What does the social sphere include? Social and public sphere. Economic area of ​​public activity

Introduction 2

Approaches to defining the social sphere 3

Structure of the social sphere 6

Social sphere of society and social policy 9

Conclusion 12

References 13

Introduction.

The social sphere is a complex system, unified in its quality and purpose and multifunctional due to the complexity and ambiguity of the reproduction process, differentiated subjects of life with their needs, abilities, and diversity of interests. It is a self-organizing and organized system at the same time, a multi-subject and multi-level system. This makes it a very difficult object for theoretical and empirical analysis.

Despite the enormous role that the social sphere plays in the life of society, there is still no consensus among scientists on the definition of the social sphere.

In my work, I will present several points of view on this issue. I will also describe the main approaches to structuring the social sphere and the criteria on which they are based. The last part of my work presents the main features of social policy as a tool for managing the social sphere.

Approaches to defining the social sphere of society.

Traditionally, social scientists distinguish the following main spheres of society - economic, spiritual, political and social. The economic sphere is understood as a system of economic relations that arises and is reproduced in the process of material production. The system of relations between people, reflecting the spiritual and moral life of society, constitutes the spiritual sphere. The political sphere includes a system of political and legal relations that arise in society and reflect the attitude of the state to its citizens and their groups, citizens to the existing state power.

The social sphere covers the entire space of a person’s life - from the conditions of his work and life, health and leisure to social, class and national relations. The social sphere includes education, culture, healthcare, social security, physical education, public catering, and public services. It ensures the reproduction, development, and improvement of social groups and individuals. Despite this, there are still debates about the definition of the social sphere and its allocation as the main sphere of society.

The development of theoretical understanding of the social sphere began with the advent of philosophy and each generation of scientists, considering the problems of social life through the prism of the requirements of their time, built various concepts and models of social existence.

In the literature, several approaches to the essence of the concept of “social sphere” can be distinguished. The first defines it through the totality of large social groups of classes, nations, peoples, and so on. This approach consolidates the division of society into various social groups, but at the same time the social sphere loses its functional characteristics, the main one of which is ensuring the reproduction of society. For example: “the central link of the social sphere is social communities and relationships.” The concept of the social sphere in this interpretation coincides with the concept of the social structure of society. “Social structure means the objective division of society into separate layers, groups united on the basis of one or more characteristics. The main elements are social communities.”

The second point of view is represented mainly by economists. Actively using the category “social sphere” in scientific analysis, they reduce it to the non-productive sphere and service industries. For example, Raizberg B.A. gives the following definition: “the social sphere usually includes economic objects and processes, types of economic activity directly related to the way of life of people, the population’s consumption of material and spiritual goods, services, and the satisfaction of the final needs of an individual, family, groups, groups of society as a whole.” . L.G. Sudas and M.B. Yurasova understand the social sphere as “the sphere of life of society, which ensures a certain level of well-being and quality of life of the population outside the immediate sphere of material production.” In these definitions, the social sphere acts as a synonym for social infrastructure. The latter means “an interconnected complex of economic sectors that provide general conditions for production and human life. Social infrastructure includes: trade, healthcare, urban transport, housing and communal services, etc.” These definitions represent the social sphere only as a system of interconnected service structures, without taking into account the activities of any social actors in it, their connections and relationships.

Also, some scientists believe that the social sphere is located between the political and economic spheres, and is their connecting link, therefore its isolation as a separate sphere of society is unlawful. Again, its main function is lost - the activity of population reproduction and the relationships that develop in the process of this activity.

Another group of authors understands the social sphere as a specific area of ​​social relations, covering a system of social-class, national relations, connections between society and the individual, for example - “the social sphere of society, covering the interests of classes and social groups, nations and nationalities, relations between society and the individual, working and living conditions, health protection and leisure activities, focused on the requests and needs of each member of society.” But this definition does not provide a holistic approach to the analysis of the social sphere.

And finally, the last approach to defining the social sphere, which, in my opinion, most fully covers all its components and connects it with the social reproduction of the population. From the point of view of G.I. Osadchaya “the social sphere is an integral, constantly changing subsystem of society, generated by the objective need of society for the continuous reproduction of the subjects of the social process. This is a stable area of ​​human activity for the reproduction of their lives, a space for the implementation of the social function of society. It is in it that the state’s social policy takes on meaning and social and civil human rights are realized.”

The structure of the social sphere of society.

The social sphere does not exist in isolation, but in connection with other spheres of society. “The social sphere, expressing life activity in its entirety, resulting in a person and social groups, seems to permeate all the others, since in each of them people and social communities act.”

The social sphere can be structured according to various criteria. For example, S.A. Shavel presents the structure of the social sphere as the sum of four interconnected parts, which at the same time act as empirical indicators for its substantive identification:

1. The social structure of society, historically represented by certain classes and social groups (socio-demographic, ethnic, territorial, etc.) and the relations between them.

2. Social infrastructure as a set of sectors of the national economy and types of socially useful activities (cooperative and individual, public funds and social initiatives, etc.) aimed at providing services directly to people.

3. Social interests, needs, expectations and incentives, i.e. everything that ensures the connection of the individual (groups) with society, the inclusion of the individual in the social process.

4. Principles and requirements of social justice, conditions and guarantees for its implementation. [cited from 4, 28].

The effective functioning of the social sphere is ensured by a developed social infrastructure, a stable set of material elements that create conditions for satisfying the entire set of needs for the reproduction of man and society.

A more realistic idea of ​​the structure of the social sphere is given by the classification of industries:

education – preschool, general education institutions, primary, secondary, higher vocational and additional education institutions;

culture - libraries, club-type cultural institutions, museums, art galleries and exhibition halls, theaters, concert organizations, cultural and recreation parks, circuses, zoos, cinemas, historical and cultural monuments, production of book, magazine and newspaper products;

human health protection – health statistics, statistics of population morbidity, disability, industrial injuries;

healthcare – the essence and activities of healthcare institutions, their location, condition and equipment, staff of medical and junior medical personnel;

social security – inpatient institutions (institutions intended for permanent and temporary residence of elderly and disabled people in need of constant social and medical services and care)

housing and communal services - housing stock, its improvement, living conditions of the population, production activities of enterprises and services that provide the population with water, heat, gas, hotels and other types of improvement of settlements;

physical education and sports – a network of sports facilities, their location, personnel, number of people involved in physical education and sports.

