No 6(39) (2014)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
9-17 5508
Abstract
In the post-Soviet period participation in NATO was one of the major goals of euro-atlantic integration for the Baltic states. Political leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have considered participation in the alliance as an important element of euro-atlantic solidarity which allows small - from all viewpoints - states claim decision-making over global issues. This satisfies demands of the political elites and victimized public consciousness for more security, makes it possible for elites to consider their states as bulwark against Russia. Throughout the whole decade, such reasoning has been reflected in doctrines and speeches of Baltic politicians. After joining NATO, the Baltic states became the most active supporters of a deeper integration in the military area and "open door" policy. They have continued reforming their armed forces and renovating military infrastructure. They have acquired "specialization" within NATO by establishing centers of excellence. In terms of euro-atlantic solidarity, the participation in the International Security Assistance Force in Afganistan has become the most important international project for the Baltic states. However, only Estonia managed to mount their defence expenses to the level of 2% GDP. During the „Ukranian crisis" the issue of Baltic membership in NATO acquired special importance. Confrontational rhetoric and appeals to "Russian threat" in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, on the one hand, make it possible for their political leaders to constantly demonstrate their importance in the eyes of Western partners and demand more activity of the alliance and, on the other hand, make ground for the political elites to consolidate the electorate, by that ensuring that the right-wing conservative forces remain in power.
18-28 1068
Abstract
Over the last quarter of the century relations between Russia and Poland are balancing between trying to understand the burden of mutual guilt and a desire to construct non-emotional pragmatic relations. Sources of tension vary. In particular, it is the desire of Poland to position itself as a valued player in NATO and the EU and the role distance between the two countries in IR system, which does not allow Russia to maintain an equal political dialogue with Poland. In fact, Poland is not afraid of a direct threat from Russia, but the worst scenario is the one in which Russia without changing the content of its imperial policy can be accepted as a full partner in the international community. The evolution of Russian statehood and national specifics of democracy is largely determined the assessment of the prospects of Russian politics in Poland. The mistake of Polish diplomacy last years was that it took no direct efforts to improve relations with Russia, but only tried to impose the dialogue on Russian authorities. Diplomatic methods were designed to hurt Russian interests and to create a topic for discussion. In response, after 2006 Russia chose the tactic of ignoring Poland. But, ignoring Polish authorities, Russian politicians acted similarly with other political forces. In Poland among influential political forces, there was and there is still no loyalty to Russia. For Russian interests it is no matter who are or will be in power in Poland. However as a rule, it is an important factor that foreign policy decisions are de facto within the competences of the President and the government, as well as experiencing a significant influence of the parliamentary forces. Recent trends show no tangible innovations in bilateral programme. But innovations appear in multilateral and conflict enough issues, such as deployment of US missile defense system in Poland or Polish supervision of "Eastern Partnership" programme. The main problem is low self-sufficiency of bilateral relations and excessive influence of third countries. Any efforts to normalize bilateral relations will be meaningless until the weight of bilateral relations really increases to each of the party.
29-36 3613
Abstract
The research focuses on the problem of military-political instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo experiencing continued armed conflict for a long time. Dozens of illegal armed groups both Congolese and foreign origin continue to destabilize situation in the eastern part of the country causing humanitarian disasters. Due to governmental weakness, economic backwardness, chronical lack of finance resources, interethnic conflicts, all-round and widely spread corruption of the authorities, the Congolese government at the moment is not able to overcome scores of problems including the problem of security. Assistanceprovided to the DRC by itspartnerssuch as, first of all, the former metropolitan country Belgium, as well as the USA, Great Britain, the Europe Union and China works only in favourof these country-donors. They are attracted by rich Congolese natural resources which the DRC remaining one of the poorest countries in the world cannot turn to advantage to the full extent because of its economic backwardness. In exchange for so-calleddevelopment programmes, expensive strategic raw material (such as coltan, wolfram, casseterit, cooper, gold, niobium, and other) is being extracted and exported from the country, in addition, often on the inequivalent basis. This is taking place for the reason that numerous mines and open-cast mines are being controlled by different illegal armed groups and not by the central government. Therefore, it turns out that in the context of a military-political crisis, for so-called partners it is more beneficial to pursue their own interests. Furthermore, western ideologists arouse "separatism-oriented" theories similar to "balkanization", in other words, a breakdown of this giant country into several independent states. The Congolese are tremulous to this issue, they try to counter such approachs and defend the territorial integrity of the DRC. However, it is not an easy task. The impediment is unsettled relations with neighbouring countries - Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi which for tens of years exploit illegally natural resources of the DRC and try to lay hold of frontier Congolese territories.
