Theoretical foundations of the study of societal processes in the modern world
Research Article
How to Cite
Efendiev A.G., Kozhanov A.A. (2026) Theoretical foundations of the study of societal processes in the modern world. Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsialnoy antropologii (The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology), 29(1): 7–39 (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.31119/jssa.2026.29.1.1 EDN: ADVBBY
Abstract
The fundamental foundations of the analysis of societal processes of modernity are investigated. The authors proceed from the fact that in the 21st century, a new social reality has emerged in the world historical space, which cannot be adequately explored using the tools of classical sociology, which is based on understanding the European historical experience. This applies to both ontological and epistemological aspects of the study of societal processes. In the proposed work, the authors make efforts to form some sociological foundations for the analysis of modern societal processes, overcoming the Eurocentric tradition. The implementation of these problems and goals is carried out within the framework of a nomothetic approach aimed at identifying the substantive foundations of the modern historical process. Some key theoretical assumptions of the research are put forward: understanding society as a self-sufficient system, the autonomy of society in relations with the external environment, understanding the social nature of the historical process as artificially humanistic (and not fatally spontaneous natural historical). An in-depth criticism of "historicism" is given, and the need to separate the biosocial (pre-civilizational) and postbiosocial stages of development is emphasized, within which the autonomy of society is fully realized. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the generation (determination, in the broadest sense of the word) of social phenomena, social necessity as a substantial basis of social activity. The socio-group, and especially the institutional-symbolic cultural-civilizational relevance of the content of social necessity is emphasized. Societies that differ in their cultural and civilizational foundations will differ substantially in what is necessary for them. In Part II, an attempt is made to identify the main principles and approaches to analyzing real societal processes: the question of the alternative/non-alternative societal process, an in-depth critique of economic determinism, emphasizing the leading role of social strategies in determining the content of economic and organizational activities, an understanding of the features of modern epochs, where societies with different types of social organization cooperate, compete, and conflict on equal terms.
Keywords:
theoretical foundations, social processes, autonomy of society, artificially humanistic nature, postbiosocial historical process, alternative societal development
References
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Ratner C. (2000) Agency and culture. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 30: 413–34.
Braslavskiy R.G. (2023) Metatheoretical Foundations of Civilizational Analysis in Contemporary Sociology. Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsialnoy antropologii [The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology], 26(4): 7–40 (in Russian).
Bhaskar R. (1991) Societies. Sociologos: Sociologiya, antropologiya, metafizika [Sociologos: Sociology, Anthropology, Metaphysics], 1: 219–240 (in Russian).
Wallerstain I. (1997) Does Social Change Last Forever? Does No One Ever Change? Sociologicheskie issledovaniya [Sociological Research], 1: 8–21 (in Russian).
Gartman N. (2007) Old and New Ontology. ANTROPOLOGY — veb-kafedra filosofskoy antropologii [ANTROPOLOGY — web-Department of Philosophical Anthropology][http://anthropology.ru/ru/text/gartman-n/staraya-i-novaya-ontologiya] (accessed: 25.05.2025) (in Russian).
Goryunov A.V., Potanina L.E., Shabalkina E.E. (2013) Evolution of the Society as an Emergent Historical Process. Teoriya i praktika obshchestvennogo razvitiya [Theory and Practice of Social Development], 9: 17–22 (in Russian).
Grinin L.E., Korotaev A.V. (2009) Social Macroevolution. The Genesis and Transformation of the World System. Moscow: Librokom (in Russian).
Grinin L.E., Markov A.V., Korotaev A.V., Panov A.D. (2012) The Evolutionary Metaparadigm: Opportunities, Problems, Prospects. In: Universal and Global History (Evolution of the Universe, Earth, Life and Society. Volgograd: Uchitel: 106–119 (in Russian).
Kozlovskiy V.V. (2023) Models of Civilizational Development of Modern Societies: Self-determination and Interaction. Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsialnoy antropologii [The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology], 26(4): 41–62 (in Russian).
Lektorskiy V.A. (2001) Classical and Nonclassical Epistemology. Moscow: Editorial URSS (in Russian).
Lektorskiy V.A. (2017) Cognition, Action, Reality. Voprosy filosofii [Problems of Philosophy], 9: 5–23 (in Russian).
Luhmann N. (1994) The Concept of Society. In: Problems of Theoretical Sociology. St. Petersburg: 25–42 (in Russian).
Parsons T. (2002) On Social System. Moscow: Akademicheskij proekt (in Russian).
Polanyi K. (2002) The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of our Time. St. Petersburg: Aleteyya (in Russian).
Popper K. (1992) The Open Society and Its Enemies. Volume 2. The high tide of prophecy: Hegel, Marx, and the aftermath. Moscow: Feniks; Mezhdunarodnyj fond «Kul'turnaya iniciativa» (in Russian).
Popper K. (1993) The Poverty of Historicism. Moscow: Progress (in Russian).
Popper K. (2006) Evolutionary Epistemology and the Logic of Social Sciences: K. Popper and his Critics. Moscow: Editorial URSS (in Russian).
Potamskaya V.P. (2016) The Problem of Historicism in K. Popper's Philosophy. Vestnik Tverskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Filosofiya [Bulletin of Tver State University. Series: Philosophy], 1: 160–168 (in Russian).
Rozov N.S. (1995) The Possibility of Theoretical History: Responding to Karl Popper's Challenge. Voprosy filosofii [Problems of Philosophy], 12: 55–69 (in Russian).
Semenov Yu.I. (2003) Philosophy of History from Antiquity to the Present Day: General Theory, Main Problems, Ideas and Concepts. Moscow: Sovremennye tet'radi (in Russian).
Spenser G. (1998) Scientific, Political, and Philosophical Experiments. Minsk (in Russian).
Hayek F. (2023) Pernicious Arrogance. Moscow: AST (in Russian).
Sztompka P. (1996) Sociology of Social Change. Moscow: Aspekt Press (in Russian).
Elias N. (2001) The Civilizing Process: Sociogenetic and Psychogenetic Investigations. Vol. 2. Moscow: Universitetskaya kniga (in Russian).
Beebee H., Hitchcock C., Menzies P.C., Menzies P. (eds.) (2009) The Oxford handbook of causation. Oxford Handbooks Online. OUP Oxford.
Dwyer P.D., Minnegal M. (2010) Theorizing Social Change. The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 16(3): 629–645.
Grinin L.E., Korotayev A.V. (2023) Social Evolution: Theoretical Aspects and General Outlines. Social Evolution & History, 22(2), September: 111–158.
Harré R., Madden E.H. (1975) Causal powers: A theory of natural necessity. Totowa, N.J.: Rowman & Littlefield. Edited by Edward H. Madden.
Ratner C. (2000) Agency and culture. Journal for the Theory of Social Behavior, 30: 413–34.
Article
Received: 16.06.2025
Accepted: 27.03.2026
Citation Formats
Other cite formats:
ACM
[1]
Efendiev, A.G. and Kozhanov, A.A. 2026. Theoretical foundations of the study of societal processes in the modern world. Zhurnal sotsiologii i sotsialnoy antropologii (The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology). 29, 1 (Mar. 2026), 7–39. DOI:https://doi.org/10.31119/jssa.2026.29.1.1.
Section
Social Theory
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