Our time is characterized by rapid and significant changes in technology, politics, culture, and methods of education and upbringing. As a result, we see significant cultural differences between generations. These differences manifest themselves in characteristics such as motivation, values, attitudes toward technology and work, life goals and views, life strategies, and communication methods. On the one hand, representatives of the older generation and, on the other, students and young professionals with higher education are interested in constructive and effective interaction. However, due to cultural differences, both sides find it difficult to achieve mutual understanding. The older generation can solve this problem by carefully studying the characteristics of modern youth motivation. Practical research on motivation is especially important, since it is motivation that determines the behavior and activities of both social groups and individuals. The aim of this work is to thoroughly investigate the motivational priorities of young students, detailing their content and relative significance. The study employed unstructured surveys, group discussions, and scientific analysis. The survey was completed in May–June 2023 among fourth-year study groups. A total of 542 final-year bachelor’s degree students from Moscow and branches of the Financial University of the Russian Federation participated in the study. The study identified seven motivational priorities characteristic of modern graduates; describes the specific content of each of these motivational priorities; and determines the relative importance of the identified priorities and how they differ in importance between men and women. In general, today’s bachelor’s degree graduates can be characterized as individualists and hedonists. Young people are motivated to work, provided that the job allows them to build a career, gives them the opportunity for self-fulfillment, and ensures financial well-being. Almost half of the respondents want to work for themselves, developing their own business. Broad social interests and patriotism are practically non-existent. There is little desire for charity. There is a strong desire to have passive income and travel the world extensively. They most value material well-being as well as personal and family happiness. Our results are consistent with those of most recent studies on similar topics. Employers need to take into account the motivational priorities of university graduates in order to interact constructively with job applicants and young employees.

This article analyzes the impact of volunteerism on the development of professional competencies and the career trajectory of today’s youth. Using an interdisciplinary approach, this paper explores the theoretical aspects of volunteering as an informal educational institution, the functional mechanisms for transferring soft skills to the professional environment, and the correlation between volunteer experience and the career aspirations of university and college graduates. Particular attention is paid to the paradox of the devaluation of volunteer experience: despite employers’ high demand for supraprofessional competencies, the very fact of volunteering is often excluded from the formal assessment system of applicants. The article substantiates the thesis about the uneven conversion of volunteer capital: activities in event management and project offices provide a significant impetus for career growth, while social and everyday volunteering has a less pronounced impact on professional self-identification. Promising areas of development include the institutionalization of a volunteer’s digital portfolio and the integration of volunteer practices into higher education programs. The study’s empirical basis consists of surveys of students and HR specialists, revealing an asymmetry in perceptions: young people view volunteering as a testing ground for professional roles and network expansion, while recruiters lack valid methods for assessing volunteer experience. The need for standardized tools and mechanisms for independent certification — from structured competency-based interviews to digital footprint analysis on volunteer platforms: is substantiated. Reflective support plays a key role: practice diaries, supervision, mentoring programs, and portfolios allow for the explicable growth of cross-professional skills. Event-based, project-based, and intellectual volunteering are identified as areas of maximum professionalization, as opposed to episodic social and everyday activities. The potential for integrating service-learning approaches into curricula is emphasized, ensuring synergy between civic engagement and academic preparation.