37-46 1113
Abstract
The article analyses the Europeanization policy of the European Union towards the Eastern Partnership participant countries. Suffering from the lack of clear strategy and ultimate goal in the European Neighbourhood Policy the European Union enhances external democratization and its governance in post soviet states without immediate Union's membership perspective. Underestimation of common neighbourhood geopolitical duality in the context of growing rivalry between European (EU) and Eurasian (Custom Union/Eurasian Economic Union) integration gravitation centers presents the Eastern partners of the EU with a fierce dilemma of externally forced immediate geopolitical and civilizational choice while not all of them are well prepared to such a choice. The mutual Europeanization trap here to be studied both for the EU and its Eastern partners (involving Russia) is a deficiency of regulating cooperation mechanism in the situation of European and Eurasian free trades zones overlapping. Vilnius Summit 2013 results test the "European aspirations" of the New Independent States and upset the ongoing process of the European Neighbourhood Policy in the context of growing economic interdependence in Wider Europe. Besides, the Ukrainian crisis escalation during 2014 as a new seat of tension provokes unbalance of the whole European security system and creates new dividing lines in Europe from Vancouver to Vladivostok.
INTERNET POLICY
47-52 1254
Abstract
Information and communication technologies (ICT) play an essential role in the improvement of the quality of life, economic and socio-political of individual countries and humanity in general. However, ICT development is fraught with new challenges and threats to international and national security. Interstate rivalry in the information sphere generates conflicts, an extreme form of which is an information war. Since 1998, the Russian initiative supports the international cooperation on information security at the global and regional level as well as within the framework of the bilateral relations. The article analyzes the characteristics of the global information society, which has a decisive influence on the international security in the information age, as well as international cooperation in this field. The analysis of Russian foreign policy initiatives in the field of international information security is also presented. Today more than 130 countries develop cyber capabilities, both defensive and offensive, that pose serious threats to the international stability. It's difficult to trace the source of information attacks and its consequences can be devastating and cause retaliation, including the use of conventional weapons. In this situation Russian approach, advocating for the development of the rules of conduct of States and demilitarization of information space in order to ensure its safety, seems urgent and relevant with the international situation.
53-60 3416
Abstract
The article presents a comparative analysis of the official presence on the Internet, including social networking sites, of the state diplomatic agencies of France, Italy, Russia, and others. A new form of "digital diplomacy" on the one hand provides new opportunities for the implementation of the state international politics, and on the other, imposes special requirements on its members. There is the feedback loop between the diplomatic and public agencies (a new phenomenon of the modern information society). Social media play an important role in shaping public opinion, which puts forward specific requirements for how information on the official pages of diplomatic offices in social networks. The new format of close cooperation between the public and diplomatic agencies makes the modern diplomacy more public and less restrained. In these circumstances, it is very important information without losing the initiative and applying new and modern means of communication with their particular style of communication, they can not fall the level of political culture, as happened with the diplomatic authorities of the USA and some other countries. Thus, the ongoing technological revolution complicates the interaction between the participants of international relations. The usage of digital technologies in the diplomatic activity opens up new possibilities for conducting a policy of «soft power» aimed to develop concerted action to overcome the political, social and economic crises, as well as develop the measures to prevent them.
61-67 1318
Abstract
This article analyzes the problems associated with the dismantling of the political regimes in modern states (both authoritarian and democratic type) and the role of technology in the process of color revolutions. Problems of dismantling of political regimes and the associated problems of color revolutions acquire extreme urgency and actuality in modern conditions. In the world history always there were problems associated with the dismantling of the political regimes. But formerly the instruments of dismantling included mostly violent methods in the classical sense, applied in armed coups, local armed conflicts, civil wars and military interventions. And the international community managed to develop effective methods to counter these threats and to create effective mechanisms for political control of these processes, even at the international level. Acuteness of the problem associated with the threat of military coups in the various countries of the world does not cease to be actual and not removed from the agenda, but for the whole international community this category of threats is familiar, and the world community knows how to react to it. However, today the world is changing, and technologies of armed coups are replaced by more subtle color revolutions technology that is cleverly disguised as a true revolutionary movement and virtually unopposed from both- countries witch fully developed democracy and of the Oriental type, preserved traditional livelihoods. Repetition of the scenario of color revolutions in Ukraine causes legitimate concern (well founded anxiety), since there is growing confidence that Ukraine -not the end point of this scenario, but simply a bargaining chip to the geopolitical game in which the brunt of American directors (producers) of color revolutions may be directed to Russia, China and Kazakhstan.
68-72 588
Abstract
What we understand is dependant on how we understand, by what means. With this in mind the electronic communication environment impact can be understood differently. The author singles out and interrelates lineality and simultaneity as the two competing modes of reasoning, whose application leads to strikingly contrasting results. The figure/ground approach, as it is practiced by contemporary researchers, allows to operate in the field more adequately. This fact is very important to know taking into consideration both its managerial potential and the educational promises. To add, the students today are known to be greatly influenced by the synchronous mode of perception and thinking as it is readily offered by electronic gadgets. On the other hand, they are often seen being estranged by the literary establishment's approaches still in use. In other words, there have emerged whole clusters of new problems in this respect both for the teachers and the studies themselves. To deal with them successfully, our task is to increasingly concentrate on renovating our electronic experiences communicating with the students to overcome the forthcoming difficulties in the process of promoting the new educational agenda and getting them adequately prepared for the new challenges of the electronic communication world. At to the notions which may be of great importance with this in mind, they include information retrieval, pattern recognition and interfacing, to name for the beginning just a few of them.
