Aim. Identification the basic types of governance in digital communities of civic activists in social media. Methodology. To establish the density of connections between digital groups representing markers of civic activism in the VKontakte social network, a graph of connections is used, built on the basis of an upload carried out by a parsing program. The program is written in the JavaScript programming language, interpreted inside nodejs. The visual part is made using the jquery VisJS plugin, the Vogel distributed method is applied on the graph. Research cases (digital communities of civic activism) for the analysis of social graphs were selected taking into account their relevance to the research topic, the presence of formal and informal groups in the sample; large coverage of young users (from a thousand to several tens of thousands of subscribers - representatives of the Russian Federation youth). Results. In socio-media information flows, in which civic activists are involved, discursive practices formed in online communities of a political orientation have the greatest potential for opposition and non-conventionality. Among the civil discourses, environmental discourse is the most critical in relation to the current authorities. Research implications. The research results can help to expand the methods and tools of applied political research in the field of behavioral political science.

Aim. The article presents an analysis of the attack on Russia’s “soft power” in the framework of the “Argentine Cocaine Case” information operation as a separate aspect of an information war in the context of a global conflict of centers of power. The role of the media both in the operation itself and in the process of creating and consolidating semantic labels is also studied. Methodology. The research uses methods of empirical knowledge and systems analysis. Results. The term “attack” is substantiated as applied to the negative impact on the “soft power” of Russia, the stages of the information operation are analyzed in detail, conclusions are formulated and recommendations to counteract such actions are given. Practical recommendations for coordinated actions of Russian state bodies to counter western information attacks and for creation of government structures to perform this function are presented. Research implications. The article is of practical value, it contains unique material, since in a given context the informational impact on the “soft power” of Russia has not been previously studied and presented in the literature.

Aim. To analyze the cases of social protests of 2017-2020, that could be regarded as the latest generation of the “colour revolution” attempts, in order to define the specifics of new technologies of managing socio-political protests - technologies based upon the potential of digital integrated communications that provide for wider potential to control public attitudes. Methodology. Russian and foreign scholars’ research of the networks-based communication systems, information wars and political manipulations serve as the theoretical and methodological basis of the article. The article uses the classic methodologic approach of Russian political and social science but with the special focus on growing socio-engineering capabilities of the manipulation technologies. Results. It is shown that the capabilities of present day manipulation technologies to preserve protest stability are limited. The key problem of information manipulations is the quality and persuasiveness of the transmitted content. Research implications. The article could be used as a theoretical base for elaboration of methods of countering destructive social technologies.

Aim. To analyze the effectiveness of the national and foreign media work in the Internet space of Belarus. Methodology. The study analyzes the quantitative indicators of traffic on media sites (based on statistics from SimilarWeb), the size of the audience in the five main social networks, the number of subscribers to channels on the video hosting Youtube, the size and activity of the audience in the Telegram messenger (based on tgstat statistics). The author also analyzes the popularity of media in the Telegram messenger according to the size and activity of the audience. Results. The results of the analysis show that Western mass media and private online media remain the most popular among Belarusians; while the state media are inferior by a number of indicators. Research implications. The study identifies Belarus cyberspace characteristics and shows the possibilities of foreign countries to influence the agenda in the country.

Aim. To study the political aspects of the volunteer movement, including an assessment of its role in reducing the potential for political conflict, analysis of the possibilities of political resocialization and indoctrination of the consciousness of participants in this movement, as well as its possibilities to become an independent political actor. Methodology is a comparative analysis of the volunteer movement in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, differing in intensity of the formation of civil society institutions. The empirical base of the study was the results of a sociological survey conducted by the authors in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra and in the Perm Territory. Results. The analysis has shown that a positive political effect of the development of the volunteer movement is the secondary political socialization of its participants. At the same time, the role of volunteering in the formation of solidarity ties in society remains small, which is probably due to the lack of altruistic motivation of members of the volunteer movement. The possibilities for purposeful indoctrination by mean of symbolic politics are insignificant. However, the possibilities of non-profit organization as a platform for the formation of civic consciousness should not be exaggerated either. In general, the volunteer movement does not have the resources to turn into an independent political actor. Research implications. The analysis of the institutional possibilities and limitations of the volunteer movement proposed by the authors deepens the theoretical understanding of the peculiarities of the formation of civil society in modern Russia.