The article presents a conceptualization of the relationship between discourses and social change and proposes the author’s analytical model for studying the impact of discourses on social change. The relevance of the study is determined by the high intensity of social transformations, the acceleration of information flows, the increasing complexity of the mechanisms through which collective representations are formed, as well as the growing role of mass communication and digital media in the production and dissemination of meanings. Of particular importance in this context is the question of how social changes become thinkable, legitimate, and practically feasible through discursive constructions. In this regard, discourse is considered not only as a form of describing ongoing processes, but also as a mechanism involved in the construction of social reality. The purpose of the study is to conceptualize the relationship between discourses and social change through clarifying the concept of discourse, defining social change, and identifying the mechanisms through which discourse affects cognitive orientations, social practices, and institutional orders. The work is theoretical and conceptual in nature; it employs the methods of comparative analysis, conceptual synthesis, and analytical reconstruction of classical and contemporary sociological approaches to “discourse” and “social change.” The main results of the study are as follows: the concept of discourse is clarified as a field of meaning that includes signs and meanings reproduced within the communicative field and interpreted depending on internal and external factors; social change is defined as long-term and supra-individual shifts in rules, resources, schemes of interpretation, and forms of reproduction of social structure; it is demonstrated that the impact of discourse on social change operates at the cognitive, behavioral, and structural levels; it is substantiated that discourse becomes a mechanism of social change when a new interpretation is combined with the coordination of actions and subsequent institutional consolidation. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the theoretical clarification of the mechanism linking discourse and social change through the identification of three interrelated levels of impact. Its practical significance consists in the possibility of using the proposed conceptualization as a theoretical framework for further empirical studies of the discursive mechanisms of social change.

The paper analyzes “echo chambers” as a digital manifestation of deep-seated socio-cultural divisions that predated the internet era. The author challenges the notion of technological determinism, arguing that digital platforms did not create social segregation from scratch, but merely scaled up pre-existing latent tensions. The study addresses the “connectivity paradox”: the phenomenon where unprecedented access to global information leads to ideological fragmentation into isolated semantic clusters rather than public consensus. The central aim is to re-evaluate how digital environments catalyze the transition of long-standing social conflicts into rigid networked structures. Furthermore, the author provides a theoretical framework for “tribal cognition,” treating it as a rational adaptation strategy for individuals facing information overload and a collapse of institutional trust. This theoretical work is based on an interdisciplinary synthesis of cognitive adaptation theory and sociological analysis of digital environments, drawing on the concepts of Cass R. Sunstein and Joshua Greene. The research methodology includes a comparative analysis of “filter bubble” theories and contemporary media studies focusing on algorithmic regulation and the post-truth phenomenon. Academic publications analyzing the shift from epistemological to identity-based information processing strategies served as the primary source of information. The study reveals a fundamental transformation of cognitive strategies, in which information shifts from an epistemological category to an identificational one, making group loyalty a higher priority than factual accuracy. It is demonstrated that the technical permeability of digital “bubbles” does not lead to constructive dialogue; instead, exposure to an alternative agenda triggers the “backfire effect” and affective polarization, where the opponents’ arguments are perceived as an existential threat to the group’s core values. The findings regarding the priority of identity-based cognition align with Joshua Greene’s concept of “moral tribes,” indicating the potential for further research into the neuropsychological mechanisms of group signaling. The identified backfire effect in digital environments corrects techno-optimistic views on information accessibility, setting a direction for future work on finding new institutional models to restore public trust in objective knowledge.

In the context of late modernity, characterized by the erosion of traditional social structures and intensification of individualization, local identity becomes a key mechanism for the symbolic rooting of individuals, compensating for the fragmentation of social ties and uncertainty of life trajectories. Research on territorial identity traditionally focuses on historically formed cities, whereas innovation clusters are predominantly analyzed from an economic perspective, leaving the mechanisms of local identity formation in technological spaces created from scratch insufficiently studied. This study focuses on this problem by examining the Skolkovo Innovation Center as a model space where the visual environment is deliberately constructed to support innovation culture and emotional engagement of residents. The purpose of the article is to identify mechanisms for constructing local identity through visual elements of the urban environment in an innovation cluster. The empirical research was conducted in 2025 at the territory and included 12 in-depth expert interviews with key actors shaping the urban environment. Informant selection was based on criteria of professional expertise in urbanism or territory branding and interaction experience with the center of at least one year. As a result, two dominants of the territory’s visual code were identified: functionally oriented symbolism expressing values of technological progress, intellectual freedom, and flexibility through metaphors of scientific discoveries, and historical-mythological symbolism based on the local legend of Kazimir Malevich as a symbol of artistic pioneering. It was established that the cluster’s visual environment forms local identity as a resource for emotional engagement and professional motivation, ensuring cognitive orientation and symbolic appropriation of space. The findings expand understanding of the role of visual environment in identification processes, demonstrating its significance for innovation spaces alongside traditional cities. The identified principles of symbolic code construction are applicable for designing technological territories in Russia to attract highly qualified specialists. The obtained data opens prospects for comparative analysis of various innovation clusters considering their sociocultural context.