The structure of the social sphere can also be considered as the structure of the service sector: public services in its pure form, private services in its pure form, mixed services.

The production and consumption of pure public services implies the satisfaction of public needs - national, local and regional scale. These services cannot be made exclusively objects of individual use. The non-excludability of such services from consumption allows individuals to consume them without paying. The state guarantees the availability of such services and the minimum social standard for their provision. Financing of the production of pure public services is carried out at the expense of the regional budget, or the country's budget. The noted properties of pure public services make it impossible to include them in market relations.

In contrast, pure private services are fully included in market relations, and have the following properties: individual consumption, exclusivity, their production is entirely carried out on the basis of private property and competition.

Most social services are of a mixed nature, having the properties of both pure private and pure public services.

Based on the above classification of social services as economic goods, the book by L.G. Sudas and M.V. Yurasova identifies various sectors in the structure of the social sphere in which services of different types are produced:

state, where pure public goods and socially significant goods are produced that provide the GMSS system;

voluntary – public, where mixed public goods of limited access are produced (municipal level, sports clubs, federations, etc.);

mixed, where mixed public goods are produced, including socially significant services. It is represented by organizations of mixed forms of ownership;

private commercial, where private goods are produced on a commercial basis.

Social sphere of society and social policy

In the space of the social sphere, the state’s social policy, social and civil rights are implemented.

The most significant determinant of the self-movement of the social sphere, especially during the period of intensive structural restructuring, breaking down the old mechanisms of self-regulation of society, is social policy, since there is a need for targeted impacts on the social environment in order to avoid the huge social costs characteristic of economic and political reforms. It is social policy that is called upon to solve the problem of the relationship between economic development and the preservation of social guarantees, reducing contradictions in economic and social processes that occur more or less spontaneously.

Social policy is one of the most important areas, an integral part of the internal policy of the state. It is designed to ensure expanded reproduction of the population, harmonization of social relations, political stability, civil harmony and is implemented through government decisions, social events and programs. Over time, social policy expanded not only the objects of its influence but also its content. The scale of government intervention in social processes also grew. “A limited view of social policy as a system of measures to help socially weaker groups developed back in the Soviet Union. This approach dominates in modern Russia. However, a broader understanding of this issue is needed. » Now social policy is not limited to certain categories of the population; its object is the living conditions of almost all social and demographic groups.

Shkartan presents the following definition: “Social policy in any society is the activity of establishing and maintaining the unequal position of social groups. The quality of social policy is determined by the achievement of a relative balance of interests of groups, the degree of agreement of the main social forces with the nature of the distribution of society's resources, and, finally, extremely important - with the opportunities for the realization of human potential by promising social segments of society, including just emerging groups. Successful social policy is a policy that brings social and economic effects.”

Social policy is usually considered in a broad and narrow sense. In broad terms, social policy covers all decisions affecting certain aspects of the life of the country's population. Social policy in the narrow sense “is nothing more than the redistribution (based on current legislation) of financial resources between various social groups of the population and sectors of the national economy using the mechanisms of the state tax and budget system.”

Gulyaeva N.P. writes that “The goal of social policy is to improve the well-being of the population, ensure a high level and quality of life, characterized by the following indicators: income as a material source of livelihood, employment, health, housing, education, culture, ecology.”

Based on the above, the objectives of social policy are:

distribution of income, goods, services, material and social conditions for population reproduction;

limiting the scale of absolute poverty and inequality;

providing material sources of livelihood to those who, for reasons beyond their control, do not have them;

provision of medical, educational, transport services;

improvement of the environment.

In society, social policy performs the following main functions. Firstly, the function of income redistribution. This function is especially important in a market economy, since the development of market relations leads to a distribution of income and resources in general, which contradicts not only generally accepted norms of justice, but also economic efficiency, since it limits consumer demand and destroys the investment sphere. Secondly, the stabilization function, which helps improve the social situation of the majority of citizens. Thirdly, the integration function, which ensures the unity of society on the principles of social partnership and social justice.

Conclusion.

The social sphere is a special area of ​​relations connecting subjects of social life. It has relative independence and has specific patterns of its development, functioning and structure. Includes the entire set of conditions and factors that ensure the reproduction, development, and improvement of individuals and groups. The social sphere, relying on its own infrastructure, functionally ensures the reproduction of the labor resource, regulates the consumer behavior of certain social subjects, promotes the realization of their creative potential, and personal self-affirmation.

The social sphere is ideally designed to ensure a sufficient level of well-being and accessibility of basic life goods for the majority of the population. It is designed to create opportunities for social mobility, transition to a higher income, professional group, guarantee the necessary level of social protection, development of social, labor and entrepreneurial activity, and provide the opportunity for human self-realization. The optimal model of the social sphere is associated with ensuring the protection of the economic interests of each citizen, guarantees of social stability and is based on the principles of social justice and state responsibility for human social reproduction. This is precisely what social policy is designed to implement.

