RUSSIA’S PATHS IN THE FUTURE: IS OUR SOCIETY READY TO BECOME A "GOOD SOCIETY"?

Ekaterina Koval

Sergey Ushkin

Actual theoretical and methodological trend in Russian and Western sociology is the reference to social and ethical problematics. In this connection, so the authors, praxeological significance obtains the notion of social imaginary – «good society». Models of «good society» are constructed basing on values and norms of everyday life. Substantial characteristics of a «good society» are being worked out in the framework of the discussion of liberals and communitarians. It is necessary to carry out an empirical analysis of the value-normative content of social good for the development of a generalized model that goes beyond this discussion, and is adapted to current Russian social realities. In this article the authors try to identify main structural elements of a «good society» relevant to these Russian conditions. The empirical basis of research results from the author’s questionnaire survey «Normative foundations of a “good society”» in April–July 2016 in the branches of the All-Russian State University of Justice (RLA of the Ministry of Justice of Russia) in twelve Russian cities. The choice of students of legal specialties as an object of research is motivated by the fact that they are promising social group already in the near future to use their professional skills for normative construction and reproduction of society that is understood at least as viable. The study revealed a significant gap between «ought» and «is» in the social imaginary of the youth, especially for such values as income and ecology. The authors argue that Russian society today contains both elements of a «good society» and the prerequisites for its further improvement.