The scholarly aim of this article has two main directions. The first outlines a variable distinction between the “mechanistic,” or in other words abstract cybernetic, model of the political system found in Russian political science textbooks, and the “organistic” one. If the first model is democratic in essence, presenting the political system as an example of selfregulation and sustainable development, then “organicism” demonstrates the inadequacy of such a model. The “egg theory” and the artificial neural network deny any harmony between the center and the periphery, which lacks access to technologies, resources, and methods of political governance. This circumstance requires identifying within the political system its “core” as a truly ruling, closed-type elite that has appropriated all informational capital and the freedom to use it. The second direction demonstrates the impossibility of applying “organicism” where democracy has received ideological justification and has been formally established at the constitutional level.

Introduction. Branding of the territory is one of the tools for attracting investments to the region. This paper examines a new form of territorial branding in Russia in the context of the transformation of the domestic political environment at the present stage. This article is devoted to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of a specific case — the Vologda Oblast, where, with the change of political elites in 2023, the territory’s rebranding began. The purpose of the study is to determine the perception of the Vologda Oblast rebranding by Russians. Research methods: survey (questionnaire), retrospective analysis, comparative analysis, statistical analysis, qualitative content analysis of regulatory legal acts, speeches of political actors and publications in the media. The main research method was a questionnaire survey, in which 2,050 people from Vologda (45%) and residents of other regions of Russia (55%) took part according to the “snowball” principle. The results of the study. The branding of the Vologda Region solves two tasks: uniting residents inside and attracting investments. The regional rebranding is due to factors such as domestic tourism development policy, external sanctions restrictions, regional competition, a change in local elites, and the “patriotism” of public sentiment. The new branding of the region “The Place of power of the Russian World” was actively developed at the initial stage and was associated with the electoral image of the head of the region. According to the results of the survey, it was revealed that residents have formed a regional identity, the old and new branding options have a positive perception among Vologda residents with greater support for the traditional one. Vologda residents associate the rebranding of the region with the practical goals of the regional government. Residents of other regions do not have a complete image of the Vologda Oblast; they have only scattered associations. Russian slogan “The place of power of the Russian world” is perceived more easily and has a stronger symbolic potential for tourists than “The Soul of the Russian North”, which requires additional semantic accompaniment. Conclusions. Branding “The Soul of the Russian North” is better suited for domestic politics, while the “Place of Power of the Russian World” is better suited for external promotion. To improve the tourist attractiveness of the region, it is necessary to improve the visual accompaniment of both branding options. It is also necessary to set goals to increase awareness of the region’s branding, their positive perception among residents and the recognition of the region as a tourist destination among residents of other regions of Russia.