73-81 691
Abstract
The article is devoted to the research of Russian initiatives concerning its participation in international system of Internet governance. In the research, conceptual and theoretic basis for participation of state governments in Internet governance is given, academic discourse of this issue is assessed, the review of main Russian initiatives made from 2005 (since the second stage of the World Summit on Information Society) till the present day is carried out. The conclusion is made that the most successful Internet governance initiative of Russia is the implementation of cyrillic top level domains. Much less successful are Russian attempts to reconstruct existing organizational structure of Internet governance. Russian policy is assessed as a policy of preferring loud statements and PR rather than real influence on development of Internet technologies. Russia consideres Internet as political resource and tries to increase its influence on decision making process on a political, not operational level of Internet governance. The author states that federal government of the United States of America has fully lost the control on the domain name systems. These functions are going to be given to the private sector, while ICANN, which was established according to the Memorandum of Understanding/Joint Project Agreement with U.S. Department of Commerce, is becoming a truly independent international organization. Considering this, the author comes to the conclusion that political transformations for the sake of Russia are already made. He also forecast that next initiatives of Russia will be directed to the segmentation of the Internet.
82-87 1589
Abstract
The article presents the opposite, but dependent on each other's reality - Revolutionary War information,information security goals and objectives of their study within the scheme "challenge-response", methodological and analytical support, the role of elites and the information society in promoting information security. One of the features of contemporaneityis the global spread of ICT, combined with poor governance and other difficulties in the construction of innovation infrastructures that are based on them in some countries. This leads to the reproduction of threats, primarily related to the ability to use ICT for purposes that are inconsistent with the objectives of maintaining international peace and security, compliance with the principles of non-use of force, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, etc. In this regard, include such terms as "a threat of information warfare", "information terrorism" and so forth. Information warfare, which stay in the policy declared the struggle for existence, and relationships are defined in terms of "friend-enemy", "ours-foreign". Superiority over the opponent or "capture of its territory" is the aim of political activity. And information security, serving activities similar process of political control, including a set of components, is a technology until their humanitarian. From the context and the decision itself is the ratio of the achieved results of information and political influence to the target - a positive image of Russia. Bringing its policy in line with the demands of a healthy public opinion provides conductivity of theauthorities initiatives in the country and increases the legitimacy of the Russian Federation actions in the world.
HISTORY
92-100 687
Abstract
In 1714 the Catalans, being in the camp of the losers in the War of the Spanish Succession, finally lost any hope to gain independence. 300 years later, nationalists, who are in power now in Catalonia, want to take advantage of that memorable date by organizing a regional referendum in order to choose their own path of development. In the aggravating conflict of interests between Madrid and Barcelona both parties use not only political and propaganda measures, but also financial leverages of influence. The ethnonational issue in the multiethnic Spain is far from being solved, because for centuries the process of forming a unified Spanish state was characterized by political union of several genetically related (except Basque) ethnic communities, although with significant socio-cultural and linguistic differences among them. It is not coincidental that regional identity in Spain is still extremely strong, while the interethnic consolidation of the Spanish nation can be characterized as incomplete, which can be seen, particularly, in the intensification in recent decades of radical nationalist and separatist sentiments in Catalonia, the Basque Country and some other autonomies. Among reasons which escalated confrontation between supporters and opponents of Catalonian independence, we should mention the global financial crisis that hit the regions of Spain as well as the overall national economy. The separatists have many barriers on their way, starting from the constitutional provisions proclaiming Spain a united and indivisible state which impede to carry out regional plebiscites, and ending by an ambiguous attitude towards the hypothetical independence of Catalonia by both the residents of the region and in other parts of the country. It is important to keep in mind that in today's world the possibility of breaking large multiethnic state into ethnically constituting elements is more possible than 40-50 years ago. Disintegration of Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union and the emergence on the world political map of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and most recently of the Republic of Crimea - confirm this. The Catalonian nationalists in their arguments in favor of the sovereignty of Catalonia refer to the arbitrariness of the borders formed in the past between separate European countries and the regions. Modern state boundaries indeed are not the result of rational planning, democratic arrangements or consideration of the local population's opinion. In many ways, the current borders are the result of historical processes, often - of bloody wars and territorial annexations. In other words, they are the result of actions which are contrary to current international law and moral norms of behavior. Independent Catalonia is still a hypothesis, but under certain conditions and, more importantly, as a result of concerted efforts of regional nationalists it could become a reality.
