Revista de Investigaciones Universidad del Quindío,

34(S3), 134-141; 2022.

ISSN: 1794-631X e-ISSN: 2500-5782

Esta obra está bajo una licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 4.0 Internacional.

CONSOLIDATION OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES AS A SOCIAL PROJECT

CONSOLIDACIÓN DE COMUNIDADES TERRITORIALES COMO PROYECTO SOCIAL

Valentin P. Babintsev1 *; Galina N. Gaidukova2; Zhanna A. Shapoval3.

1. Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation. babintsev@bsu.edu.ru

2. Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation. g_gaidukova@bsu.edu.ru

3. Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation. shapoval@bsu.edu.ru

*corresponding author: Valentin P. Babintsev, babintsev@bsu.edu.ru

ABSTRACT

This article’s primary aim is a conceptual substantiation of the necessary conditions, and objective and subjective limitations of the social design for the consolidation route of territorial communities, which is understood as the process of mass consciousness modifications through the gradual prerequisites approval that ensure the assimilation of consolidation notions as behavioral standards. To gratify the study’s aim, a survey was conducted in the Belgorod region during Jan. to Apr. 2021, including a mass questionnaire survey of the people utilizing the quota sampling method. Based on the results, the system of social practice may be created in the territorial community; it can be inclined toward its participation in and reproduction as a dynamic participant in social processes.

Keywords: social consolidation; social solidarity; territorial community; social design.

RESUMEN

El objetivo principal de este artículo es una fundamentación conceptual de las condiciones necesarias y limitaciones objetivas y subjetivas del diseño social para la ruta de consolidación de las comunidades territoriales, entendida como el proceso de modificación de la conciencia de las masas a través de la aprobación gradual de los requisitos previos que aseguren la asimilación de las comunidades territoriales. nociones de consolidación como normas de conducta. Para cumplir con el objetivo del estudio, se realizó una encuesta en la región de Belgorod entre enero y abril de 2021, incluida una encuesta de cuestionario masivo de las personas que utilizan el método de muestreo por cuotas. A partir de los resultados se podrá crear el sistema de práctica social en la comunidad territorial; puede inclinarse hacia su participación y reproducción como participante dinámico en los procesos sociales.

Palabras clave: consolidación social; solidaridad social; comunidad territorial; diseño social.

INTRODUCTION

Among the major causes for organizing a community is the separation territorial societies, groups of people situated in a confined geopolitical space, and hence hold objectively decided shared interests and benefits. Territorial societies are able to be shaped at several levels, leading from micro- (neighborhood communities, rural settlements’ residents) to meso-social and macro-social (Arampatzi, 2020). The existence of advantages and appals adequately defined by traditions, life circumstances, and the special essence of the social status in question doesn’t automatically change and evolve the territorial society into integrity. Moreover, it doesn’t it provide it with systemic characters. As a matter of fact, utilizing that notion as the equivalent of the notion of “territory population”, we imply merely the likelihood of self-organization and, consequently, the prospects of that individuals obtaining the collective attribute (Anthias, 2022).

The concept of the requirement to consider the emerging definitions’ uncertainty keep causing multiple discussions concerning categorizing the study object in question.

Among major consequences of those debates has been the growth of a slim perception of the territorial community concept as a self-organized group, a sort of society, especially vivid and clear in the investigation of local societies. Specifically, as explained by Babintsev et al. (2021) local communities “mean social relationships featured by great moral foundations, a heightened level of emotional profoundness, trust, social communication, cohesion, and duration over time” (Babintsev et al., 2021).

Hence, the future of a “society” is utilized to a stage of territorial development or population organization, which is rarely rational, given the fact that it doesn’t consider the non-linearity and multidimensionality of that procedure, the basics of which are established by the sole reality of the residences (Peruccio & Savina, 2020). It is believed that a community doesn’t come up just from the people’s conscious activities (Böhm et al., 2019).

The territorial community is shaped even prior to its representatives are led by the laws of mutual loyalty and solidarity. Any territorial society is a constantly growing organism. Finally, that growth and expansion are foreseen on the notion and concept of a territorial community’s reproduction, involving a straightforward or expanded reproduction of its quantitative and qualitative features. Indeed, that assertion doesn’t imply that anti-systemic and chimeric communities guided indirectly or directly toward demolition and self-destruction, can’t come up in contemporary society or even in history. Nonetheless, reproduction keeps the dominating frame for social growth (Blair et al., 2022).