Aim. To describe and identify the specifics of one of the most understudied aspects of Russian Arctic research: Muslim development in the regions of the rapidly changing Russian North. Methodology. The work analyzes migration flows, examines the process of formation of Muslim communities in the northern regions of Russia. The study is based on an analysis of the Islamic infrastructure of the Russian North: registered mosques, prayer houses and rooms, etc. Results. To describe how the emergence and development of new Islamic areas occurs, the concept of “new Muslim geography” of Russia is introduced. To get closer to a better understanding of the process described, the authors turn to the concept of “transgression”, which can explain the dynamics of post-Soviet Islamic development in various regions: from capital centres to Muslim republics, from interstate borders to the polar tundra. Research implications. The study shows that it is necessary to revise the traditional concept of Muslim regionalization, assessed within the framework of the dichotomy of two macroregions: the North Caucasus and the Ural-Volga region. The authors propose to consider polar Islam as a new phenomenon of post-Soviet Russia - as a natural product of labour migration to industrial cities of the Far North from the Muslim regions of the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Aim. Comparison of the main recruiting channels and methods of forming the governor corps of the Russian Federation. Methodology. The study was carried out by the method of comparative analysis, taking into account changes in legislation, characteristics of career trajectories, socialization, education and other channels for recruiting regional heads. Results. Two groups were identified: “old-timers” and “newcomers”. The first were appointed, the second won the elections. The “old-timers” are connected with the regions, and the “newcomers” governors are mostly from the federal elite. The main channels for recruiting the regional elites of Russia have been identified: the bureaucratic apparatus (for “old-timers”), parties (for “newcomers”), as well as big business, the army and law enforcement agencies. Research implications. The results obtained make it possible to better understand the nature of the changes taking place in the governor’s corps, the functioning of the mechanism for selecting and recruiting its members.

Aim is to analyze the features of the Internet in the processes of interaction between government and society. Methodology. The study is based on the communicative approach and functional analysis of the instrumental potential of the phenomenon of mass political communication as a mechanism for the influence of power on the society. The definition of the features of the Internet as a channel of political communication in comparison with traditional media is revealed. The network approach and system analysis is used to reveal the potential for using the Internet communication by government institutions in order to legitimize themselves and reach a consensus with the society. Results. The author concludes that it is necessary for the government institutions to use the Internet communication tools to effectively interact with the society and maintain the stability of the political system, achieve consensus between the government and society, and maintain the legitimacy of government institutions. The need to create new Internet resources for more effective feedback between the government and society is noted. Research implications. The necessity to create new Internet resources for more effective feedback between the government and society is revealed.

Aim. The purpose of the study is to analyze psychometric features of the situational version of the questionnaire “Types of Orientations in Difficult Situation”. Methodology. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the factor structure. The consistency of the scales was estimated using the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient; correlations of the scales were estimated by Pearson’s coefficient. Descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilks test of normality were used for analysis of the data distribution; differences between men and women were assessed by the t-test. Results. The questionnaire structural model was evaluated in studying different difficult situations of 687 adults. This model fits well with empirical data. The questionnaire has good psychometric properties. The obtained construct differentiates two poles of the coping dimension “approach-avoidance” by introducing orientations that describe the perception of the situation as a complex of cognitive, emotional, motivational components (goal level, forecasting, emotions, focus of efforts, etc.). Research implications. This questionnaire allows to identify significant characteristics of perception of different types of difficult life situations and can be used in studying the dynamic aspects of coping.

Aim. Description of life events from the point of view of a person’s subjective “contribution”. Methodology. In a series of studies (2018-2020) of human changes and self-changes, life events were studied (1) in the context of changes in social reality, (2) as changes in a person’s life scenario, (3) as a phenomenological experience of personal changes. Questionnaires developed for the research and personal methods were used, the obtained data were processed with qualitative and quantitative methods of data analysis. Results. Three categories of events with different levels of “authorship” of a person in relation to the events of his life have been defined: (1) the objective event as changes in the life situation of the individual; (2) life events as a change in the person’s living space as a result of his personal choice; (3) existential experience events. Research implications. The data obtained allow us to expand our understanding of the subjective nature of life events and use them in consulting work.