List of used literature:

Barulin V.S. “Social Philosophy”, M., Fair Press, 2002

Gulyaeva N.P. “The social sphere as an object of management and social development”, http://zhurnal.lib.ru/n/natalxja_p_g/tema3-1.shtml

Gulyaeva N.P. “Social Policy”, http://zhurnal.lib.ru/n/natalxja_p_g/tema9.shtml

Osadchaya G.I. “Sociology of the social sphere”, M., Publishing house MGSU “Soyuz”, 1999

“Workbook of a sociologist”, M., Editorial URSS, 2003

Raizberg B.A. “Fundamentals of Economics and Entrepreneurship”, M., MP “New School”, 1993

Sudas L.G., Yurasova M.V. “Marketing research in the social sphere”, M., Infa-M, 2004

“Philosophy, political science, economics, dictionary”, Yaroslavl, Academy of Development, 1997

Shkartan I.O. “Declared and real social policy”// World of Poccuu. 2001. No. 2

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The social sphere of society is a collection of individuals who are united by historically established connections and relationships, and also possess characteristics that give it its originality. This concept is directly related to satisfaction. And the opportunities through which you can get the desired result depend on:

1. subject and his belonging to a certain social group.
2. The level of development of the state and its place on the world political stage.

Note that society is not just a number of people. There are certain aggregates of which act in it that constitute social existence. Their classification may be based on class, national, age or professional characteristics. Division can also be carried out on the basis of territorial affiliation. That is why the social consists of classes, strata, professional and territorial communities, as well as production teams, families and institutions. Also in this area there is a macro- and microstructure, which includes families, work and educational groups, etc.

Note that all the components here are in interaction, which is based on the realization of basic needs and interests. They enter into certain relationships, of which there can be several types: economic, social, spiritual and political.

The social sphere of society includes the following structural components:

1. Ethnic structure. Initially, the smallest group was considered the family that made up the clan. If several of them united, then a tribe was formed. Later, a nationality was formed, which was based on territorial ties between people. When feudalism begins to develop, the process of nation formation begins.
2. Demographic structure. The general community of this structure is the population - a set of people that continuously reproduces their own kind.

The social sphere of society has a certain nature of relationships that are formed between its members. Their specificity depends on the position they occupy in the structure, as well as on the role assigned to them within the framework of joint activities. As a rule, the positioning of individuals is not equivalent. This inequality is expressed in the social distance that exists between members of society.

The social sphere of society is characterized by the dominant role of relationships, which strictly leads to the development of a new type of consciousness of representatives of society, which is called social. Its structural feature is that a community of people thinks and acts in a completely different way, not the same as its individual members if they were in a state of disunity.

Let us note that this area of ​​people’s lives is a structure that is in continuous development. Within its framework, processes always occur that can change the nature of relationships between individuals, as well as their content. They are capable of influencing the essence of social structure and

The social sphere of society is constantly being studied, because at the same time we comprehend the specifics of human relations, as well as the characteristics of the activities and behavior of members of society, social structures and their elements.

Note that the study of all these components is possible only within the framework of sociology. Of course, this area is studied by many sciences, but thanks to sociology we get a more complete understanding of all aspects of its existence and functioning.

As already noted, society is a systemic entity. As an extremely complex whole, as a system, society includes subsystems - “spheres of public life” - a concept first introduced by K. Marx.

The concept of “sphere of public life” is nothing more than an abstraction that allows us to isolate and study individual areas of social reality. The basis for identifying spheres of public life is the qualitative specificity of a number of social relations, their integrity.

The following spheres of society are distinguished: economic, social, political and spiritual. Each sphere is characterized by the following parameters:

This is an area of ​​human activity necessary for the normal functioning of society, through which their specific needs are satisfied;

Each sphere is characterized by certain social relations that arise between people in the process of a certain type of activity (economic, social, political or spiritual);

As relatively independent subsystems of society, spheres are characterized by certain patterns according to which they function and develop;

In each sphere, a set of certain institutions is formed and functions, which are created by people to manage this social sphere.

Economic sphere of society - defining, named by K. Marx basis society (that is, its foundation, basis). It includes relations regarding the production, distribution, exchange and consumption of material goods. Its purpose is meeting the economic needs of people.

The economic sphere is the genetic basis of all other spheres of social life, its development is the cause, condition and driving force of the historical process. The importance of the economic sphere is enormous:

It creates the material basis for the existence of society;

Directly affects the social structure of society (for example, the emergence of private property led to the emergence of economic inequality, which, in turn, caused the emergence of classes);

Indirectly (through the social-class sphere) influences political processes in society (for example, the emergence of private property and class inequality caused the emergence of the state);

Indirectly affects the spiritual sphere (especially legal, political and moral ideas), directly - on its infrastructure - schools, libraries, theaters, etc.

Social sphere of public life- this is an area where historical communities (nations, peoples) and social groups of people (classes, etc.) interact regarding their social status, place and role in the life of society. The social sphere covers the interests of classes, nations, social groups; relations between the individual and society; working and living conditions, upbringing and education, health and leisure. The core of social relations is the relationship of equality and inequality of people according to their position in society. The basis for the different social status of people is their attitude towards ownership of the means of production and the type of labor activity.

The main elements of the social structure of society are classes, strata (social strata), estates, urban and rural residents, representatives of mental and physical labor, socio-demographic groups (men, women, youth, pensioners), ethnic communities.

Political sphere of society– the area of ​​functioning of politics, political relations, activities of political institutions (primarily the state) organizations (political parties, unions, etc.). This is a system of social relations regarding the conquest, retention, strengthening and use of state authorities in the interests of certain classes and social groups.

The specifics of the social sphere are as follows:

It develops as a result of the conscious activity of people, classes, parties seeking to seize power and control in society;

To achieve political goals, classes and social groups create political institutions and organizations that act as a material force of influence on the state, government, economic and political structures in society.

The elements of the political system of society are: the state (the main element), political parties, public and religious organizations, trade unions, etc.

The sphere of spiritual life of society - it is the sphere of production of ideas, views, public opinion, customs and traditions; the sphere of functioning of social institutions that create and disseminate spiritual values: science, culture, art, education and upbringing. This is a system of social relations regarding production and consumption spiritual values.

The main elements of the spiritual life of society are:

Activities for the production of ideas (theories, views, etc.);

Spiritual values ​​(moral and religious ideals, scientific theories, artistic values, philosophical concepts, etc.);

The spiritual needs of people, which determine the production, distribution and consumption of spiritual values;

Spiritual relationships between people, exchange of spiritual values.

