The social sphere of the life of society is a set of individuals who are united by historically established connections and relationships, as well as possessing characteristics that give it its originality. This concept is directly related to satisfaction. And the possibilities, thanks to which you can get the desired result, depend on:

1. subject and his belonging to a particular social group.
2. The level of development of the state and its place in the world political arena.

Note that a society is not just a number of people. There are certain aggregates of which act in it and constitute social being. Their classification may be based on class, national, age or professional characteristics. The 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, a macro and microstructure is distinguished, which includes families, labor and educational teams, and so on.

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

The social sphere of society includes the following structural components:

1. Ethnic structure. Initially, the smallest group was considered to be the family of which the clan consisted. If several of them were united, then a tribe was formed. Later, a nationality was formed, based on territorial ties between people. When feudalism begins to develop, the process of the formation of a nation 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 character of relations 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 in 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 relations, which inevitably leads to the development of a new type of consciousness of representatives of society, which is called public. Its structural feature is that the 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.

Note that this sphere people's lives is a structure that is in continuous development. Within its framework, those processes always occur that are capable of changing the nature of relations between individuals, as well as their content. They are able to influence the essence of the social structure and

The social sphere of society is constantly being explored, because at the same time we comprehend the specifics of human relations, as well as the features 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 picture of all aspects of its existence and functioning.

Since ancient times, man has tried to understand the structure of society and reproduce its structure on paper. However, society has a very complex organization, which cannot be depicted in the form of a single diagram. In this article we will talk about one of the classifications based on the spheres of society.

Spheres of life of society

A person, being a member of society, interacts with its other representatives, entering into certain relationships with them: he sells and buys, marries and divorces, votes in elections and joins the ranks of public organizations. Such stable relationships are called spheres of social life.

According to the generally accepted classification, there are four main spheres of society:

• political. Affects everything that is related to politics: the state structure, the formation of political parties, political processes taking place in the state;

• economic. It is a system of relationships associated with the production, sale and consumption of goods and services;

• social. Covers the division of society into nations, peoples, classes, social groups, etc .;

• spiritual. This area covers issues of morality, religion, art, education, science, etc.

The spheres of activity of society cover all the processes that take place in the state, as well as people who are participants in these processes. Buying groceries in a supermarket, you join the economic sphere of society's activity, getting married - social, going to a rally - political, and going to the Tretyakov Gallery - spiritual.

Spiritual and social spheres of society

The dispute about which of the spheres of society is dominant has been going on for a long time, but the answer has not yet been found. Karl Marx considered the economic sphere of activity to be the defining one; in the Middle Ages, the spiritual sphere stood out as the main one. Let's take a closer look at each and decide which one is more important.

Spiritual sphere of society

The spiritual sphere of society is a set of relationships that arise in the course of the formation, transmission and development of intangible (spiritual) values. These include beliefs, cultural traditions, norms of behavior, artistic assets, etc.

The spiritual sphere of society includes morality, science, art, religion, education and law. When a child is taught to respect his elders in childhood, he is introduced to the spiritual sphere of society. Studying at school and university, attending exhibitions and concerts, traveling the world and studying the traditions of national culture, we get involved in the spiritual sphere.

Social sphere of society

The social sphere of society is a set of relations arising from the activities of a person as a member of society. Each of us occupies a certain position in society, which is determined by our age, marital status, education, place of residence, gender, nationality and social status. All this characterizes the place of the individual in the social sphere of society.

For example, registering a child at the place of residence, getting a job and retiring, we enter into social relations, and, therefore, become subjects of the social sphere of society.

Economic sphere

The economic sphere of society is a huge layer of human relations associated with the creation and movement of material goods. Working in production and releasing products, providing paid services and consuming them, you become a participant in the economic sphere of society.

What about the children? - you ask. - They do not work and do not buy, it turns out that kids and schoolchildren fall out of this area of ​​social development. No, they are also its participants. Parents buy clothes and food for them, pay for attending sports clubs and clubs, receive benefits and benefits for them. Thus, children are also indirectly involved in the economic sphere of life.