The article is aimed at examining the structural and typological model of media frames of the civilizational confrontation between Russia and Western countries. This paper analyzes the mechanisms of formation and functioning of media frames in the context of information warfare. Media frames are considered as interpretative constructions that have a significant impact on the public perception of specific events and processes. By conducting a frame analysis of materials published by both pro-Russian and opposition authors, four main types of media frames were identified. These include: «survival», «moral imperatives», «expediency», and «development». Each of the highlighted frames has two aspects, reflecting either an emphasis on Russia’s victory or defeat. The study provides a detailed description of the markers and semantic content of each frame, as well as analyzes their role in the process of forming public opinion and determining the information agenda.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the current state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of protecting and strengthening traditional spiritual and moral values. Based on Presidential Decree No. 809 dated November 9, 2022, and related strategic documents, the article explores the basic concepts, historical background, and practical mechanisms for implementing this policy. Special attention is given to the role of state institutions, the education system, culture, and the information space in shaping the values of society. In the context of global geopolitical and sociocultural transformations, the issues of preserving national and cultural identity have become a top priority on the state agenda. For Russia, which has a unique civilizational experience, the response to these challenges is formulated within the framework of a policy to protect traditional spiritual and moral values. This course, which was legally established in 2022, is a systematic response to the threats of cultural sovereignty erosion and aims to consolidate society around shared values. The purpose of this article is to explore the content, legal framework, and main directions of this policy through the following objectives: analyzing the legal acts governing the implementation of measures to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values in educational institutions, and justifying the need to integrate the institution of social partnership into education, culture, family, and religion, which are the core of this policy aimed at preserving and strengthening the values of the state. In the course of the study, the authors used a comprehensive and monographic analysis, generalization, and a synthesized approach. The theoretical methodology was based on the works of contemporary economists, legislative acts of the Russian Federation, official publications, materials from scientific and practical conferences, and more. The authors proposed the involvement of social partners as a necessity for achieving the goal of the state national policy to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.

Introduction. Constitutional scholarship usually treats judicial federalism as a set of disputes over the allocation of powers between the federal center and territorial units. A comparative political perspective changes the picture. Courts do more than settle conflicts that have already surfaced; by interpreting competences, the limits of territorial autonomy, and common constitutional standards, they shape the effective model of federation. That gap between the formal constitutional design and the real architecture of multilevel authority frames the inquiry. Purpose. The article identifies the political role of judicial federalism in the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Russian Federation. Method. The study combines an institutional approach, comparative analysis, and case-study research. It draws on recent scholarship on federalism and judicial federalism, comparative work on multilevel governance, and a body of judicial practice placed in the notes. Results. The comparison shows that judicial federalism works as a mechanism of institutional mediation between levels of public authority: pendular in the United States, cooperative-balancing in Germany, and predominantly unifying in Russia. Conclusion. Judicial federalism is best understood as a way in which higher courts and bodies of constitutional review participate in producing the real structure of federation.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of state migration policy in the Russian Federation during a period of heightened geopolitical instability. It investigates the fundamental paradigm shift from a liberal-economic model, primarily focused on quantitatively replenishing the workforce, to a securitized model of “controlled stay.” The study addresses the friction between the national economy’s objective demographic demand for foreign labor and the imperatives of national security. Particular emphasis is placed on regulatory reforms, the digitalization of migration control, and the implementation of organized recruitment mechanisms. The author identifies a misalignment between outdated institutional approaches and emerging hybrid challenges, proposing a resolution to the “development–security” dichotomy through the introduction of differentiated legal regimes for various categories of migrants.

This article presents the results of a study which purpose was to identify the structural and substantive features of the representation of science issues in Brazil’s foreign policy discourse for the period from 2019 to 2025. A constructivist approach served as the methodological basis. The study consisted of four stages. Firstly, a sample (n = 488) of texts from Brazil’s foreign policy discourse was shaped. Secondly, a content analysis, which included selecting texts containing lexemes related to science from a pre-compiled set and determining quantitative indicators of the representation of science issues in the discourse under consideration, was conducted. Thirdly, content analysis was used to reveal priority areas of Brazil’s bilateral and multilateral interactions, during events related to which speeches were made mentioning lexemes from the designated set. Fourthly, narrative analysis was used to reveal narratives about science presented in Brazil’s foreign policy discourse. The study found that science issues were featured in nearly a third of the analyzed texts. Colombia as a direction for bilateral cooperation and BRICS as a format for multilateral interactions encompassing science had the highest discursive representation over the period. The content of several narratives is rooted, among other things, in the roles of country’s scientific development instrument and its reputation improvement instrument that science diplomacy plays in Brazil’s foreign policy.