The basis of the spiritual life of society is social consciousness– a set of ideas, theories, ideals, concepts, programs, views, norms, opinions, traditions, rumors, etc., circulating in a given society.

Social consciousness is connected with individual(with the consciousness of an individual), because, firstly, without it it simply does not exist, and secondly, all new ideas and spiritual values ​​have their source in the consciousness of individuals. Therefore, a high level of spiritual development of individuals is an important prerequisite for the development of social consciousness. Nevertheless , social consciousness cannot be considered as the sum of individual consciousnesses if only because an individual does not assimilate the entire content of social consciousness in the process of socialization and life activity. On the other hand, not everything that arises in the consciousness of an individual becomes the property of society. Social consciousness includes knowledge, ideas, perceptions, are common for many people, therefore it is viewed in an impersonal form as a product of certain social conditions, enshrined in language and works of culture. The bearer of social consciousness is not only the individual, but also the social group, society as a whole. In addition, individual consciousness is born and dies along with a person, and the content of social consciousness is passed on from one generation to another.

In the structure of public consciousness there are reflection levels(ordinary and theoretical) and forms of reflection of reality(law, politics, morality, art, religion, philosophy, etc.)

Levels of reflection of reality differ in the nature of their formation and by the depth of penetration into the essence of phenomena.

Ordinary level of social consciousness(or "social psychology") is formed as a result Everyday life people, covers superficial connections and relationships, sometimes giving rise to various misconceptions and prejudices, public opinion, rumors and sentiments. It represents a shallow, superficial reflection of social phenomena, therefore many ideas that arise in the mass consciousness are erroneous.

Theoretical level of social consciousness(or “social ideology”) provides a deeper understanding of social processes, penetrates into the essence of the phenomena being studied; it exists in a systematized form (in the form of scientific theories, concepts, etc.) Unlike the ordinary level, which develops mainly spontaneously, the theoretical level is formed consciously. This is the area of ​​activity of professional theorists, specialists in various fields - economists, lawyers, politicians, philosophers, theologians, etc. Therefore, theoretical consciousness not only reflects social reality more deeply, but also more correctly.

Forms of social consciousness differ from each other in the subject of reflection and in the functions that they perform in society.

Political consciousness is a reflection of political relations between classes, nations, states. It directly reveals the economic relations and interests of various classes and social groups. The specificity of political consciousness is that it directly affects the sphere of state and power, the relationship of classes and parties to the state and government, the relationship between social groups and political organizations. It most actively influences the economy, all other forms of social consciousness - law, religion, morality, art, philosophy.

Legal consciousness– is a set of views, ideas, theories that express people’s attitude to existing law – a system of legal norms and relations established by the state. At the theoretical level, legal consciousness appears in the form of a system of legal views, legal doctrines, and codes. At the everyday level, these are people’s ideas about what is legal and illegal, fair and unfair, what is proper and what is not necessary in relations between people, social groups, nations, and the state. Legal consciousness performs a regulatory function in society. It is associated with all forms of consciousness, but especially with politics. It is no coincidence that K. Marx defined law as “the will of the ruling class elevated to law.”

Moral consciousness(morality) reflects the relationships of people to each other and to society in the form of a set of rules of behavior, moral standards, principles and ideals that guide people in their behavior. Ordinary moral consciousness includes ideas about honor and dignity, conscience and sense of duty, moral and immoral, etc. Ordinary moral consciousness arose in the primitive communal system and carried out function of the main regulator of relationships between people and groups. Moral theories arise only in a class society and represent a coherent concept of moral principles, norms, categories, and ideals.

Morality performs a number of important functions in society:

Regulatory (regulates human behavior in all spheres of public life, and, unlike law, morality is based on the strength of public opinion, on the mechanism of conscience, on habit);

Evaluative-imperative (on the one hand, it evaluates a person’s actions, on the other, it commands to behave in a certain way);

Educational (actively participates in the process of socialization of the individual, the transformation of “person into person”).

Aesthetic consciousness– an artistic, figurative and emotional reflection of reality through the concepts of the beautiful and the ugly, the comic and the tragic. The result and highest form of manifestation of aesthetic consciousness is art. In the process of artistic creativity, the aesthetic ideas of artists are “materialized” by various material means (paints, sounds, words, etc.) and are presented as works of art. Art is one of the most ancient forms of human life, but in pre-class society it was in a single syncretic connection with religion, morality, and cognitive activity (primitive dance is both a religious ritual that embodies moral standards of behavior and a method of transferring knowledge to a new generation).

Art in modern society performs the following functions:

Aesthetic (satisfies the aesthetic needs of people, forms their aesthetic tastes);

Hedonistic (gives people pleasure, pleasure);

Cognitive (in an artistic and figurative form it carries information about the world, being a fairly accessible means of enlightening and educating people);

Educational (impacts on the formation of moral consciousness, embodying the moral categories of good and evil in artistic images, forms aesthetic ideals).

Religious consciousness - a special type of reflection of reality through the prism of belief in the supernatural. Religious consciousness, as it were, doubles the world, believing that in addition to our (“natural” reality, subject to the laws of nature), there is a supernatural reality (phenomena, beings, forces), where natural laws do not operate, but which influences our lives. Belief in the supernatural exists in various forms:

Fetishism (from the Portuguese “fetiko” - made) is a belief in the supernatural properties of real objects (natural or specially manufactured);

Totemism (“to-tem” in the language of one of the North American Indian tribes means “his clan”) - a belief in supernatural consanguinity between people and animals (sometimes plants) - the “ancestors” of the clan;

Magic (translated from ancient Greek as witchcraft) is a belief in supernatural connections and forces that exist in nature, using which one can achieve success where in reality a person is powerless; therefore, magic covered all spheres of life (love magic, harmful magic, trade magic, military magic, etc.);

Animism - belief in disembodied spirits, in an immortal soul; arises in the later stages of the tribal system as a result of the collapse of mythological thinking, which has not yet made a distinction between living and nonliving, material and immaterial; ideas about the spirits of nature became the basis for the formation of the idea of ​​God;

theism (Greek theos - god) belief in God, which originally existed as polytheism (polytheism); The idea of ​​a single god - monotheism (monotheism) was first formed in Judaism, and was later adopted by Christianity and Islam.