Political sphere

Everything that political science studies refers to the political sphere of society. The structure of the state and the functioning of local authorities, the holding of elections and the formation of parties, the formation of political trends and ideologies - all these are elements of the political sphere of society.

When do we become members of it? Joining the ranks of a party, contacting the city administration for help, casting our vote for one of the candidates in the elections, changing citizenship and even simply participating in polls related to assessing the activities of political power, we come into contact with the political sphere of activity.

Interaction of various spheres of society

The question of identifying the priority sphere of society belongs to the category of rhetorical, although, as we wrote above, there have been attempts to answer it. This resembles a situation when you need to determine who is in charge of the family: dad, who brings money to the house, mom, who buys food for this money, prepares food and feeds the household, or a child, without whom parents cannot imagine their life?

The spheres of development of society are closely intertwined and cannot exist in isolation from one another. Judge for yourself: is it possible to conduct an election campaign without funding, without studying public opinion and not taking into account the traditional foundations of the inhabitants of the area where it is being held?

The life of each of us is a vivid illustration of the interpenetration of the spheres of society: social, when we receive a citizen's passport, economic when shopping, political during elections, and spiritual, when we bring up love for the Motherland in our children.

We live without knowing that various spheres of society have become an integral part of our existence. This is one of the rules of society, which no one can break.

We offer you to watch a video on the topic "Spheres of life of society and directions of its development":

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 the administrative and household terms, the social sphere includes different kinds activities and relationships non-productive, public character, applied to a person. By virtue of this, it is worthwhile to examine in detail what the social sphere of the life of society really represents.

We noted that society has a centuries-old way of life and is a social space of society that changes historically as social conditions of life change: natural, technical, social, ecological and others. Two classical points of view can be cited here: the Marxist and the civilizational. In the concept of the socio-economic formation (the 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, then a historically formed type of society, a certain level of its development and, accordingly, a specific type of its society are presented. 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 causes heightened scientific interest, because the social sphere of society is not passive in relation to the objectively changing civilizational or socio-economic conditions of life. Its own dynamics is due to a number of internal and external factors that have a certain stability and sufficient independence, due to the preservation of social relations of the previous social system(for example, in a feudal society - social groups of slaves and relations determined by their activities; in a post-industrial society - social groups of hired workers with the functional characteristics of their existence). However, a more perfect mode of production in the formation of society (in combination 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.

Such well-known categories as "social space", "social environment", "society", "society" are important for understanding the essence of the social sphere of the life of society and the process of its formation; in addition, knowledge of the structure is required public life, which determines the entire system of social relations spherically (structurally and functionally): economic and environmental, managerial and pedagogical, scientific and artistic, medical and physical education, defense and public security. It is important to realize that the emergence of each system-forming institution of the life of society, that is, its sphere, was determined by the basic form of social activity that gave rise to these relations. Economy was formed as a sphere of social life, an independent system-forming institution of social life through the system of relations of production, consumption, distribution and exchange of goods and services through the activities necessary for the whole society. Ecology- through a system of relations 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 the system of relations in the development, adoption, implementation and correlation of strategic, tactical and operational decisions, the need to bear responsibility for their results. Pedagogy- through the relations that arise in the course of activity when acquiring knowledge, skills and attitudes, that is, in the process of education, training and upbringing. The science- through a system of relations reflecting the activity of obtaining new knowledge, creating innovations. Art- through the specifics of the relationship between artistic and artistic-applied spectra of activities and the mutual connection of their creator and consumer. Medicine- through relationships in professional areas of activities for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of people. Physical education- through the relationship of harmonious physical development of a person using a modern physical culture base 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 its multifaceted professional activity: 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 social life is built, in which a person, individual, society plays a key role. 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 integrally 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 sense, is not built into the typological series of "spheres of public life", the nature of relations of which is conditioned by institutional activity and is presented above.