Regarding that settings to be prosperous in reality, it appears crucial not merely to hold a set of ecological-biological and socio-economic circumstances but also a well-explained psychological ambiance and environment «charging» individuals with a realistic perception of actuality and encouraging them to take beneficial measures, as was persuasively shown utilizing the instance of demographic procedures (Kovrigina, 2019). That condition is, indeed, progressively identified by those who manage and design urban infrastructures. During these activities, particularly, special intimate spaces are generated. V.L. Glazychev mentions: “The core of the concept “sustainability” for city habitants is in key concepts of accessibility, dignity, equality, in the planning sense, it is regarded as the formations of “friendly” places constituting a city. The construction and design of those places are conducted by the notion of stimulating, instead of by directive measures, through building desirable circumstances for environmental alterations in a transformative way, but with given features. “Liveability” is reliant upon the residents’ personal experience” (Glazychev, 1984).

The construction of such ambience and environment appears a complicated and delicate procedure, a component of which is the territorial community consolidation, meaning an intentionally managed and organized procedure of reinforcing inter-group and interpersonal bonds in the urban society, attaining a common perception of how to resolve common urban issues via cooperation and dialogue.

Over the past years, the problems of the principle and consolidation of solidarity underlying it has been among the most related and prevalent subjects of scientific arguments (Anthias, 2022) which are on the basis of a prolonged tradition of its theoretical examination, since, as Kovrigina mentions “from the initial stages of social reflection, virtually all thinkers paid a close attention to social solidarity precisely making society probable” (Kovrigina, 2019). Nonetheless, no less significantly, it is the topic of viable actions and solutions in the area of social governance. The matter of society’s consolidation are frequently (indirectly or directly) tackled by Russia’s President (Arampatzi, 2020). The notion of solidarity is existent in the public speeches of Patriarch Cyril, who expressed: Nowadays, like four hundred years ago, the notions of solidarity and worry for the common shall get our society’s societal glue. Regardless of how much financial capital a person possesses, regardless of how high is their position, they won’t be entirely glad with no serving their fellow people (Kovrigina, 2019).

Considering the regional level, there stand particular experiences of Belgorod District in growing and executing the measure “Construction of Regional Solidarity Community for 2011 to 2025” (Babintsev et al., 2021). Several consolidation practices have been improved and experienced throughout their execution mainly at the level of the micro (settlement).

Nevertheless, it is these experiences that supplies the foundation for reflection on the procedure of territorial communities’ consolidation, which is way far from conclusive. The contradictory essence of the Strategy Procedure was already mentioned. It is, specifically, that whereas the notion is compelling, its execution is satisfied with a sort of resistance from the people. For instance, yearly social well-fare supervising of the people named “Quality Rose” legitimized by the program on Life Quality Enhancement for the residents of the District of Belgorod conducted over the years 2003 and 2018 (n = 8000) demonstrated that just 28.5 percent of the population residing in the District of Belgorod had been aware of the execution of the mentioned strategy for forming a Solidarity community. Approximately 57.5 percent of the District of Belgorod ‘s population regard that as a victory. In contrast, merely 42.8% of them hold an opinion of what that community is.

It can be found a reasonable justifications as to why the consolidation strategy objectively needed by the territorial communities’ growth specificity, keeps on the periphery of mass consciousness. However, in our perspective, the fundamental cause is an irrationally simplistic perspective of the consolidation procedure, the vital circumstances for its execution, and subjective and objective limitations. Consolidation under that strategy has been observed as a scheme which, even though pictured as a long enterprise, has not been naturally meregd into the whole sociocultural growth logic of the territorial society, and isn’t part of what may be determined as a consolidation route.

This study utilized that notion to specify the correction procedure in the territorial community’s mass consciousness, consisting of the step-by-step (successive) affirmation of the prerequisites supplying the consolidation notion’s assimilation as a behavioral norm.

This study mainly attempts to conceptualize the restrictions and possibilities of planning a territorial communities’ consolidation route.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This study makes use of the essential notions of transformational procedure scientists (Zaslavskaya et al. 1989; Yadov & Strickland, 1986; De Rosa, 2022; Shtompka, 2005) on the properness of systematic techniques in the examination of social procedures in various kinds of establishments, and also for sociological research of complicated kinds of handled objects.