Religion as a social phenomenon in addition to religious consciousness includes cult(ritual actions aimed at connecting with the supernatural - prayers, sacrifices, fasting, etc.) and one or another form of organization of believers(church or sect) .

Religion in the life of a person and society performs the following functions:

Psychotherapeutic – helps overcome feelings of fear and horror of the outside world, alleviates feelings of grief and despair, helps relieve feelings of helplessness and uncertainty in the future;

Worldview; like philosophy, it forms a person’s worldview - an idea of ​​the world as a single whole, of the place and purpose of man in it;

Educational - influences a person through the system of moral norms that exist in every religion, and through the formation of a special attitude towards the supernatural (for example, love for God, fear of destroying an immortal soul);

Regulatory - influences the behavior of believers through a system of numerous prohibitions and regulations, covering almost the entire daily life of a person (especially in Judaism and Islam, where there are 365 prohibitions and 248 regulations);

Integrative-segregative - uniting co-religionists (integrative function), religion at the same time contrasts them with bearers of a different faith (segregative function), which is, to this day, one of the sources of serious social conflicts.

Religion, therefore, is a contradictory phenomenon and it is impossible to unambiguously assess its role in the life of a person and society. Since modern society is multi-religious, the basis for a civilized solution to the problem of attitudes towards religion is principle of freedom of conscience, which gives a person the right to profess any religion or be an unbeliever, prohibiting insults to the religious feelings of believers and open religious or anti-religious propaganda.

Thus, the spiritual life of society is a very complex phenomenon. By shaping the consciousness of people, regulating their behavior, political, moral, philosophical, religious, etc. ideas have an impact on all other spheres of society and on nature, becoming a real force that changes the world.

The development of any society directly depends on the activities of its members in any of the spheres - economic, social, cultural, spiritual, everyday, scientific, political, industrial or others. Depending on what industry people belong to, they are in relationships with each other, being within their social space.

As a result of this interaction, the social sphere of society is formed. In the past, each layer of it was fenced off from others with its own traditions, rules or rights. For example, previously it was possible to get into the noble strata of society only by birthright.

Social system

Each society develops according to systems specific to it. It consists not only of social subjects, but also accommodates all forms of human life. Society is a very complex organization that includes numerous subsystems, which together represent the spheres of social activity of its members.

When stable relationships are established between its subjects, social life is formed, which includes:

• numerous types of human activity (religious, educational, political and others);
• social institutions, for example, parties, schools, churches, families, etc.;
• various directions of communication between people, for example, in economic, political or other spheres;

A modern person can be in different social areas at the same time and come into contact with other people in some aspects of life.

For example, a waiter (low social level) in an expensive restaurant is associated with members of the noble elite, serving them at the table.

Spheres of public life

There are many types of human activity, but all of them can be divided into 4 main categories:

• the social sphere concerns the relationships between different sectors of society;
• economic – relates to actions related to material goods;
• the political sphere is characterized by movements of various classes within the framework of their civil rights and preferences;
• spiritual consists of people’s attitudes towards various types of material, intellectual, religious and moral values.

Each of these categories is divided into its own spheres, in each of which human activity occurs, limited by its boundaries. In modern society there are no sharp boundaries between different social areas, so the same individual can be in several of them at once.

For example, during the times of slavery or serfdom, these boundaries existed, and what the master could do was not allowed to stink. Today, a person can work in different fields, hold certain political views, choose a religion and have conflicting opinions about material wealth.

Economic area of ​​public activity

The socio-economic sphere deals with the production, exchange, distribution and consumption of various material goods. Human activity is aimed at implementing scientific and technological achievements through inter-industrial relations between people, the exchange of experience and information and the redistribution of values.

This sphere is the space within which the economic life of society is formed, based on the interaction of all sectors of both the domestic and international economy. In this area, both the individual’s material interest in the results of his labor and his creative abilities are realized under the guidance of management institutions.

Without this sphere, the development of no country is possible. As soon as the economy declines, other areas of social life begin to collapse.

Political sphere

In any society, no matter what stage of development it is at, political confrontations occur. They are the result of the fact that various parties, social groups and national communities strive to occupy the dominant step on the political ladder.

Each individual individually strives to influence the processes taking place in the country. To make this possible, they unite into parties that correspond to their civic position and embody their political will.

This area of ​​public life plays an important role in the formation of healthy competition between different parties, and thereby influences the democratic development of countries where people openly express their opinions.

Area of ​​spiritual activity

The spiritual sphere represents the attitude of people in society to those values ​​that are created, distributed and assimilated by all its members. These include not only material objects (painting, sculpture, architecture, literature), but also intellectual ones (music, scientific achievements, human knowledge and moral standards).

The spiritual sphere accompanied man throughout the development of civilizations and manifested itself in art, education, religions and much more.

Man in the structure of society

The social sphere is the area of ​​relationships between people belonging to different class and national groups. Their integrity is determined by demographic (old people, youth), professional (doctors, lawyers, teachers, etc.) and other characteristics, whose social security must be respected taking into account the rights of all members of society.

The main direction in this area is the creation of optimal living conditions for every person, his health, education, work and social justice for all segments of the population, no matter what class division exists in the country.

Depending on how satisfied the needs of each individual, as well as families, national minorities, religious and work groups, are, one can judge the well-being of society as a whole.

Main items of expenditure in the social sphere

The budget of any country consists of many items regulating where taxpayers' money goes and how it is distributed, but only in highly developed societies does the majority of these funds go to social programs.

The main expense items that should be included in the budget are:

• healthcare;
• education;
• culture;
• housing and communal facilities;
• social programs to protect the rights and provide for citizens.