The social sphere is a historically formed social space of people's life, 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, objectively human education, in which social relations of people are structured. The social sphere is the historically developed social space of a society. It should not be confused with the ordinary and administrative understanding of the "social sphere", which is reduced to institutions of a non-production nature, functionally designed to satisfy human needs for different areas life: in the field of health care, in the field of education, in the field of employment, in the field of pensions, in the field of protecting the rights of children and motherhood, etc. They represent elements of a public, civil, administrative and legal, and not a "purely" social nature. Specifically social in them - 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 formed social space of society with its inherent social relations and institutions generated by human activity; in the second case, the "social sphere" is understood as the functioning of federal, regional and local administrative structures, by their intended purpose, are obliged to substantively deal with life problems population, that is, to perform official duties.

In this regard, it is advisable to determine the environment in which social relations are manifested, and for this it is necessary to understand the differences between the social sphere of the life of society and social being. These differences are fundamental and essential, although there are separate theoretical constructions that do not draw a line 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 relations arise directly within and between social communities and individuals - people, individuals, persons, social structures: clan, ethnic, demographic, stratification, settlement, national, family. Social being- this is the entire space of human life, including the full range of economic, environmental, managerial, pedagogical, scientific, artistic, medical, physical culture, defense and social security, basic forms social activities, as well as, filling them, subject 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.).

The public is always a more capacious concept than the 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 the life of society ...

Here it is appropriate to recall the point of view of Karl Marx and F. Engels on the explanation of the concepts of "social" and "social", which they indicated in a number of their works in the analysis of society, the processes taking place in it, and the relations that develop in this case. They used the concept "geBellschaftlich" - "public", to denote "social relations", "social needs", "social connection", etc. in the event that there was a need to speak about society as a whole, in the interaction of all its spheres of life. The concept of "sozial" - "social", was used by them in the study the nature of people's relationships to each other, that is, "purely" human relations arising 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 apply the concept society, which is the human (social) basis of society and one of its three subsystems. Along with society, the system of society includes an industrial-technical subsystem (man-made artificial environment) and an ecological subsystem (a natural environment changed by man). Society - these are people involved in the process of social relations through their own activities, with their 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 social space, where various social relations of people are formed, function and develop: individuals, individuals, persons, social groups. Society is the social space of a society in which all its social relations are integrated.

The basis of social relations there are needs determined by individual or group material and spiritual factors. Therefore, the regulation of social relations is objectified, for the most part, by the traditional (moral) rules and norms of human life, 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 personified, 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 relations 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 aggregate of connections and relations. Social structure also represents the historical type of social relations. With regard to Marxism - primitive communal, slave-owning, feudal, industrial. A different approach is a regional type of society's relations, reflecting national specificity, socio-economic and political characteristics: Latin American, European, Asian, African. The social structure of society presupposes the unity of the territory, the common language, the unity of economic life, the unity of social norms, stereotypes and values ​​that allow groups of people to interact steadily. The factor of the nation's mentality is also important. That's why social structure represents a qualitative certainty of society, combining social institutions and education, relations 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 every element of the social structure. He is included in the system and the execution of a wide variety of statuses and social roles, while simultaneously carrying out his activities as a family member, and as a professional, and as a city dweller or peasant, and as an ethnic, confessional 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 a primitive communal society, not only a stratification, but also a settlement component was absent, for the emergence of the latter is associated with the allocation of the city as a central place for handicrafts and trade, its separation from the countryside. There was no ranking in this archaic social order according to economic, professional and other characteristics.

The process of improving the components of the social structure of society and their correlation is 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 to be very dynamic. For example, ranking by education: if at the beginning of the XX century. there were several hundred specialties in which education in higher education was conducted, then at the beginning of the 21st century there were already several thousand specialties in demand by society, respectively, and the stratification structure requires a correlation.