Aim is to formulate and analyze a new psychological problem where the subject’s understanding of events that can be characterized as impossible. Methodology. The problem is solved with use of the psychology of the possible. The relevance of this problem is proved by the few studies of the impossible I, alternative life stories, the need for the transcendental, which contradict to everything real, which already exist in psychological science. The impossible is analyzed as an integral component of the existential experience of the subject who understands the world. Results. The classification of categorical features of the discussed phenomenon has been carried out and five meanings of the “impossible” category have been identified. The meanings depend both on objective circumstances and on the knowledge and expectations of the knowing subject: the contradiction between the logically permissible and the physically unacceptable; “causelessness” of the event; implausibility; the unknown as impossible; meaninglessness of “situations of impossibility”. Research implications. In the article analyzes the understanding of impossible events and situations from the point of view of a new area of psychological research - the psychology of the possible. Its development is necessary to improve the methods of enumerating alternatives in artificial intelligence, the psychological study of life options and other areas of human existence.

Aim. To describe the specifics of coping with an alcoholic family crisis caused by the removal of a child from the family and temporary placement in a rehabilitation center. Methodology. The article analyzes strategies of coping behavior of mothers and children from alcoholic families in connection with the peculiarities of going through the crisis and the specifics of family relationships. The research uses empirical methods (conversation, survey, projective drawing), methods of statistical analysis and interpretation of results. Results. The article shows the similarity of the response of mothers and children in a crisis: the lack of adequate actions, the predominance of emotionally-oriented behavior, self-blame and aggression. Connections of coping behavior with predominance of uncertainty in the ways to bring up children, excessive demands, preference for childish qualities in the child are noticed in the mother-child relations. Research implications. The results of the study contribute to the improving the practice of helping families in crisis.

Aim. To identify the characteristics of conceptual metaphors with positive and negative connotations, in particular when used in the United Kingdom political discourse to describe Brexit. Methodology. Our analysis methodology includes cognitive-discourse analysis, contextual analysis and comparative method. Results. According to the results of our study, conceptual metaphors are widely used by politicians to express their attitudes and assessments of important socio-political events of the country. Research implications. The theoretical significance is the definition of an approach to the comparative cognitive-discourse study of metaphors with positive and negative connotations as a language tool used to describe socially significant political events. The practical significance is the possibility of applying the results in the University and postgraduate practice, in scientific research on stylistics and in the theory of discourse.

Aim. To identify the creolized texts manipulative opportunity. Methodology. The authors analyzed 500 creolized texts (texts with illustrations) in mass media, advertising and in the Internet during 2018-2019. Effect of verbal text with illustration differs from the bare verbal text effect on the recipient. Results. Three groups of manipulative tactics were revealed on the basis of a comparative study of the verbal text formalized content and illustrations. Firstly, supporting tactics when the text content is supported and emphasised with the illustration. Secondly, transforming tactics when illustrations are used to change the text content. Thirdly, the distracting tactics designed to take away the recipient from the verbal text content. Research implications. The article demonstrates the possibility of using mathematical methods in studying the creolized text content, which allow us to create formal criteria for the manipulation detection.

Aim. The study of textual parts with interchangeable speech subjects in diary discourse to determine their ability to render the emotive state of the narrator. Methodology. Multiphase discourse analysis, including contextological, liguo-culturological, quantitative phases. Results. It is stated that the social role “writer” represents a sophisticated linguistic phenomenon, which possesses significant semantic and functional potential and neither in its form, nor in its contents can be confined to simple uniform construct. Research implications. The study shows that the change from one theme to another significantly increases the emotiveness and meaning of the text as a whole. An additional conclusion is that this type of intertextual insertions may be used as a relevant characteristic of language personality, and may contribute to the development of language theory by laying the foundation to a new branch - interdiscoursive characterology.