This article is on the basis of the social risks theory, in accordance with which risk is progressively getting a levelling-off norm of daily presence in an unsteady social environment, and also the social anomies theory.

Moreover, this study utilizes particular and general research techniques, and also formal analysis, systematic analysis, bibliographic research techniques, and comparative, and documentary sources’ analysis.

The resources of the article’s sociological study “Renovation of sociocultural constants as a means of development and reproduction of regional societies” have been employed to empirically prove the steps and procedures of the consolidation route as well as to define the hazards of its realization. This study was carried out in Belgorod District from Jan. to Apr. 2021 and incorporated a large-scale questionnaire survey of the people utilizing a quota sampling method (500 residents of Belgorod were questioned and interviewed, and the chief factors and aspects of the quota were: residence, age, sex, statistical error not surpassed two percent).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The operation and design of the path may well be satisfactory in case several requirements are accomplished. Firstly, it is targeting. Not only is It that the procedure of passing along the route at all of the steps shall be subordinated to the accomplishment of the anticipated outcome, but also a vivid and purposeful explanation of that outcome, which may neither devalue to exaggerate its significance. Experiences have demonstrated that the current restrictions (deteriorating collectivist values, social polarization, deterioration of the regulatory effect of social standards and norms) of establishing that kind of a purpose is preposterous. With those observations in mind, we regard the formation of a communicative ambiance ensuring reciprocal loyalty of the participants of the territorial society as well as communication among them in resolving prevalent issues, and also their reciprocal cooperation and preservation in crisis as an actual outcome of the action along the consolidation route (Böhm et al., 2019).

The territorial consolidation path necessitates internal reason. The core and nature of that necessity are that each stage has to follow organically from the former one and generate the foundation for the next ones. An effort to ignore (circumvent) any of them is an undeniable failure of the consolidation procedure’s initiators. Reasoning and logic are guaranteed by the purpose of unity, which, is on the basis of the notion of a steady transition from a disintegration state to one of integration by the dissemination and production of cultural samples. Consistent with that perspective, it is believable that the next steps of the route may be recognized. Firstly, territorial recognition: is the construction of the understanding of belonging to a territorial society (Blair et al., 2022). It doesn’t indicate per se a consolidated inclination of a person. However, incorporation into the structure of the individual seems unlikely without referring to the particular society. Secondly, the selection of a value group, in other words, a selection in a prevalent set of the spiritual concept of meaning that is collectivistic and functions as a foundation for beneficial intergroup and interpersonal communication and interaction. A particular spot amongst them is a value that may get an attractor absorbing all other values to it. It is believed that in the Russian federation the contribution of such attractors may be met by the justice value. This value is incredibly substantial to the Russian population. Valery Fedorov, the General Director of the All-Russia Public Opinion Research Centre, mentioned the outcomes of the 2018 study «Social Justice in the Russian Federation», underlined: “The Justice Question of our Social and Economic Order is among of the most substantial for Russians’ people. And even though “each holds their individual justice”, the real picture of social justice is normally indicated by tools of sociological surveys” (Peruccio & Savina, 2020).

The third element is the setting of institutional and interpersonal reliability and trust, which is the expectation amongst the community members that others will behave predictably to some extent, attentively and honestly to the others’ needs, in line with some common regulation and laws” (Shtompka, 2005). A justice sense in the relationships in which a person is involved is a prerequisite for the members’ confidence in the territorial society. Meanwhile, in a trusting atmosphere, the necessity to listen to the counterparty and collaborate with it get highly relevant. Thus, we clarify the 4th step of the route as a symbolic solidarity phase. It appears to be a presentation of reciprocal cooperation and assistance in resolving prevalent issues. In the end, it is emphasized that the last step of the route is an efficient consolidation involving the setting of an operating interaction system in the territorial society and its application to resolve prevalent issues (Etchemendy, 2020).

While buiding and designing a route, it seems highly significant to picture that at each stage there are bifurcation points, proposing the likelihood of substitute traffic options. Their presence in each of the cases generates hazards of non-attaining the projected outcomes as a consequence of the non-linear growth of territorial societies. Especially, at the stage of identification, hazards and risks are related to the entity’s relinquishment from the society to which it precisely belongs, through building a quasi-identity. For instance, the sociological study “Sociocultural constants’ renovation as an element of development and reproduction of regional societies”, was carried out in Belgorod District from Jan. to Apr. 2021 and included a mass questionnaire survey of the people based on the methodology of quota sampling (five hundred habitants of Belgorod District studied), nearly 8.2 percent stated that their state as a resident of the globe, which can demonstrate the real mindset of consciousness.

