constructionist concepts. Three variants of N. Fairclough's interpretation of discourse are analysed: 1) as the use of language within the social practice of speech and articulation; 2) as a kind of language used in a specific field; 3) as a way of speaking that gives meaning to life experience from a certain position. In order to clarify the author's concept, the article reveals the content of the category ‘communicative event’ as a special case of language use that enters and maintains dialectical relations with the general order of discourse, which, in turn, refers to the social context. The article traces N. Fairclough's construction of a multi-level analytical model of a communicative event: the linguistic structures of the text itself; discursive practice; and social practice. In addition, the relationship between intertextuality and interdiscursivity (according to N. Fairclough) is investigated. Some of the developments and ideas of L. Chouliaraki are presented, namely her assertion that social practice is a product of the articulation of its various moments, in which different dimensions of the social collide. The author analyses R. Wodak's concept, according to which discourse is a complex ‘pattern’ of simultaneous and sequential interrelated linguistic acts, and any definition is ‘embedded’ in complex compositions and constellations of actions. Particular emphasis is placed on the theory of text planning as a process that has three dimensions: socio-psychological, cognitive, and linguistic. Analysing the dynamic aspects of discursive construction, the authors refer to the concept of J. Torfing, according to which the order of discourse is the dominant way of interpreting social concepts and actions, established under certain social and historical circumstances. The methodological proposal of Teun van Dijk is updated, in which the critical analysis of language and communication includes the study of three aspects: discourse, cognition, society. It is emphasised that critical discourse analysis is a research area that is distinguished on the basis of a number of common principles: research focus on the relations of inequality and power; reliance on normative ideas; prevalence of the symbolic aspect; language and speech as social phenomena. The article examines constructionist concepts, where the key concept is the claim, in particular Donileen R. Loseke's concept of ‘social problem work’, H. Blumer's concept of stages of social problem construction, Joel Best's ‘natural history’ of social problems, and the study of rhetorics and counter-rhetorics by P. Ibarra and J. Kitsuse. The article analyses claims and four dimensions of rhetoric: rhetorical idioms, leitmotifs, styles and counter-rhetorical strategies. The author proposes a modification of the classification of styles based on the three criteria they have identified: ‘particularism - universalism’, “emotionality - emotional neutrality”, “objectification - subjectification”. Attention is focused on the concept of public arenas of problems by S.Hilgartner and C. Bosk and the concept of ideological spectacle by Murray Edelman, which continues the logic of Guy Debord. Conclusions are drawn about the prospects for building a general conceptual scheme for analysing the processes of discursive construction of social problems.

The Issue of Neo-Racism as an Object of Research in Modern Foreign Sociology

Marharyta Tkachenko — 2023-06-30

The article analyzes the problem of modern societies as neo-racism and analyzes the discourse of neo-racism based on the research of foreign sociologists and their views on the mentioned phenomenon. The essence surrounding neo-racism is represented by its classical understanding in sociological studies of the end of the XXth centur – the beginning of XIX century (Goldberg D., Spears A., Blaut J., Wren K., Barker M., Balibar E., Wallerstein Im.), as well as modern interpretations (Peter A., Kitching K., van der Valk I., Faucher L., Appiah K., Xavier R.). Ideas of researchers regarding the causes of persistent manifestations of neo-racism and the geography of its distribution in modern societies were taken into account. Works that were taken as a backbone of our article include Ramos A., Pereira C., Vala J., Bratt C., Černigoj A., Dengg M. The study of modern sociological research proves that it is currently premature to warn about overcoming such a phenomenon as racism, repeatedly condemned by progressive humanity, and which now takes the form of neo-racism: It was determined that researchers associate the emergence of neo-racism with the following factors: the creation of nations, where national identity is constructed on the basis of the definition of “others”; the onset of the post-colonial era, where the definition of racism is not based on biological differences, but on cultural ones; the dominance of biopolitics, where the modern state creates certain advantages for its citizens and applies a policy of exclusion to immigrants and resettlers. The analysis of the western discourse of neo-racism convinces the presence of the mentioned phenomenon as quite widespread. It is noted that the majority of modern researchers consider socio-economic factors to be the cause of the emergence of neo-racism. The discourse of neo-racism in modern western scientific literature is caused by the need to achieve equal rights and conditions of existence for all ethnic groups in modern society, and not only in declarations and legislation.

Technological Shocks and Attitudes Towards Science: Will Artificial Intelligence Cause the Great Depression 2.0

Tetyana Dublikash — 2023-06-30

The article is devoted to assessing the potential of artificial intelligence to become a major technological shock like the one that led to the Great Depression in the 20th century. Parallels are drawn between these two historical periods from the point of view of the attitude towards science as a source of instability and economic crisis. It is shown how the demand for new technologies generates a surge of market optimism at the initial stages of their implementation and crisis phenomena in a longer perspective. The article analyzes the concept of "technological shock" within the framework of the theory of the real business cycle and its place in identifying the causes of the Great Depression. Controversies regarding the importance of this factor among others which also had an impact on the strengthening of the socio-economic crisis of the 20s and 30s of the 20th century are revealed. It is shown how the negative attitude towards science and the spread of anti-scientist movements first arose as a result of its ability to scale victims during the First World War, and then as a source of the reduction of the labor market due to the modernization of the production sphere. The role of war in accelerating the development of new technologies and promoting their implementation is emphasized. It is demonstrated how technologies aimed at improving production processes ultimately affect political and even geopolitical processes through the economy. As a historical parallel, a letter with a call to scientific research laboratories to suspend work on artificial intelligence, and to the governments of countries to intervene in these studies in case of their disagreement, is considered. The arguments of the authors of the letter and their forecasts regarding the impact of more advanced versions of artificial intelligence on various aspects of society have been studied. Time frameworks for the process when artificial intelligence from advanced technology can become a real technological shock that will shake not only economic, but also political relations, are assessed. The need to find mechanisms that mitigate social risks from the introduction of such revolutionary technologies is emphasized.