Sorokin Pitirim Alexandrovich(1889-1968), the largest sociologist of the planet, thinker. Born in the village of Turya, Yarensky district, Vologda province, now Zheshart, Komi Republic. He studied at the church teacher's seminary, for social-revolutionary views (in the party of the Socialist-Revolutionaries 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, along with his brother, went to work as a laborer. I got carried away by reading the most diverse literature that could be obtained. In 1907 he attended courses in St. Petersburg, after which he passed exams as an external student for 8 years at the gymnasium. In 1909 he entered the Psychoneurological Institute, in which there was a department of sociology, headed by P.I. Kovalevsky and De Roberti, and in 1910 he transferred to the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, from which he graduated in 1914. He worked as the personal secretary of Kovalevsky, whose views largely determined his scientific activities as a sociologist. In 1917 he was the editor of the Right Socialist Revolutionary newspaper "Will of the People", personal secretary of the chairman of the Provisional Government of Russia A.F. Kerensky. He actively participated in the convocation of the Constituent Assembly of Russia (late 1917 - early 1918 G.), was elected a member of the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. One of the initiators of the Union for the Renaissance of Russia, the idea of ​​which was practically leveled by the Bolsheviks. The Cheka was arrested several times, was sentenced to be shot, but by a lucky coincidence (or regularity) this did not happen. When P.A. Sorokin from the conclusion of A.B. Lunacharsky - People's Commissar of Education, offered him to work in the apparatus of the People's Commissariat, but Sorokin refused, saying that he would be engaged in science. This statement, reported to Lenin, was followed by his immediate reaction, who wrote the article "Valuable Confessions of Pitirim Sorokin," in which Lenin, with the unambiguity 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. In parallel, he worked on the "History of sociology of Russia in the XIX century to the present day." He was the founder and head of the first in Russia department of sociology at this university, professor of sociology. Contributor to the journals "Economic Revival", "Artelnoye Delo". In 1922 g. v in accordance with the decree 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 - prominent scientists, teachers, writers, artists who did not recognize the October coup 1917 g. He spent about a year with his wife in Berlin and Prague, lectured on the current situation in Russia and worked on the Sociology of the Revolution. In the fall of 1923, at the invitation of American sociologists E. Hayes and E. Ross, he moved to the United States. V 1924-1929 biennium - Professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota, where he wrote the classic work "Social Dynamics". V 1929 G. was invited to Harvard University and founded the Faculty of Sociology 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 President of the United States, F Roosevelt, the future 35th President of America J. Kennedy. In 1960, Sorokin was elected president of the American Sociological Association, which is quite natural. He is a prominent scientist, sociologist with a worldwide reputation, 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 is carried out and the reasons for their changes are revealed. There are theoretical works devoted to the analysis of Russian problems: "Russia and the United States" (1944), "The main features of the Russian nation in the 20th century" (1967). Once Pitirim Sorokin tried to get permission for a short visit to the Motherland, asking about it the members of the Soviet delegation (in particular, Osipov), who had arrived at a sociological conference in the United States. Osipov tried to humanly contribute to this through the ideological department of the Central Committee of the CPSU, but after viewing his personal file by the General Secretary of the Party L. Brezhnev, on whose title was written by the hand of V. Lenin, categorically (under the sign of the death penalty) forbidding P. Sorokin to be in Russia, was refused and never returned to this issue.

Until the end of his days, Pitirim Alexandrovich 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.

The social sphere of society can be considered in two aspects.

At first, the social sphere of society is the sphere where social needs a person in housing, food, clothing, education, health maintenance (medical care), retirement benefits, in protection from life-threatening natural phenomena. The well-being of society and the individual is closely related to the level and quality of development of the social sphere of society. The policy of the modern Russian state is aimed at developing the social sphere of society through the development of special social programs, national projects: "Education", "Affordable Housing", "Healthcare".

Secondly, the social sphere of society is associated with the allocation of various social communities and their relationships. Let us dwell on this second aspect in more detail. V educational literature it is often considered within the framework of the topic "The social structure of society".

Social community Is a collection of people, united by historically established, stable ties and relationships and having a number of common features (features) that give it a unique originality. The basis of social communities is an objective (economic, territorial, etc.) connection between its members, which has developed in their real life. At the same time, factors of a spiritual order can also be the basis of a social community: a common language, traditions, value orientations, etc. A social community is also characterized by its qualitative integrity, which makes it possible to distinguish this community from other associations of people. And finally, social community is expressed in the community of historical destinies of people, general tendencies, prospects for their development.