With the advent of the first communities, and later states, primitive systems were formed to protect and support the poor.

For example, in some ancient countries it was customary to give part of the harvest or produced goods to the general treasury. These funds were distributed to the poor in times of need, such as lean years or times of war.

Social models of countries of the world

Depending on the extent to which the state has or does not have influence on the processes of distribution of goods in all layers of society, it is divided into several models:

1. A paternalistic system in which the population is completely dependent on the state and submits to its will. The social sphere of people’s lives in such a country can be extremely low (Cuba, Russia, North Korea and others), and people are perceived as “cogs” in the system that can be punished, destroyed, or encouraged. In this model of society, the population completely shifts responsibility for their lives to the government.
2. The Swedish model is considered one of the most progressive in the world, since its economy is 95% built on private capital, but the social sphere is completely controlled by the state, which distributes most of the budget to healthcare, education and social programs. In Sweden, not only schools and higher education institutions are free, but also medicine for children and youth under 21 years of age. Therefore, this country has some of the highest taxes in the world (60%) and the best quality of life.
3. Socially minded models are characterized by a fairly large influence of the state on the support and regulation of social programs. In such countries, special conditions are created for running small and medium-sized businesses, tax incentives are introduced for entrepreneurs, since the main direction of development of such a model is to encourage people to take the initiative to improve the quality of life into their own hands. Vivid examples of such societies are Germany, Austria, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal.

The development of the social sphere in any of these models directly depends on the system and state of the economy that exist in the country.

Sphere of culture

Depending on what stage of development the socio-cultural sphere of a country is at, one can generally judge the well-being of its citizens. It is in this area that all the industries important for the quality of life of people are located:

• healthcare – the number of free hospitals and clinics compared to paid medical care and its quality;
• culture – visiting objects with objects of national heritage should be accessible to all segments of the population. It is also important to protect the intellectual property of cultural figures and decent payment for their work and creativity;
• education – accessibility and level of free school and higher education for all segments of the population;
• sport and physical education is an area of ​​culture whose main task is to maintain health and beauty, increase the life expectancy of the population;
• social security are programs aimed at helping low-income people or large families.

If in the internal policy of a state, both the cultural and social spheres occupy a leading place, then its population prospers.

Purpose of social activity

Management of the social sphere is carried out by government institutions and institutions within their departments. Objects that carry out control over the organization and implementation of programs necessary to improve the quality of life of members of society are divided into regional, regional or local.

The purpose of social activities of these institutions:

• protecting people's health and life;
• providing them with housing;
• equal rights for all to education and work;
• provision after a person retires;
• the right to self-expression and creative development.

The economics of the social sphere directly depends on how the distribution of goods and services is carried out by various government bodies. In developed countries, this is done by the state, monitoring the standard of living of all segments of the population.

Purpose of social activity

The social sphere in its intended purpose is:

• in human resource development;
• servicing the population at household, trade, housing and other levels;
• social protection through the system of providing material assistance, insurance, ensuring working and living conditions.

Particular attention and support should be given to those authorities and organizations that are involved in the distribution of social benefits in society.

In social philosophy, sociology, and other social sciences, the concept of “social sphere of society” is widely used. In assessing the essence of the social sphere of society and in its understanding, there are usually two perspectives - scientific and administrative. In science, first of all, in social philosophy and sociology, the social sphere of society is represented by the sphere of society, in which the whole palette is present substantively social connections and relationships. In administrative and everyday terms, the social sphere includes various types of activities and relationships non-productive, public character as applied to a person. Because of this, it is worthwhile to understand in detail what the social sphere of society really is.

We noted that society has a centuries-old structure and represents the social space of society, changing historically as social conditions of life change: natural, technical, social, environmental and others. Here we can cite two classical points of view: Marxist and civilizational. In the concept of socio-economic formation (Marxist approach), the noted conditions were taken into account specifically: there was only one determination - party-ideological. In accordance with the civilizational approach to the development of society - the Western scientific paradigm of A. Toynbee, O. Spengler and other thinkers, the formation and functioning of society had other factors of determination, the basis of which was the peculiarities of the existence of a particular civilization.

Based on two concepts, it can be noted that each major stage in the history of society - a formation or civilization, must correspond to its own society, its own social type, its own social system, that is, the presence of a certain structured composition: social institutions and communities, social groups and strata, and most importantly - connections and relationships between them and within them.

When it comes to a socio-economic formation or civilization, what is presented is a historically established type of society, a certain level of its development and, accordingly, a specific type of its society. The change of one socio-economic formation to another, the dynamics of civilizations lead to essential changes in the social sphere, that is, changes in the content and forms of social relations and institutions. This process is natural and arouses increased scientific interest, because the social sphere of society is not passive in relation to objectively changing civilizational or socio-economic conditions of existence. Its own dynamics are determined by a number of internal and external factors that have a certain stability and sufficient independence, in connection with the preservation of social relations of the previous social system (for example, in a feudal society - social groups of slaves and relationships determined by their activities; in a post-industrial society - social groups hired workers with the functional characteristics of their existence). However, a more advanced method of production in the formational construction of society (together with a number of other factors - political, territorial, ethnic, globalization, etc.) and the cultural factor in the civilizational approach are gradually replacing outdated (archaic) social formations and their inherent relationships. This process is not easy, but natural for the social sphere, that is, for society.