ECONOMICS
101-107 767
Abstract
Mechanisms of centralized planning during the soviet period enabled to maintain balance of interests among hydrocarbon-rich Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan Turkmenistan on one hand and having enormous reserves of water Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on the other. After the collapse of the united state the latter group found out themselves under disadvantage: they have to buy oil and natural gas at world prices. At the same time downstream countries have continued to use their water resources at no cost. This standing cannot go on forever. Since the middle of the 1990s expert circles of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have been urging to recognize water resources as full-fledged goods. The idea is also met support in governmental circles. At the turn of the century Kyrgyz authorities even adopted notorious laws to regulate the introduction of paid water consumption at interstate level. Today expert circles of various Central Asian republics take polar views on the development of regional hydroeconomic sector. Midstream and downstream countries of Amu Darya and Syr Darya (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan) insist on retaining of the status quo in regional water distribution. At the same time the upstream countries persist in revision of old soviet system of water distribution. In addition, in spite of categorical protest of Uzbekistan, they are going to construct a number of large hydrotechnic buildings in the rivers. Among this antagonisms they often forget or just disregard the fact that the hydroeconomic sector is a comprehensive whole and therefore should develop within one integrated process on the basis of interstate cooperation of the regional republics.
108-116 842
Abstract
The article studies one of the key spheres of BRICS framework - energy security. Given the recent decline of economic growth rates in BRICS countries, highlighting of such areas as infrastructural funding and establishing of effective international financial regulatory institutions, beneficial cooperation in energy sector despite its importance for the national interests of member states, nowadays perspectives of BRICS cooperation in energy security seem to be unclear for the leading researchers and analysts. The article contemplates the evolution of energy cooperation issue in the context of BRICS summits. Besides,proceeding from the classification of energy resources into two groups - traditional ones and eco-fuels - the analysis helps to determine potential ways of interaction within the member states taking into account bothmotivating and constraining factors. However, notwithstanding the possibility of the intergroup multilateralrelations in this sphere and overall strengthening of economic ties among the members, the BRICS energy cooperation iscurrently of bilateral and unequally developed nature, which is determined by a number of historically formed circumstances and national interests.
117-125 773
Abstract
The article discusses quantitative methods of assessing systemic risk of the financial sector and the possibilities of their practical application. Systemic risk, which is manifested in the failure of financial services provision and deterioration of the financial system, is a complex concept that can be realized in several forms: the risk of infection, exogenous shock, leading to a simultaneous decline in all financial institutions, and the risk of «financial fragility accumulation". The main causes of the imbalances in the system are unjustified loose standards of risk assessment during economic booms, procyclical behavior of economic agents and asymmetric information. The spread of the risk is associated with the financial accelerator mechanism. Realization of systemic risk in the financial sector leads to serious negative consequences for the real sector not only in the national economy, but also abroad. Quantitative methods of risk assessment provide national authorities with useful information for macroprudential supervision aimed at maintaining financial stability. At the same time it is very important that the data used by the regulator is accurate and reliable. After 2008 crisis, a large number of qualitative approaches appeared, but they all reflect only certain aspects of the risk. The article focuses on stress tests, early-warning indicators, network models, VaR- methods and specific indices. According to research, different assessment methods produce different results. In addition, due to insufficient statistical database existing models are good at predicting crises with hindsight, but cannot identify stressful episodes ex-ante. Thus model results should be treated with caution and require further scrutiny. To get a holistic understanding of the systemic risk regulating authorities should apply different quantitative methods together with qualitative approaches and expert judgement.
126-132 869
Abstract
In the article the author analyses the role of government in developing the information technology sector in India, specifically its influence on the three factors that determine the development of the information technology sector: human resources, launch capital and infrastructure. By developing these factors, the Indian government has succeeded in prompt formation and promotion of the information technology sector. The development of human capital is mainly realized by developing public education programs. The establishment of close ties with the Indian diaspora played a crucial role. The diaspora acted as a link for transmission to India of expertise, investment and knowledge. The availability of start-up capital, especially venture capital, is another essential component for the success of the national information technology sector. The conditions created by a government for the development of the institution of venture investment in the country will be of fundamental importance. Thanks to the measures taken by the government of India, venture capital investment has become the main form of financing for start-ups in the information technology sector in India. Developed infrastructure is also an important factor in the development of the information technology sector. In India, a developing country with a vast territory, there was a problem of infrastructure development, and software technology parks became a solution to this problem for companies in the information technology sector. Over the past 20 years, software technology parks in India has evolved so that industrial parks created almost 50% of the total exports of the IT sector in India. The demonstrated state policy can be characterized as the model of state technological entrepreneurship according to which the Indian government played the roles of regulator, producer and promoter in the information technology sector and continues to do so until the present day.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
133-137 1502
Abstract
Global governance as a concept defines the meaning of contemporary world politics both as a discipline and as reality. Interdependent and globalized world requires governance, and a global government has not been formed yet. The theoretical possibility of global governance without global government is proved and justified. The purpose of this article is to analytically identify possible forms of global governance. Three such forms of global governance are identified: hierarchical, market and network. In a hierarchy the governance is due to the asymmetry of power between the parties. Market control happens via anonymous pricing mechanism. Network, in contrast to the market is characterized by a closer value link between the actors, but unlike the hierarchical relationship actors are free to leave the network. Global governance takes three forms and is being implemented by different actors. To determine the most efficient form of global governance is impossible. Efficiency depends on the match between a form and an object of government. It should be noted that meta governance is likely to remain a monopoly of institutionally strong states in global governance.
