Vol 1, No 2 (2021)

Full Issue

PERSONALITIES

Molevich Yevgeny Fomich: Man of the Century (for the 90th anniversary of the Scientist and Remarkable Man)

Avdoshina N.V., Bocharov V.Y.

Abstract

Evgeniy Fomich Molevich turned 90 years old on the 25th of April 2021. He is an extraordinary man whose biography is a reflection of an entire era in the history of our country. The purpose of this article is to introduce the reader to human qualities and the main stages of life path, as well as scientific interests of a well-known scientist. There have been analyzed his sociological concept of the three-pronged structure of the modern sociological knowledge; the characteristic aspects of the approach regarding the labor activity analysis and its structure; the labor concept in a post-industrial society; the prospects for the construction of a modern society as a new social and information reality. Moreover, there has been make an emphasis on the applied aspects of E.F. Molevich’s activities as the organizer of the sociological laboratory (1969), the director of the Research Institute of Social Technologies of Samara University (1995-2009) and the head of Sociology and Political Science Department. Conclusions concerning the reasons for widespread recognition in the scientific environment and successes in teaching and social activities have been drawn.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):6-14
pages 6-14 views

PHILOSOPHY

Death of Philosophy: On the Edge of Thought (polemical essay)

Faritov V.T.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of the marginalization of philosophy in the modern world. The starting point of the study is the position of Oswald Spengler about the loss of understanding of the meaning and significance of philosophy in the situation of the death of European civilization. The article highlights the main signs of the degeneration of philosophical thought in modern society, among which the author refers to the atomization of philosophical discourse, the blurring of the boundaries between philosophical thought and scientific research, the loss of transcendental dimensions by philosophy, the marginalization of philosophical discourse and the phenomenon of "turn". The study pays special attention to the anthropological and linguistic turn. In particular, the author substantiates the thesis that modern philosophy does not just address the problem of language, but replaces being, as the main category of philosophy, with a sign and its structural components. The article criticizes positivism and poststructuralism as crisis and borderline phenomena of modern philosophical thought. The thesis is substantiated that the transformation of philosophical discourse in the post-metaphysical directions of modern thought leads to the distortion and loss of the original meaning of philosophy. The author made an attempt to reconstruct the original meaning of philosophy. The study uses the methodological principles and attitudes of historical and philosophical reconstruction, discourse analysis and semiotics.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):15-21
pages 15-21 views

Generalized description and referential meaning of typical childlike situations comparable to sacrifice

Serikov A.E.

Abstract

The article discusses the issues regarding the essence of what the reality referring to typical childlike situations similar to sacrifice, and the ways the names and descriptions of behavior types differ from these types as per se. The description of lexical meanings via the semantic metalanguage and the description of typical linguistic and other cultural forms based on prototypes do not contradict each other, since they solve different problems. Consequently, generic descriptions of typical childlike situations comparable to sacrifice are lexical meanings of the short names of typical situations, constructed in metalanguage on the basis of an intuitive understanding of their similarity, existing as artefacts of text analysis, while the typical situations and forms of childlike behavior comparable to sacrifice are real-life objective forms of behavioral situations and biological, cultural and social predispositions to certain typical forms of behavior.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):22-30
pages 22-30 views

The rising tide of information as problem of encyclopedias

Scholtz G.

Abstract

While using the “encyclopedia” concept as a guide, it has been shown the way in which the increasingly rapid growth of knowledge, created by the worldwide communication, leads to entirely new problems. The science as a collective enterprise is splitting off from the individuals and leveling down their education. There doesn’t exist a single scientist, being acquainted with the whole knowledge accumulated in the discipline. The knowledge quantity rate proves that there are problems while carrying out the knowledge overview and systematization. As a result, traditional encyclopedias are becoming increasingly outdated. This process may be understood by the means of Georg Simmel’s thesis on the alienation of objective and subjective culture. The present article presents some brief reactions to this problem.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):31-37
pages 31-37 views

LITERATURE STUDIES

Conceptual unity of Vl. Khodasevich’s book «Heavy lyre»

Andruhin M.S.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consistent patterns of the book “Heavy Lyre” by Vl. Khodasevich. The main issue of the article refers to the structural subsequence of the arranged poems in the book “Heavy Lyre” and the factors that may have influenced such structural subsequence. The author aims to compare the first and the last poems of the book so as to identify and compare their main themes and the change of the lyrical subject. In order to archive this goal the author carries out an immanent analysis of the poem “Music”. As a result, there has been proved the insufficiency of existing interpretations. Finally the author analyzes the poem “Ballade” in accordance with the other research studies, and there has been provided a comparative table of the two texts. The author concludes that there exist four main themes that unite both texts, and he provides the development of their change..

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):38-46
pages 38-46 views

The Moon as an Object of Exploration in the Perception of Russian Science Fiction

Zalomkina G.