Of great importance for understanding the essence of the social sphere of society’s life and the process of its formation are such well-known categories as “social space”, “social environment”, “society”, “society”; In addition, it is necessary to know the structure of social life, which sphere-by-sphere (structural-functionally) determines the entire system of social relations: economic and environmental, managerial and pedagogical, scientific and artistic, medical and physical education, defense and public security. What is important here is the realization that the emergence of each system-forming institution in the life of society, that is, its sphere, was determined by the basic form of social activity that gave rise to these relationships. Economy was formed as a sphere of social life, an independent system-forming institution of social life through a system of relations of production, consumption, distribution and exchange of goods and services through activities necessary for the whole society. Ecology- through a system of relationships that ensure the preservation of the environment, its restoration and selective improvement, as well as the protection of humans from the harmful effects of natural factors. Control- through a system of relationships in the development, adoption, implementation and correlation of strategic, tactical and operational decisions, the need to bear responsibility for their results. Pedagogy- through relationships that arise in the process of activity in acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes, that is, in the process of education, training and upbringing. The science- through a system of relationships reflecting activities to obtain new knowledge and create innovations. Art- through the specifics of the relationship between the artistic and artistic-applied spectrums of activity and the mutual connection between their creator and consumer. Medicine- through relationships in professional fields of activity for diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of people. Physical Culture- through relationships of harmonious physical development of a person using modern physical education facilities and the latest training methods. Defense- through a system of relations that ensure the use of the Armed Forces to protect society and its institutions from possible external armed aggression and equip them with modern types of weapons and military equipment. Public Safety- through a system of relations that develop in the specifics of her multifaceted professional activities: police, judicial, security, intelligence, diplomatic, customs, special, etc., guaranteeing comprehensive protection of public institutions and the rights of people in the country and abroad. All of the above reflects the functional nature public relations, on the basis of which the spheral system of society’s life is built, in which the key role is played by man, the individual, and society. The sphere of society is the social space of society with its inherent social relations, which are “woven” into the whole variety of social relations. But the social sphere of society is not a system-forming institution of social life, since it is not built on the principle of the basic form of social activity, with its historically inherent traditions, principles, norms, and culture. It holistically reflects the social space of society with its social structure: individuals, social groups, social communities, social institutions and their inherent relationships. The “social sphere”, in this meaning, is not built into the typological series of “spheres of public life”, the nature of the relations of which is determined by institutional activity and is presented above.

The social sphere is the historically formed social space of people’s lives, in which there are stable connections and relationships between various social elements of society: individuals, groups, communities, institutions. The social sphere is the sphere of society, substantively human education, in which social relations of people are structured. The social sphere is the historically established social space of society. It should not be confused with the everyday and administrative understanding of the “social sphere”, which can be reduced to institutions of a non-productive nature, functionally designed to satisfy human needs in various areas of life: in the field of healthcare, in the field of education, in the field of employment, in the field of pensions, in the field of protection rights of children and motherhood, etc. They represent elements of a social, civil, administrative and legal, and not a “purely” social nature. Specifically, the social in them is people, with their feelings, experiences, needs, relationships, activities. Therefore, the scientific - philosophical, sociological, pedagogical, historical concept of the “social sphere” is not analogous to the administrative and everyday use of the term “social sphere” as a kind of “social sphere”. In the first case, the “social sphere” is the sphere of society, covering the historically established social space of society with its inherent social relations and institutions generated by human activity; in the second case, the “social sphere” refers to the functioning of federal, regional and local administrative structures, which, by their purpose, are obliged to substantively deal with the vital problems of the population, that is, to fulfill official duties.

In this regard, it is advisable to determine the environment in which social relations manifest themselves, and for this it is necessary to understand the differences between the social sphere of society and social existence. These differences are fundamental and of an essential nature, although there are individual theoretical constructs that do not draw boundaries between them. Social sphere of society- this is the sphere of his social relations that arise in the process of activity and are human, that is, social in nature. These relationships arise directly within and between social communities and individuals - people, personalities, persons, social structures: tribal, ethnic, demographic, stratification, settlement, national, family. Social existence- this is the entire space of human life with the inclusion of a full range of economic, environmental, managerial, pedagogical, scientific, artistic, medical, physical education, defense and, ensuring the safety of society, basic forms social activities, as well as the substantive ones that fill them species professional activities with their inherent relationships (for example, in the field of economics - financial and industrial; in the field of management - leadership and execution, etc.).

Social is always a more capacious concept than social, although the latter is built into all types of social relations, characterizing them from the human, personal, personal side in the economic and scientific, managerial and pedagogical, defense and medical and other spheres, that is, the system-forming institutions of society. .

Here it is appropriate to recall the point of view of K. Marx and F. Engels on the explanation of the concepts of “public” and “social”, which they outlined in a number of their works when analyzing society, the processes occurring in it, and the relationships that develop. They used the concept “geBellschaftlich” - “social” to designate “social relations”, “social needs”, “social connections”, etc. in cases where there was a need to speak about society as a whole, in the interaction of all spheres of his life. The concept “sozial” - “social”, was used by them in their research the nature of people's relationships with each other, that is, “purely” human relations that arise in the process of interaction between people, individuals and social groups.

In this regard, when characterizing the social in the public, it is advisable to use the concept society, which is the human (social) basis of society and one of its three subsystems. Along with society, the social system includes an industrial-technical subsystem (man-made artificial environment) and an ecological subsystem (natural environment modified by man). Society - these are people involved in the process of social relations through their own activities, with their own specific social formations (family, team, group), as well as needs and abilities. The components of society - needs, abilities, activities, relationships, institutions - form its structure. The structure of society reflects the content and form of the social space where various social relationships of people are formed, function and develop: individuals, personalities, persons, social groups. Society is the social space of a society in which all its social relations are integrated.

The basis of social relations are needs determined by individual or group material and spiritual factors. Therefore, the regulation of social relations is objectified, for the most part, by traditional (moral) rules and norms of people’s lives, which are implemented on the basis of the principles of formal equality, freedom and justice. The basis of public relations are the institutional needs of society, regulated mainly by legal norms - laws, decrees, regulations. That's why social relations are personalized, and social relations are institutionalized.

The social sphere (social space) includes all elements of the social structure of society - individuals, social communities and groups, social institutions and strata, and most importantly - the relationships existing between them and within them. Because of this, it seems appropriate to dwell in more detail on the social structure of society.