Various in nature, scale, social role, etc. social communities are part of the social structure of society. Social structure of society Is a historically developed, relatively stable system of connections and relations between various elements of society as a whole. It is accepted to consider basic elements of the social structure society:

Individuals with their status and social roles (functions);

Socio-ethnic communities (clan, tribe, nationality, nation);

People as a social community;

Classes as social communities, as well as such large social communities as castes, estates;

Small social groups (labor and training collectives, military units, family, etc.).

First, specifically human form community, was genus- a consanguineous association of people bound by collective labor and joint protection of common interests, as well as by a common language, customs, traditions.

The union of two or more clans was tribe... Like a clan, a tribe is an ethnic community, since it continues to be based on consanguineous ties.

The disintegration of tribal ties and the isolation of consanguineous ones leads to the formation of a new community - a nationality. This is no longer a purely ethnic, but a socio-ethnic community, based not on blood relations, but on territorial, neighborly ties. Nationality Is a community of people historically formed on the basis of the slaveholding and feudal modes of production, which has its own language, territory, a certain community of culture, and the beginnings of economic ties. It is a relatively unstable community. Compared to the tribe, there is a new level of economic ties here, but at the same time there is still no that integrity and depth of economic life that a nation has.

Nations are characteristic of the period of the development of capitalism and the formation of commodity-money market relations. Nation Is a historically established stable form of uniting people who have a common territory, economy, language, culture and psychological makeup. Unlike a nationality, a nation is a more stable community of people, and deep economic ties give its stability. But the condition for the formation of a nation was not only objective (natural-territorial, economic) factors, but also subjective ones - language, traditions, values, a common psychological make-up. The factors that hold the nation together include the prevailing ethnic characteristics. labor activity, clothing, food, communication, lifestyle and family life, etc. The common historical past, the uniqueness of the economy, culture, way of life, traditions form the national character. In history, we observe a variety of nations and each has its own unique flavor, contributes to the development of world civilization and culture.

The most important characteristic of a nation is its national identity. National identity- this is an awareness of the spiritual unity of their people, the common historical fate, social and state community, this is adherence to national values ​​- language, traditions, customs, faith, this is patriotism. National self-consciousness has a tremendous regulatory and life-affirming force, it contributes to the rallying of people, the preservation of socio-cultural identity, counteracts the factors that destroy it.

Healthy national consciousness must be distinguished from nationalism. Nationalism is based on the idea of ​​national superiority and national exclusivity. Nationalism is a form of manifestation of national egoism, leading to the exaltation of one's own nation over all others, based not on the real advantages and successes of the nation, but on vanity, arrogance, self-conceit, blindness in relation to one's own shortcomings. There is a simple truth: the higher the national self-awareness of a people, the stronger the sense of national dignity, the more respect and love it treats other peoples. Any nation becomes spiritually richer and more beautiful when it respects another nation.

The concept of "people" is used in literature in different senses. It can denote the population of a particular country (for example, the people of France, Russia, etc.). In this case, it is not just an external designation of the entire population of society, but a qualitatively defined social reality, a complex social organism. This sense brings together the concepts of people and nation.

As a social community people- this is an association of people, primarily those employed in social production, making a decisive contribution to social progress, having a common spiritual aspirations, interests, some common features of the spiritual image. Thus, not only objective factors (joint labor activity and a common contribution to the implementation of progressive transformations in society), but also subjective-conscious, spiritual factors (traditions, moral values) integrate such a social community as a people.

The unity of conscious and unconscious values, norms, attitudes inherent in the people, their representatives, is embodied in the mentality. The mentality ensures the traditionality of the life and activities of members of a social community, forms in them a sense of solidarity, underlies the distinction "we - they". As the characteristic features of the Russian people, representing its mentality, the literature indicates: collegiality, communality (collectivism), patriotism, the desire for social justice, the priority of serving the common cause over personal interests, spirituality, "all-humanity", statehood, etc.

Classes- These are large social communities that began to form during the disintegration of the tribal system. The merit of the opening of classes belongs to French historians of the 19th century. F. Guizot, O. Thierry, F. Migne. The role of classes and class struggle in the history of the development of society is analyzed in detail in Marxist philosophy.