Abstract

Purpose: to trace how the representative Russian science fiction texts reflect the process of the exploration of the Earth’s satellite, both in scientific/technical and socio-philosophical aspects.

Methods: comparative-historical, mythopoetic, socio-historical, hermeneutical, structural analysis.

Results:  Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the outstanding rocket scientist and pioneer of the astronautic theory, in his story “On the Moon” conjectured in detail the impression of an observer on its surface. The Soviet science fiction writer Alexander Belyaev developed Tsiolkovsky’s hypotheses in the story “The Star KETs” in which the Moon becomes accessible due to the construction of a space station in Earth’s orbit, named after the scientist: Star K(onstantin) E(duardovich) Ts(iolkovsky). In the Soviet Union, which was actively engaged in the research of the Moon, the interest in it was so great that it was reflected even in children’s literature. Simultaneously with the deployment of the Soviet lunar program, a fairy-tale novel by Nikolai Nosov “Dunno on the Moon” appeared. The novel shows the atmosphere of rivalry between the USSR and the United States in the exploration of the Moon. The science fiction vector is unfolded in the picaresque genre. In Victor Pelevin’s novel Omon Ra the question is raised not only of the research prospects of lunar landings, but also of the spiritual price of scientific search which implies the active participation of the state: is a free intellectual and technical search possible for astrophysicists, engineers, and cosmonauts under the pressure of acute political necessities?

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):47-54
pages 47-54 views

«Song about Volga» by V. Vysotsky: text and context

Perepelkin M.A.

Abstract

This article is devoted to the “Song about Volga” by V. Vysotsky and its place in the development of the Volga plot in Russian culture and literature. In order to indicate the context, the “Volga works” of I. Kondratiev and A. Navrotsky are studied; the main meanings fixed in the culture relating to the Volga in the late XIX and early XX centuries are revealed. Furthermore, we study the transformation of these meanings in the literature of the first decades of the twentieth century (A. Shiryaevets, Artem Vesely) and in the cinema (G. Alexandrov’s feature film “Volga-Volga”). A special place is given to the studying of the story of A.N. Tolstoy “Extraordinary Adventures on the Volga Steamer”, in which a new version of the Volga plot, picked up and developed by other authors, appears and forms on the ruins of the former robber-Barge Haulers’ Volga myth. The historical review of the Volga texts concludes with a review of the revision of the image of the Volga and related subjects in the culture of the 1960s and 70s. The carried out historical and literary research becomes the basis for the analysis of the artistic structure of V. Vysotsky’s “Songs about the Volga”. This analysis allows us to conclude that, while restoring some of the connotations lost by the image of the Volga and the Volga plot, V. Vysotsky at the same time tried to create a text that would be as protected as possible from ideological and other restrictions, remaining alive any time and on condition of any ideology.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):55-64
pages 55-64 views

Semiotization of the past in the Lermontov studies of B.M. Eikhenbaum in the 1930s – early 1940s

Sarycheva K.V.

Abstract

The research is based on the concept of the historical process as a semiotic system, formulated by B.A. Uspenskii. The article aims to analyse within the framework of this concept the historical and literary works of B.M. Eikhenbaum of the 1930s – 1940s, dedicated to the meeting of Lermontov and Belinsky in the prison. Some of the papers discussed here have not been previously studied. The fact that Eikhenbaum frequently referred to that episode and mentioned it in different papers let us assume that it was significant not only from the literary and historical point of view, but it also contained unique significance for the researcher. The article extends the observations made by E.A. Toddes regarding the implicit projection of contemporary events into the historical past that helped Eikhenbaum to overcome prescriptions of the Soviet ideology and literary criticism. The evolution of the history concept in papers of Eikhenbaum was analyzed and the elements of the language, resembling the contemporary epoch, were demonstrated. As a result, the author comes to the conclusion that the historic past of the Lermontov studies, carried out by Eikheinbaum, is the double coded semiotic system simultaneously, expressing the literary and historical facts, as well as following the official discourse and containing the unofficial or individual discourse regarding the contemporaneity.Key words: Eikheinbaum, Lermontov, Belinsky, formalism, Soviet literary criticism, history of literature, history, modernity, semiotic system.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):65-74
pages 65-74 views

On literary imitations of two imperative poems by Joseph Brodsky

Stepanov A.G.