Gaslighting as a Gender-Based Violence

Oleksandr Zubariev — 2023-06-30

The article actualizes the problem of gender-based violence, which has a socio-structural nature and arises as a result of unequal power relations between women and men. The socio-historical conditions of the existence of gender-based violence are considered. Distinctions are made and subordination is determined between such concepts as gender-based violence, domestic violence, rape, sexual violence, sexual harassment. It is noted that gaslighting is a psychological manipulation that should be considered as a gender-based violence. The 1944 film adaptation of Patrick Hamilton's play "Gaslight" (directed by George Dewey Cukor) is analyzed in detail, and it is demonstrated that gaslighting has both a psychological and a sociodramaturgical dimension. It is argued that changes in the identity of an individual who undergoes gaslighting can be considered as a post-patient stage of his moral career (I. Hoffmann's term). Since social factors determine that gaslighting is more often perpetrated by men and experienced by women, gaslighting is correctly understood as a form of psychological violence, which is part of the structure of gender-based violence. It is noted that gaslighting is a social process, as a result of which a person is forced into the role of a patient in a psychiatric clinic. It is emphasized that combating gender-based violence means combating violence in general, the idea of violence as such and is a necessary condition for building a productive and happy society.

Gender-Based Sexual Violence During the Military Conflict in Ukraine: Universal and Specific Sings

Viktoriia Omelchenko — 2023-06-30

The article examines the impact of the war on the actualization of various types of violence, among which gender-based violence occupies a prominent place. It is emphasized that for the first time since the Second World War, Ukrainian civilians are experiencing frequent acts of sexual violence, including rape by representatives of the armed forces of the aggressor country. This necessitates a sociological study of sexual violence, taking into account the peculiarities of the Ukrainian experience of the last ten years. The article identifies the general and specific features of sexual violence committed during the Russian-Ukrainian military confrontation, as well as the purposes for which it is used against Ukrainian civilians. The memoirs of victims of gender violence during the wars are analyzed, as well as interviews with experts and specialists in the field of sexual violence. It is noted that the peculiar feature of gender violence during the Russian-Ukrainian war, especially sexual violence, is the conditions under which it occurs. The author emphasizes that the "age of social media" and information technologies makes cases of sexual violence public. It is emphasized that the main purpose of various types of gender-based violence, including sexual violence, is to expand the arsenal of war, to replenish it with new "weapons" that can provide an advantage in the war. Based on the available data, the article identifies a number of characteristics of gender-based sexual violence perpetrated by the Russian army in Ukraine. In order to gain a deeper understanding of this phenomenon, a comparative analysis of the forms, methods, and purposes of violence committed during the Second World War and currently by the Russian army in Ukraine is carried out. It is concluded that an important area for further research on this issue should be the analysis of the conditions of gender-based sexual violence during the current Russian-Ukrainian war, in particular, the psychological trauma of victims of the violence, including those caused by the publication of cases of sexual abuse in social media, as well as the study of the causes and consequences of the silence of victims of gender-based violence during the war.

Nutrition of Ukrainian Schoolchildren in War Conditions: the Experience of Frontline Kharkiv

Vira Kutyrоva — 2023-06-30

The article presents the results of data analysis of a study on the nutritional status of Kharkiv schoolchildren during the war, conducted by the School of Sociology of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University as part of the international project FUSILLI (Fostering the Urban food System transformation through Innovative Living Labs Implementation). In particular, the materials obtained in the course of interviews conducted with parents of students and teachers of the Kharkiv Metro School and Technical Lyceum No. 173. The authors of the study were interested in the respondents' opinion on the state of physical and psychological health of schoolchildren, the degree of awareness of the informants about the principles of healthy eating, the importance of the diet of children and adolescents, the features and problems of organizing school meals under martial law. The interview questions also covered the eating habits of Kharkiv schoolchildren and their families, food waste sorting practices, and consumption culture in general. In order to improve the organization of school meals in the frontline city, the actual state of this process in the Metro School and Lyceum was analyzed (hygiene aspects, taste of food, school menu, issues of supplementary nutrition, scientifically based water consumption, special events held in schools to improve the culture of consumption, etc.). It is noted that, despite a fairly high level of awareness of the parental community about these aspects of the problem, their participation in the formation of the school menu, the awareness of the respondents about the regulatory framework for the organization and reform of the school catering system remains low. The authors argue that it is important to strengthen educational work both in the direction of forming and consolidating various skills of conscious consumer behavior and legal awareness. In view of the emergence of underground schools in the city and region, sociological research on the issues discussed in the publication remains relevant in the future.