Deployed class definition given by VI Lenin in his work "Great Initiative": "Classes are called large groups of people that differ in their place in a historically defined system of social production, in their relation (mostly enshrined and formalized in laws) to the means of production, in their role in the social organization of labor, and, consequently, according to the methods of obtaining and the size of the share of social wealth that they have. Classes are such groups of people, of which one can appropriate the labor of another, due to the difference in their place in a certain structure of the social economy. "

The Marxist interpretation of the class is characterized by the understanding of material production as the most important objective factor in the constitution of classes. When distinguishing a class as a social community, the emphasis is on the specific role of classes in the social organization of labor, and not simply on their labor activity as such. At the same time, the class community, like any other social community, can and should be considered not only in terms of objective economic, but also in terms of conscious and spiritual characteristics. This means that certain social and psychological traits, attitudes, value orientations, preferences, lifestyle, etc., characteristic of a given group of people, can be attributed to the characteristics of classes. Many authors regard class consciousness as a special characteristic of a class, implying the transformation of a "class in itself" into a "class for itself".

In modern literature, in addition to Marxist, there are other interpretations of classes and class differentiation of society, reflecting the reality of the XX - XXI centuries. (R. Darendorf, E. Giddens and others). So, M. Weber belongs to the class-status model of social differentiation of society. By classes, Weber means groups that have access to the market and offer certain services on it (property owners, the working class, the petty bourgeoisie, the intelligentsia, white-collar employees). Along with classes, Weber highlights status groups differing in lifestyle, prestige, and party whose existence is based on the distribution of power.

Currently, many Western and Russian philosophers in the social structure of economically developed countries stand out three large social groups: upper (ruling) class, which includes the owners of fixed assets of production and capital, class of production and non-production workers uniting persons of hired labor who do not own the means of production and are employed mainly in performing labor in various spheres of material and non-material production, middle class, which include small entrepreneurs, the overwhelming majority of the intelligentsia and middle group employees.

Historical development society indicates that the tendency in the development of the social structure of society is its constant complication, the emergence of new communities, depending on the level of the technical and technological basis and the type of civilization. In modern philosophical and sociological literature, when analyzing social communities, such concepts as "marginal group", "elite stratum", etc. are widely used.

A great contribution to the study of the social structure of society was made by the Russian philosopher and sociologist P.A. Sorokin (1889-1968), the founder of the theory of social stratification and social mobility.

Social stratification- a concept denoting the existence in society of social inequality, hierarchy, dividing it into strata (layers), allocated on the basis of any one or a number of features. Most modern researchers adhere to the concept of "multidimensional stratification", according to which layers are distinguished on the basis of many criteria (occupation or profession, income, education, cultural level, type of dwelling, area of ​​residence, etc.).

P.A. Sorokin analyzed in detail three main forms of stratification: economic, political, social (professional) and in each of them he identified several strata, showed the intertwining of three main forms. Sorokin understood social mobility as any transition of an individual from one social position to another. Highlighted two main types of social mobility: horizontal and vertical. Under horizontal mobility the transfer of an individual from one social group to another located at the same level was meant (for example, the transfer of an individual with the preservation of his professional status from one enterprise to another). Vertical mobility associated with the movement of an individual from one social stratum to another. Depending on the direction of movement, there are two types of vertical mobility: ascending- movement from the lower layer to the higher one, i.e. social upsurge, and descending- moving from a higher social position to a lower one, i.e. social descent.

The concept of social stratification and social mobility does not eliminate, but complements the concept of the class division of society. She is able to concretize the macroanalysis of the structure of society and more accurately determine the changes taking place in society.

When analyzing social communities in terms of a quantitative parameter, large social communities are distinguished - macrolevel social structure of society (race, nation, caste, estates, classes, etc.) and m calf social structure of society - these are small social groups, among which the family occupies a special place.

A family- a small social group based on marriage or consanguinity, whose members are linked by a common life, mutual moral responsibility and mutual assistance. The legal basis of the family is the formalization of marriage relations between a man and a woman in accordance with the laws existing in society. However, the highest moral law for marriage is love. The most important function of the family is the continuation of the family and the upbringing of children.