At the value group choice step, there might be an insufficient priority selection, made quite challenging by a shortcoming of the values of consolidating. The results of our study demonstrated that, amongst other stuff, for most Belgorodians, the importance of family well-being and family (roughly 65.4 percent) is in need. Whereas being absorbing, it can’t be deemed as collectivist importance and can merely hold an indirect constructive effect upon the consolidation procedure. Potentially consolidating importance got substantially fewer “votes”: spirituality (22.6%), collectivism (10.8%), justice (24.4%), kindness (18.2%), solidarity (10.4%), and patriotism (21.8%).

Furthermore, researches have demonstrated that those values are inferred quite differently by residents. The last one, specifically, is regular and normal for determining the content of the social justice law, receiving various cures relying upon the benefits of a subject, and more often it isn’t totally reasoned. One can’t but consent with Savina and Peruccio, who note: “Population never justifies justice with reasonable discussions. In particular conditions, residents define what is unjust and what is just, intuitively, based on their social experiences, which differ from one another. reasonable discussions and arguments arise while individuals state their knowledge and perception of common laws of justice” (Peruccio & Savina, 2020).

Moreover, Bifurcation hazards take place in other steps of the route. Hence, the procedure of constructing interpersonal and institutional trust and loyalty is oftentimes not performed given the great level of reciprocal actors’ alienation. Nonetheless, it gets the shape of trust abuse, mainly on the authorities’ part at different levels (Chaves-Avila & Gallego-Bono, 2020).

In the symbolic solidarity step, the major hazard rests in the likelihood of substituting the actual consolidation procedure with a simulation of it confined to demonstrations and declarations of intent. That replacement is regular for the functional consolidation phase. Having said that, there also stands a varied hazard, which holds the opposite inclination and is linked to excessive administration, being an effort to recognize “forced consolidation”.

Handling bifurcation hazards necessitates members in the procedure of consolidation to be transparent and reflexive, with constant critical assessment of their actions as well as plans. It may not be stated in the administrative coercion’s form, including the composition of self-regulation and regulation, with optional participation of the vastest probable number of the members of territorial society. That doesn’t imply that consolidation shall occur with no external influences, however, just in a “soft” social regulation’s form. It is regarded as a “procedure of social interactions’ regularization, subordinating them to particular norms, principles, duties notions, admitted in the group, society, or social ambiance” (Rossi et al., 2021).

Principles in that instance are inclined toward the usage of point-wise impacts in bifurcation conditions, the conditions’ formation for mobilization toward the favorable path, and the motive of various groups of the territorial society to get past the route. The essence of those duties and tasks defines the creation of the regulators as well as their functions.

Essentially, there exist 3 of them. Firstly, the intellectual (expert) community whose duty is regarded to conceive a consolidation measure; to conduct an investigation of bifurcation hazards, and the way to handle their adverse impacts, and conduct an assessment of the stages of the route. The next one is municipal governments and states, whose initial duty in that context shall be confined to the setting of consolidation’s infrastructure, in other words, the physical facilities’ complex and their managing system utilized for the development and formation of intergroup and interpersonal interactions.

The last one is the civic community organizations that promote and initiate solidarity concepts and practices, such as charity work, communication forums, volunteering, and the setting up and preservation of the daily lives’ environment. Regarding that topic, regulation gets the self-regulation form, to put it another way, autonomous regulation of the relations in its ambiance and these created with the counterparties.

CONCLUSION

Overall, a social practice’s system is able to be created in the territorial society. That is inclined toward its participation and reproduction as a dynamic ember in social procedures. Having said that, that potential chance is able to be identified and perceived only in several circumstances.

Amongst the most significant ones are: actual concerns regarding the merit and quality of life organization and - particularly - concerning the prospect for oneself and one’s descendants; the existence of essence of actions (leaders) able to mobilize other people for beneficial communication; the power wisdom to grasp the restrictions and confinements of its abilities and capacity and also the demand for social consensus.

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