The present paper provides a comprehensive sociological examination of the process of promoting the Russian language abroad amidst increasing global language competition and the transformation of the international environment. The relevance of the study stems from changes in the structure of Russia’s humanitarian ties with foreign countries, the digitalization of education, the politicization of language initiatives, and the importance of enhancing the institutional effectiveness of Russia’s foreign language policy. In today’s environment, language promotion extends beyond a purely cultural mission, requiring close ties with the educational, scientific, and digital spheres. The methodological framework of the study is based on an institutional approach, elements of the sociology of education, cultural sociology, and a comparative analysis of language promotion models in the Russian Federation and China. In this article, the authors identify key internal problems (outdated methodological techniques, inter-institutional fragmentation consisting of duplication of functions, insufficient coordination of actors, weak digital integration, and limited effectiveness monitoring) and external barriers (politicization of the Russian language, competition with global languages, cultural distance, digital and economic constraints, and linguistic difficulties) that hinder effective promotion abroad. The study revealed the mutual reinforcement of internal and external factors, which is the main reason for the declining sustainability of Russian language policy. As a strategic conclusion, the authors substantiate the need to transition from a fragmented institutional model to an ecosystem approach, which enables successful coordination of actors, digital infrastructural integration, an increase in the functional and pragmatic value of the language, and its adaptation to the international context. The promotion of the Russian language is viewed as a process of reproducing cultural and social capital, requiring strategic coherence and long-term planning against the backdrop of a complex geopolitical situation. The authors emphasize that the stability of the high international status of the Russian language depends on its ability to simultaneously serve as a cultural asset, a powerful educational resource, and a tool for academic mobility integrated into the process of global intercultural interaction.

The article examines the problem of the formation of value orientations of Russian youth under the influence of musical practices mediated by digital media platforms. The relevance of the study is due to the deep integration of music into the everyday communicative environment and the space of identity formation of generation Z, for whom algorithmically curated streaming and social networks have become the main channels of cultural content consumption. The research problem lies in studying the dialectics of the influence of digital music: its ability to serve simultaneously as a mechanism of cultural hegemony and a channel for counter-hegemonic statements, an instrument of integration and a field for differentiation. The theoretical framework is built at the intersection of sociology of youth, media studies and social philosophy, which allows us to consider music as a significant social factor involved in the processes of socialization and construction of collective identity. Data from modern sociological studies, recording the value profile of Russian youth and their transition to an autonomous media reality, are used as an empirical context. Particular attention is paid to the phenomenon of music memes as a key format of collective meaning-making in the digital age. In conclusion, the necessity of applying a comprehensive methodology combining discourse analysis, digital methods and qualitative interviews for empirical study of the relationship between music consumption and value transformations is substantiated.

This article analyzes the conceptual and historical dimensions of the “Turkic millennium” concept in Iranian history. The authors conduct a systematic analysis of the succession of ruling dynasties from the 11th to the early 20th centuries and identify the key political, military, and administrative mechanisms that underpinned the dominance of the Turkic elite, as well as assess its role in the development of modern Iranian statehood. Particular attention is paid to models of the supraethnic empire, which combined Turkic military and political power with the Persian administrative and cultural apparatus. The work provides an in-depth analysis of the historiographical turning point of 1925, which entailed a paradigm shift from imperial to national statehood and a targeted revision of the historical narrative. The authors examine the contemporary implications of this historical period, including issues of ethnic identity, language policy, and the contested nature of heritage in present-day Iranian-Azerbaijani relations. The study concludes that the modern Iranian state is, to a considerable extent, a product of the Turkic imperial legacy, which exists in a complex symbiosis with the ancient Persian cultural tradition. The practical significance of the work lies in the potential to apply the proposed analysis to understanding contemporary ethnopolitical processes and historical memory in the region. The study concludes that it is necessary to reconsider established historiographical frameworks and take into account the centuries-old Turkic factor as a constitutive element of Iran’s history.