138-143 3864
Abstract
The important aim of national and Spanish historiography and political science is to study history and foreign policy of modern Spain. The author studied articles and monographies of spanish politicians and researchers ( M. Rahoy, I. Aries, A. Rubalcaba, I. Molina) for the preparation of this article during the scientific trip to Madrid (Complutense University, Faculty of Political Science and Sociology), which was held in the framework of cooperation between the Bank Santander and MGIMO (University). The paper analyzes the political and economic aspects of life in Spain, and its foreign policy of the period of government of Mariano Rajoy (from 2011 to the present time). The article is dedicated to actual problems of modern Spain: the economy and the priorities of the government of M.Rajoy, the problem of separatism and political system of the country. Modern Spain is still recovering economically from the euro debt crisis and continues to struggle with near-record unemployment. Domestic economic recovery of Spain and the country's foreign position are closely linked. The European integration process still remains the main strategic task of the spanish foreign policy. Spain increases its role in world politics and obtains a non-permanent UN's Security Council seat for the 2015-2016 term.
144-152 1107
Abstract
The article examines the history of the formation of Ukrainian nationalist parties "Svoboda" and "Praviy sektor". First, that they express a structured nationalism and Russophobia in Ukrainian political space. Secondly, in Russia it has become customary to identify one with another. The paper gives an overview of the basic civil identities in Ukraine, Eastern and Western. The author postulates that their conflict lies at the heart of the growing popularity of both nationalist parties. In addition, this process was provoked by the reunion of Crimea and Russia and by the civil war in the south-east of Ukraine. Before the Crimean crisis Ukrainian nationalism had primarily historical roots, and in many respects it was created by attitude of empire elites (the Russian and Soviet Empires) to Ukrainians and their nation-state formations. After March-2014 it began to acquire a geopolitical indication exactly - Russia is perceived as an enemy. Two of the most famous actors of the Ukrainian nationalists and anarchists parties in modern Russia are "Svoboda" and "Praviy sektor". They have fundamentally different origins. "Svoboda" is a systematic force in Ukrainian politics for almost 20 years. Unlike it "Praviy sektor" was established like a party only in December 2013 within a framework of the Euromaidan. Due to the inability to compare the electoral history of both parties the author pays attention to the comparative analysis of their ideologies. Specific manifestations of extremism of "Svoboda" and "Praviy sektor" are not subjects of this research.
153-160 1743
Abstract
Contemporary political regimes in Venezuela and Bolivia led by late Hugo Châvez (now by his successor Nicolas Maduro) and Evo Morales are considered by foreign and Russian scholars as part of the third wave of populism. In the 20th century Latin America already witnessed two waves of populism which coincided with significant political transitions, namely a transition from oligarchy to mass politics accompanied by implementation of import substitution industrialization policies, and a transition from authoritarian rule to democracy during the third wave of democratization which triggered neoliberal reforms inspired by Washington Consensus. This article presents common characteristics of Latin American populist regimes that emerged in different historical periods which help identify the origins as well as distinctive features of Venezuelan and Bolivian political regimes. It is stated that the Châvez and Morales left populist regimes resemble classic populist regimes in that they rely on incendiary anti-establishment discourse. Therefore, left populist regimes are characterized by high levels of polarization as well as weak institutionalization and class or indigenous orientation. Election of left populist leaders may lead to institutional deadlock, uneven playing field and transition to competitive authoritarianism.
161-173 1784
Abstract
More than 50 years the European Union member states (the European Economic Community up to 1993) maintain a special relations with Israel particularly in the trade sphere. Only in 2014 the export of Israeli products to Europe increased by 3%, amounting in absolute terms to a third of total exports of Israel. At the same time, the position of the EU with regard to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is clearly contrary to the real character of the mutual economic, scientific and technical cooperation. After the failure in 2001 of the Palestinian-Israeli negotiations aimed to reach a «Final-Status Agreement» in accordance with the Oslo Accords, the European Union made several attempts to limit the European market penetration of the Israeli products originating from the occupied territories (the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights). However, as can be seen from the contents of the article, there is no consensus between the EU member states with regard to the Israeli settlement policy. The study argues that all the decisions made so far in the European Union to limit Israeli export or reduce crediting of programs for scientific and technical cooperation used to be of declarative or vague character.
174-181 922
Abstract
The past two-three decades can be characterized by the period of global migration and sharp jump of migratory streams is connected with globalization and with the economic factor, generating labor movement behind resources from Third World countries to the countries with deficiency of labor. The desire to receive comfort life becomes the major reason, and the migrant makes the decision being guided by private interest more often instead of external factors. Western Europe became one of the most important center of gravity of migrants. During the post-war period the need of Europe in foreign labor for restoration of the economy destroyed by war, laid the foundation of mass international migration to this region. Globalization of migratory streams, penetration of foreign culture groups into structure of accepting society and prevalence of multicultural, multiethnic societies are important characteristics of a modern era. Western Europe became one of the most important centers of gravity of migrants. During the post-war period, the need of Europe in foreign labor for restoration of the economy destroyed by war laid the foundation of mass international migration to this region. Special relevance the problem of reception of immigrants, in particular from the Muslim countries, got for the former colonial powers, in particular Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Germany also faced this problem; migrants workers from other countries were required for the post-war restoration. Now Germany still is one of the main centers of an attraction of migrants, and concentration of them in this country annually increases. Despite the steps taken by the German government on elimination of Muslim isolation in the German society, its efforts did not bear fruits so far. The majority of Muslims live their life and are still torn off from high life of the country. A possible threat of destruction of the German community appeared when the various ethnic groups appeared in the country.