The family is a historical phenomenon, it has changed in the process of the development of society (group, pair, monogamous). Marital and family relations are influenced not only by socio-economic, political, legal factors, but also cultural (moral, aesthetic values ​​and traditions). The nuclear family, consisting of a husband, wife and children, prevails in our era, relations in it are characterized by the informality of interpersonal relations, the weakening of the economic, legal and religious ties that held the old family together and the increasing weight of moral and psychological ties.

In any society, in addition to the social structure, there is a natural differentiation of people, i.e. division of people according to natural criteria. This division into race- historically formed areal groups of people connected by the unity of origin, which is expressed in common hereditary morphological and physiological signs varying within certain limits. There is a division of people according to gender - into men and women, according to age criteria - into children, youth, people of mature age, old people. There is a connection, interaction between the social and natural differentiation of people. So, in any society there are people of advanced age, but in certain social conditions these people form a group of pensioners. Differences between masculine and female organisms affect the social division of labor. Examples can be continued, but all of them will testify to the fact that society, its social structure, without canceling natural differentiations, endows them with certain social qualities.

The social sphere, therefore, is the interconnection of various macro- and microsocial communities. This relationship is manifested in the interpenetration, intertwining of social communities: a national community can include people, classes, one and the same class can consist of representatives of different nations, etc. But interpenetrating, communities are preserved as qualitatively stable social formations. There are various types and types of relations between communities (class, national, etc.), which also interact, mutually influence each other. And this whole complex set of social communities, their relationships forms the social sphere in its entirety.

Spheres of society are a set of relations of a stable nature between various social objects.

Each sphere of society includes certain types of human activity (for example: religious, political, or educational) and established relationships between individuals.

• social (nations, peoples, classes, age and gender groups, and others);
• economic (productive relations and forces);
• political (parties, state, socio-political movements);
• spiritual (morality, religion, art, science and education).

Social sphere

The social sphere is a set of relations, enterprises, industries and organizations related to and determining the level and life of society and its welfare. This area primarily includes a range of services - culture, education, health care, physical education, social Security, catering, passenger transport, utilities, communications.

The concept of "social sphere" has different meanings, but they are all interconnected. In sociology, this is a sphere of society that includes various social communities and close ties between them. In political science and economics, it is a set of industries, organizations and enterprises whose task is to improve the standard of living of society.

This area includes various social societies and the relationship between them. Taking a certain position in society, a person enters into different communities.

Economic sphere

The economic sphere is a set of relations between people, the emergence of which is due to the creation and movement of various material goods; it is the area of ​​exchange, production, consumption and distribution of services and goods. The mode of production and distribution of material goods is the main factor that determines the specifics

The main task of this sphere of society is to address such questions as: "what, how and for whom to produce?" and "how to harmonize the processes of consumption and production?"

The structure of the economic sphere of society's life consists of:

• - labor force (people), tools and objects of working life;
• production relations is the production of goods, their distribution, further exchange or consumption.

Political sphere

The political sphere is the relationship of people who are primarily connected directly with the authorities and are engaged in ensuring joint security. The following elements of the political sphere can be distinguished:

• political institutions and organizations - revolutionary groups, presidency, parties, parliamentarism, citizenship, and more;
• political communications - forms and connections of interaction between various participants in the political process, their relationship;
• political norms - moral, political and legal norms, traditions and customs;
• ideology and political culture- ideas of a political nature, political psychology and culture.

Spiritual realm

This is the area of ​​immaterial and ideal formations, which include various values ​​and ideas of religion, morality and art.

The structure of this sphere of society includes:

• morality is a system of ideals, moral norms, actions and assessments;
• religion - various forms worldviews that are based on faith in the power of God;
• art - the spiritual life of a person, artistic perception and development of the world;
• education is a process of teaching and upbringing;
• law - norms that are supported by the state.

All spheres of society are closely interconnected

Independence is inherent in each sphere, but at the same time, any of them is in close interaction with the rest. The boundaries between spheres of society are transparent and blurred.