Abstract

This article concentrates on the problem of literary interactions. It studies connections between Joseph Brodsky’s imperative poems “Ne vykhodi iz komnaty” (“Don’t leave your room”, 1970) and “Nazidanie” (“Cautionary Advice”, 1987), and their imitations. Those imitations were composed by both amateur and professional authors. The research objective is to define the character of similarities, the latter being mainly manifested at the rhythmic, speech and ideological levels. The methodology is based upon an empirical approach to the text; the specific methods are prosody analysis, comparative analysis, analysis of the motive structure. Two types of imitation of the said pre-texts are distinguished in the study. The first one is reflective feeble imitation represented by amateur texts written by web authors. Amateur poets create simplified variations of “Ne vykhodi iz komnaty” that became a “lockdown hymn” in the spring of 2020. Conscious support of a renowned poet’s work seems to legitimate creation of an amateur piece with its further placement on the web. The other type of imitation is a poetic dialogue. In spite of the fact that the author mainly employs “ready-made” compositional and speech patterns and lyrical and narrative motives, he develops and combines them in his own manner. M. Vatutina’s poem “S chuzhimi ne razgovarivai, zhizn’ u tebya odna…” (“Don’t talk to strangers, you’ve got just the only one life…”) may be viewed as a rhythmic and semantic paraphrase of Brodsky’s “Nazidanie” followed by definite transformations. Conceivably it cannot be referred to the so-called secondary texts in spite of its strong connection to Brodsky’s poems.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):75-82
pages 75-82 views

SOCIOLOGY

The readiness assessment regarding labor migration of the new working-class youth

Gavrilyuk T.V., Bocharov V.Y.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of labor mobility and the possibility of using systematic sociological data so as to gauge the readiness for labor migration of the working youth. The purpose of this work is to construct a methodology (logical index) and assess the readiness level of labor migration of the new working-class youth of the Ural Federal District (UFD). The study object is working youth (15-29 years old), employed in the sphere of industry and in the field of services. Based on the cluster analysis of data from a mass questionnaire survey (which was conducted in the Ural Federal District in 2018), the gender, the industry and territorial specifics of the readiness level concerning labor migration of three social types of the working youth – “the earning ones”, “the surviving ones” and “the adapted ones”, have been analysed. According to the results of the study, it is definite that the most quantified readiness regarding labor migration is among the rural youth of the social type “the surviving ones”, among young women of the social type “the earning ones”, as well as among the working youth employed in the service sector (regardless of their social type). The results can be used by public authorities in order to to gauge the readiness level of labor migration in the particular region and to develop regional targeted programs concerning the effective use of labor resources.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):83-90
pages 83-90 views

Precarization of employment relationships in remote–working conditions during COVID-quarantine

Eremicheva G.V.

Abstract

The large-scale social consequences of the global COVID epidemic demanded a multilateral analysis of its impact on the global processes of social development of the country. Particularly noticeable changes are observed in the sphere of work and labor relations. More than a year’s self-isolation and quarantine conditions necessitated the introduction of a remote work mode, accelerated the pace of mastering digital technologies in almost all areas of employment, and determined new requirements for the specialized qualities and competencies of workers. The massive transition to remote work turned out to be a professional challenge for many workers with different social status and required the ability to get involved in the digital economy in a dynamically short time frame. Employees who were unable to adapt to new conditions lost their jobs. Despite the positive aspects of working remotely, a number of negative aspects have been identified that seriously affected everyday life in a pandemic reality. Among them the most tangible are: the growing uncertainty and opacity of the labor and wages legal forms, individualization of workers, which deepen the process of labor relations’ precarization. The conclusions were made in accordance with the results of the analysis of entrepreneurs’ and public sector employees’ pilot interviews under conditions of quarantine restrictions, the analysis of materials from official statistics, monitoring data from analytical centers of Russian Public Opinion Research Center, Public Opinion Foundation, National Agency for Financial Studies and others.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):91-97
pages 91-97 views

Employment transformation in digital capitalism: myths and realities of the social consequences of the global economy digitalization

Arseienko A.G.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the social consequences of the employment transformation in the world of “capital” in the context of the modern expansion of global capitalism and the digitalization of the global economy. Particular attention is paid to proving the inconsistency of the current mythologization of the digital economy in order to cover up the anti-labor orientation of various forms of non-standard, informal employment, which has become widespread in all three worlds of the modern world-system within the framework of digital capitalism. At the center of the analysis of the digital economy impact on the workers’ socio-economic situation is the digitalization of the world of work and social and labor relations in the United States, that serve as a role model throughout the world, especially in the economically developed countries of the global North. The digitalization of labor in the Golden Billion countries, as well as in the Third World countries with a transition economy instead of the promised reduction of the contradictions between labor and capital led them to an even greater exacerbation and gave rise to a new type of social inequality – digital inequality – both inside all countries and between them. The author concludes that there has been a significant increase in the labor exploitation intensification as a result of the digital revolution and the need to search for and introduce new forms of world order under the slogan of the alterglobalists’ social movement – “People are higher than profits”.

Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):98-110
pages 98-110 views

Information. News. Events

Human being in the information-oriented society: the beginning of a discussion in the discourse of the humanities’ convergence

Avdoshina N.V., Agafonov A.Y., Belcer A.A., Bocharov V.Y., Vaskina Y.V., Demin I.V., Demina A.I., Zakharchenko N.A., Kazarina T.V., Kuchumova G.V., Pozdnyakov K.S., Tuzlaeva E.A., Usacheva O.A., Shokova E.V.

Abstract

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Semiotic studies. 2021;1(2):111-120
pages 111-120 views

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