LAW
182-188 601
Abstract
CIS members legislation regulating judicial proceedings on individual constitutional complaints is in the process of development, the relevant problems are debated by leading experts on national and international level. In view of the aforesaid this article is devoted to core concept of constitutional complaint - the model of complaint and contains comparative legal analysis of models incorporated in legislation of CIS members in different historical periods. The author proposes to enlarge the list of objects of constitutional complaint so that it includes all types of normative acts as well as individual acts, i.e. to introduce the model of full constitutional complaint. The named measures are aimed to strengthen protection of constitutional human rights in Russia and also to decrease the number of complaints against Russia filed to European Court of Human Rights.
SOCIOLOGY
189-198 700
Abstract
The paper examines the role of food factor in the liberal biopolitics from its birth to the present day. According to the author, the consequences of this policy of food administration are ambivalent in character. On the one hand, there are real gains in mass production of food, its delivery to the consumer, medical supervision of the implementation of its quality. However, on the other hand, the basic principles of this biopolitics - scientism, formal rationalism, pragmatism and commercialism have not allowed to solve the problems of social inequality in the access to healthy food and of illuminating the hunger. In the end of the last century the liberal biopolitics acquired globo-networked and neo-liberal character but the corresponding transition from the national to the global scale administration of food production only intensified risks and challenges of modern human nutrition. In a number of countries including Russia there appeared the problems of food security. The adopted national programs to address these challenges in a "world risk society" (U. Beck) will not solve them without fully understanding and practical implementation of the principle of the indivisibility of food security for all peoples of the world and implementation of the global food security. To achieve this, the author believes, it is necessary to abandon the "repair" of the current neo-liberal wing of biopolitics and its pragmatic and mercantilist approaches to human nutrition and pass over to a humanistic biopolitics. There offered a concrete roadmap motion to it, in particular, intending to strengthen the natural sciences and engineering for the production of food with the theoretical instruments of social sciences and humanities; to replace the outdated positivistic, scientistic postulate «knowledge - power" with the formula of ethical, humanistically oriented responsibility of scientists: "the integral knowledge of all sciences - quality food for the health of all people"; to rediscover the nature of formal rationality and its modern variations that in practice lead to the organized social irresponsibility that can be substituted by different types of value rationality, the ideology of humanism, ethics of eating healthy organic food produced in "ecologically friendly environment".
199-208 652
Abstract
The author analyzes the transformation of the Russian food practices and reveals their discursive and institutional determinants. Feeding practices go beyond the satisfaction of biological needs of human food. They include a range of habitual actions, structured by the rules that are not determined by the physiology and the economy as a system of food production, but social institutions, cultural values, traditions and dominant discourses. Dynamics of food plays practices inherent peculiarities of Russian modernization transformations, which consist in the inversion transition character diametrically opposite types of the institutional organization and value orientations. During the period of economic reforms of the 90-th years of the twentieth century, there was a sharp institutional transition from the Soviet system of distribution of the food to the market system. It turned out to shock for most of the population and led to a controversial change in food practices. On the one hand, the deficit of food disappeared, on the other hand due to the socio-economic stratification the inequality has increased. In addition, the food market was almost completely dominated by profit-oriented manufacturers and retailers, which gave rise to problems of quality and food safety. These problems led to the actualization and interpenetration of medikalized and environmental discourses which reflect a massive concern. The food market development has also led to the marketization and spektaklization of the food practices. This is reflected in the promotion of products through a system of symbols that appeal to irrational emotions, myths, habits and traditions. Diverse discourses of the food practices - medikalizationed, environmental, hedonistic and other discourses, appear as a show representing the various, sometimes conflicting, rules of everyday activities. The functionality of the spektaklization is that it maintains an interest in the field of nutrition as a cultural phenomenon; emphasizes its importance and value. The spektaklization of food is in line traceable to the post-Soviet period general trend of increasing attention to the daily life, transforming it from a repressed and insignificant in the scope of the object of attention and cultivation.