Social structure of society there is the integrity of all social formations functioning in it, taken in the totality of connections and relationships. Social structure also represents the historical type of relations of society. In relation to Marxism - primitive communal, slaveholding, feudal, industrial. Another approach is a regional type of social relations, reflecting national specifics, socio-economic and political characteristics: Latin American, European, Asian, African. The social structure of society presupposes the unity of territory, a common language, the unity of economic life, the unity of social norms, stereotypes and values ​​that allow groups of people to interact sustainably. The factor of the nation’s mentality is also important. Therefore, the social structure represents the qualitative definition of society, combining social institutions and formations, the relationships inherent in them, as well as generally valid norms and values.

The central link in the social structure of society is a person, an individual, a personality, as a subject of social relations, as a person. He is a concrete representative of each element of the social structure. He is included in the system and fulfills a wide variety of statuses and social roles, simultaneously carrying out his activities as a family member, and as a professional, and as a city dweller or villager, and as an ethnic, religious or party representative of society.

The modern social structure of society is quite diverse. It can be represented as follows:

• - ethnic component (ethnic structure);
• - demographic component (demographic structure);
• - settlement component (settlement structure);
• - stratification component (stratification structure).

The components of the social structure are heterogeneous and depend on the level of development of society. For example, in primitive communal society there was not only a stratification component, but also a settlement component, since the emergence of the latter is associated with the allocation of the city as a central place for crafts and trade, its separation from the village. In this archaic social system there was no ranking according to economic, professional and other criteria.

The process of improving the components of the social structure of society and their correlation are also historical. In particular, the stratification component, if we approach it from the point of view of P.A. Sorokin, includes three layers: economic, political and professional, which are vertically ranked. It seems quite dynamic. For example, ranking by education: if at the beginning of the 20th century. There were several hundred specialties in which training was conducted in higher education, but at the beginning of the 21st century there were already several thousand specialties in demand by society, and accordingly the stratification structure requires correlation.

Sorokin Pitirim Alexandrovich(1889-1968), the largest sociologist on the planet, thinker. Born in the village of Turya, Yarensky district, Vologda province, now Zheshart, Komi Republic. He studied at the Church Teachers' Seminary, for his social revolutionary views (in the Socialist Revolutionary Party with 1904 G.) in 1906 G. expelled from the seminary. His mother died when he was already a young man, his father began to drink heavily, and Pitirim and his brother became laborers. I became interested in reading the most varied literature that could be obtained. In 1907, he became a student of courses in St. Petersburg, after which he passed exams as an external student for 8 years of gymnasium. In 1909 he entered the Psychoneurological Institute, which had a department of sociology, headed alternately by P.I. Kovalevsky and De-Roberti, and in 1910 he transferred to the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University, from which he graduated in 1914. He worked as Kovalevsky’s personal secretary, whose views largely determined his scientific activity as a sociologist. In 1917, he was the editor of the right-wing Socialist Revolutionary newspaper "Will of the People", personal secretary of the chairman of the Provisional Government of Russia A.F. Kerensky. Actively participated in the convening of the Constituent Assembly of Russia (late 1917 - early 1918 G.), was elected a member from the Socialist Revolutionary Party. One of the initiators of the "Union for the Revival of Russia", the idea of ​​which was practically neutralized by the Bolsheviks. The Cheka was arrested several times and sentenced to death, but by luck (or pattern) this did not happen. When leaving P.A. Sorokin from the conclusion of A.B. Lunacharsky, the People's Commissar of Education, invited him to work in the People's Commissariat apparatus, but Sorokin refused, saying that he would study science. This statement, reported to Lenin, was followed by his immediate reaction, writing the article “Valuable Confessions of Pitirim Sorokin,” in which Lenin, with the unambiguousness characteristic of the Bolsheviks, criticized Sorokin’s position. Since 1918, Sorokin taught at Petrograd University, the scientific result of his work was the work “System of Sociology,” which he defended as a doctoral dissertation. At the same time, he worked on “The History of the Sociology of Russia in the 19th Century to the Present Day.” He was the founder and head of the first sociology department in Russia at this university, professor of sociology. Employee of the magazines "Economic Revival", "Artelnoye Delo". In 1922 V in accordance with the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, he was expelled from the country with a large group of outstanding thinkers of Russia - major scientists, teachers, writers, artists who did not recognize the October Revolution 1917 He and his wife spent about a year in Berlin and Prague, gave lectures on the current situation in Russia and worked on “The Sociology of Revolution.” In the fall of 1923, at the invitation of American sociologists E. Hayes and E. Ross, he moved to the USA. IN 1924-1929 gg. is a professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota, where he wrote the classic Social Dynamics. IN 1929 was invited to Harvard University and founded the sociology department there in 1931, which he headed for 11 years and worked there until his retirement in 1959. During this time, the sons of the 32nd US President F. Roosevelt, the future 35th President of America J. Kennedy. In 1960, Sorokin was elected president of the American Sociological Association, which is completely natural. He is a major scientist, a world-famous sociologist, the author of many works and theoretical developments, including the concepts of social stratification and social mobility. Book "5ocia1 and cultural mobility" (1927 G., 1959) and now remains a classic work, in which a scientific study of social relations in various spheres of society was carried out and the reasons for their changes were revealed. There are theoretical works devoted to the analysis of Russian problems: “Russia and the USA” (1944), “Main features of the Russian nation in the 20th century” (1967). Once Pitirim Sorokin tried to get permission for a short visit to his homeland by asking members of the Soviet delegation (in particular, Osipov) who came to a sociological conference in the USA. Osipov tried to humanly facilitate this through the ideological department of the CPSU Central Committee, but after viewing his personal file by the General Secretary of the Party L. Brezhnev, on whose title a note was made in the hand of V. Lenin, categorically (under the sign of the death penalty) prohibiting P. Sorokin from being in Russia, was refused and never returned to this issue.

Until the end of his days, Pitirim Aleksandrovich lived with his family - his wife and two sons - Sergei (professor, doctor of biology) and Peter in his home in Princeton, where he died after an illness on February 11, 1968.