209-218 1417
Abstract
The article analyzes some scientific approaches to nutrition research and current nutrition practices for students of two Moscow Universities. The author notes that the necessity for scientific studying of food has been understood at the end of the XIX - the beginning of the XX centuries. In the article the social context of three directions of researches of a nutrition problem is analyzed: natural-scientific, ethnographic and sociological. The answer to a question why the healthy nutrition for modern society is an actual problem is given. It is shown that modern social transformations have changed sociocultural regulation of nutrition consumption. The variety of scientific approaches to food is revealed: a food as a factor of physical health, a food as an ethnocultural tradition, a food as a social habit and marker of the social status of the individual. The special emphasis is made on the European sociology of food. In the last thirty years in this area, some special sociological theories were formed: sociology of nutrition, sociology of food, sociology of menu, etc. Consumer abundance in modern western society changed a view of sociologists on essence and functions of food. New social factors give now more pressure on the nutrition practices. Based on food diaries and essays of 60 Moscow students, the author's project shows and analyzes the current nutrition practices of youth. The analysis of some peculiarities in the youth choice of food is made. The influence of social/dietary/religious norms on food behavior of students is shown. Value of "healthy food" in youth interpretation is shown. In the end of the article, the author notes the dialectics of freedom / social pressure for nutrition practices of modern youth.
219-227 738
Abstract
The paper analyzes the genesis of modern political humor and determines its position in the system of spiritual relations in society. The formation of the need to comprehend social relations by means of humor during progressive transition from traditional to modern society is investigated. We note that humor is essentially a social phenomenon. A fundamental distinction between humor formed in the modern period and humor of previous times is the presence of reflexivity. New kind of humor has also dealt with political relations began to be interpreted by means of humor culture. In the course of research we found that comic interpretation of politics became feasible due to the legislative fixation of individual rights as a part of modern political culture. The emancipated personality demonstrates more complicated expectations to a political institute and experiences acute dissatisfaction as state authorities have often made decisions not appropriate to such expectations. For the individual as sovereign entity political humor became a sort of social and psychological compensation. An author pays attention to the fact that the social subject having shown such a reaction was formed during the second half of XIX and the beginning of XX centuries because of the dissemination of the print media and was named «the audience». The audience became a key agent of humorous reflection about the political institute. As a case that grounds the applicability of this theory to the practice the paper considers the example of inclusion of specific comic genre (political caricature) in the social discourse in the West and in Russia.
228-235 584
Abstract
The world sociological thought pays more attention to the dynamics of urban-rural relations within the modernization of the living space. Their achievements are highlighted in the paper. Social problems of rural society that is changing and is being changed under the influence of development of network relations with the city are suggested to be analyzed in the context of living space of a new quality that is forming in the modern world. Sociological vision of the concept is presented on the base of international urban-rural theoretical constructs, explaining formation of a new establishing space by specifics of social capital, influence of living environment on space configuration, and historical retrospective of rural society institualization under the conditions of globalization and development of network relations. The difference between concepts 'living environment' and 'living space' is explained in the broader context of the second one. Unlike subjects it includes actors with their various ties like internet, new types of mobility of people, goods and capitals towards the city that go far and far outside local of inhabiting and are not restricted just by subjective world of place of inhabiting. Social space localization in definite living environment, according to the author's viewpoint, possesses important social and cultural value. Living space analysis is structured by differentiation of social groups based on social and cultural causality. The author brings value and cultural basis of changes in social actions of citizens of a modern village and traces the role of social and cultural environment on development of network processes in a rural territory. It is underlined how demographic resources of a rural society lead to the lost of relations that are formed on a community type rather than on a society type. Processes of urbanization of a rural area and rurbanization of the society are given in an axiological perspective. Three dimensions of sustainability of urban-rural relations are described: including economic, social and environmental spheres. The author supposes that evaluation of social capital of each of spatial communities study of social norms, values and behavioral standards will promote prognosis of the potential of modern rural-urban space as a base for institualization of new urban-rural relations. Attention has been drawn to the necessity to develop new urban-rural dichotomy and oppose not rural/urban spaces but areas, both urban and rural, that change and are being changed under the influence of introspection.
PHILOLOGY
236-244 757
Abstract
The article presents a sociocultural lingual description of ethnic labels created within rhyming slang (Rh.sl.) and used to refer to Europeans. The study and description of ethnic stereotypes and labels have attracted attention of researchers due to the practical significance in regulating, controlling and manipulating the direct contacts and interaction between different ethnic groups. The authors have focused their attention on the so-called «hidden» or «implicit» forms of Rh.sl. Along with the explicit, direct, offensive and non-politically correct ethnic labels and nicknames there are quite a few with a deceptive, innocuous shape that conceals their offensive content. That's why they should be perceived as potentially (if not indeed) offensive names. The authors put the ethnic labels produced in Rh.sl into this category. Since Rh.sl. is subject to a strong influence of the word play and its items are perceived as humorous and ironic nominations, they are not always discerned as offensive by the English speakers. The article contains a linguistic-and-socio-cultural analysis of some implicit forms of ethnic insult of the Germans, the French, the Italians, the Spaniards, the Portuguese and some other Europeans as well as the native inhabitants of the British Isles. The undertaken analysis of ethnic labels as used to name people from Europe has revealed a broad spectrum of Rh.sl. ethic labels. The description was based on extra-linguistic factors (geographical, demographic, social) comprising the settlement and resettlement, compact presence on a certain territory, statehood. In this respect, there is an ethnic group that falls out - the gypsies (or Roma), as they are scattered across the world and still have a nomadic and semi-nomadic way of life.
245-252 707
Abstract
Since the jurisprudence reflects relations between the institutions, bodies and organizations of the EU and native speakers, the EU Court of Justice plays a huge role in shaping the legal discourse. Relations between the EU and citizens show the effectiveness of the principle of multilingualism, that is apparent before the Court. The enlargement of the Union to 28 member States and, accordingly, the increase of the number of official languages to 24 complicate the implementation of the principle of multilingualism and create many problems for the EU Court of Justice: legal, linguistic, budget, translation. All documents of the Court are not translated into 24 EU official languages completely and often limited to summaries. All documents are translated only into French and proceeding languages, for the scale of the translation work have a direct impact on the timing of legal proceedings. To provide help in written translations, much work is carried out in the Court on drawing up dictionaries, thesauri, where multilingualism is fully manifested. On the use of languages and language regime, There is an extensive legal practice, however, the term «multilingualism» is not used by the Court, despite the recognition of the principle of equality of all official languages, perhaps, due to the fact that the Court itself not always follows it. The article shows that multilingualism as a legal concept and principle opens up, sometimes adjacent to the already distinguished objects of regulation, new areas of legal research. Comparison of legal solutions to the problems of multilingualism in different states with a variety of languages, law and order, or in international organizations, lays basis of "comparative linguistic law" Now in the doctrine of law of the European Union neither the linguistic law, nor the comparative linguistic law do not exist, but to provide cooperation in the field of justice and mutual recognition of judicial decisions on the basis of the principle of multilingualism, the EU has adopted the Directive on the right to interpretation and translation in the framework of criminal proceedings.
253-261 695
Abstract
The article deals with the phenomenon of idiomatic nominals with the incorporated object, which are English complex nouns of a definite concept structure. The author regards them as a result of conceptual blending. According to the modern linguistic theory (G. Fauconnier, M.Turner), conceptual blending is one of the basic operations of human cognition. It is involved in metaphorisation and metonimisation processes, in the formation of idiomatic lexical units and is an important element of noun incorporation. In course of conceptual blending source domains, being 'conceptual links created in the process of thinking and speech with the aim of understanding a particular situation and acting within its framework'are superimposed. This results in a new, blended conceptual domain that has elements of source domains. In terms of landuage, a conceptual structure can be represented by means of a complex noun that has the following structure: N + V + -er (noun stem+verb stem+agent suffix) or N + V + -ing (noun stem+verb stem+process suffix). These nouns have since recently been called nominals with the incorporated object. Idiomatic nominals with the incorporated object, such as bean counter, eye-opener, backstabber are interesting to study as an example of a two-level conceptual blending. The formation of the concept in each situation can follow several stages, including the compression of the argument structure (which is necessary forthis type of nominals), together with singular optional components or a combination of optional components.These may include cognitive metaphor, metonymy alone or combined, or literalisation alone or combined with metaphor (usually confined to one certain situation).
PEDAGOGY
262-267 535
Abstract
The author considers the issues related to the development of the theoretical platform and the methodology for a model used to control and evaluate educational achievements at the Russian-based university-level foreign-language using such foreign practices as merit point system, testing technology and traditional controls. Having analyzed European practices of control and evaluation of students' foreign language proficiency, in particular, the experience of France, she advocates for the adoption by the national university system of the best available foreign methodology in the field. The article depicts the proprietary model for the comprehensive assessment of the educational outcomes of the internationally majoring students in the French language. The model, customized for Russian universities, is based on the professionally oriented competence-based practical course of the French language for internationally majoring students designed by the author. With the regard to that content and basing on DELF, DALF and TCF language tests and exercise systems for the French language studies by European and Russian practitioners, she advances her own testing, communication and translation exercises toolbox. That comprehensive evaluation model was successful tested at the MGIMO. In the course of that experiment, national testing techniques and the content of linguistic tests and didactic tools were streamlined with the European requirements.
268-273 527
Abstract
The article analyses characteristic changes of civic and patriotic component in the modern world and notes characteristic features and problems in forming civic consciousness of university students. The author gives special attention to bringing up a citizen in the context of modernizing the system of education and studies the main aspects of building civic competence in students of international relations. The article further considers the correlation between the concepts of "civic consciousness" and "patriotism" at the present stage within the framework of professional training of international relations specialists who stand for state interests, and presents a historical survey of building civic consciousness in future diplomats at the Collegium of Foreign Affairs in the 18th-19th-century Russia. The author stresses the importance of building up civic responsibility and legal consciousness as a reflection of state interests. The author determines and gives solid grounding to the role of civic competence in the professional training of future international relations specialists in accordance with the Federal state education standards of higher education (3rd edition) showing the necessity of developing high professional responsibility based on axiological and spiritual values. The writer comes to the conclusion that it is necessary to study the philosophical, psychological and pedagogical aspects of the process of forming civic consciousness of international relations specialists.
BOOK REVIEWS
ISSN 2071-8160 (Print)
ISSN 2541-9099 (Online)
ISSN 2541-9099 (Online)