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Social work and religion are closely linked by historical ties and roots. In virtually the entire known world, social support for the needy was inspired by religious and spiritual ideas and dogmas. This did not pass for the Russian state in different periods of its political structure, which has its own national specifics. The paper provides rationale for the continuity of community service as a manifestation of advanced Russian political and philosophical ideas of 19th − 20th centuries. The study showed a more than twofold increase in the number of volunteers in all community-based organizations over the analyzed period of 2012–2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russia's armed aggression has caused a deep socio-economic crisis and has far-reaching unpredictable consequences for the national economy. One of the key negative consequences of Russia’s armed aggression is the threat to the sustainable development of the national economy. All aspects of sustainable development in Ukraine are affected: economic development, environmental protection, social and gender equality, etc. Under Russian armed aggression, there is an urgent need for balanced and sound strategic state regulation, which is designed to ensure sustainable development in Ukraine in the short and long term. The aim of the paper is to determine the features of strategic state regulation under Russia’s armed aggression in the development of the national economy in the coordinates of sustainable development. The paper considers Ukraine's progress in achieving the goals of sustainable development. The most problematic areas in terms of sustainable development goals are outlined with a focus on Russia’s armed aggression as the major cause. An overview of the situation in the world in terms of the conflict level is performed, common features in the field of sustainable development in countries affected by armed aggression are highlighted. It is emphasized that the difficulties in achieving the goals of sustainable development are complex in nature. Sustainable development drivers are both of financial and non-financial nature. Four key factors that hinder the achievement of sustainable development goals at the present stage are considered: 1. Liquidity shortage globally; 2. Complicated access to debt financing; 3. The need for urgent financial measures; 4. The need to increase productivity and productive capacity. A description of the UNDP scenario on the development of the consequences of Russian armed aggression in the field of poverty in Ukraine is given. The key areas of focus for a set of Government measures in the context of a large-scale socio-economic crisis have been identified. The importance of applying a coordinated and sound policy of the Government under Russian armed aggression was emphasized. Special attention is paid to the need to use a flexible approach in developing a set of measures for strategic governmental regulation to ensure sustainable development. The importance of applying digitalization achievements in the context of implementing support programs for citizens and businesses was emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between 2011 and 2016, the Kremlin altered its strategy to maintain elite coherence and shore up social support. The papers presented in this volume argue that these changes in formal rules, informal practices, state policy, and ideational narratives constituted a second authoritarian turn since 2000. In comparison to the first regime shift in the mid-2000s this strategic change combined tactics designed redefine the Kremlin's core support and construct electoral majorities that could deliver victories in the 2016 national parliamentary election and the 2018 presidential election. While the outcome of the 2016 election suggests overwhelming regime success, these papers raise important questions about the long-term efficacies of these strategies, their unintended consequences, and the contradictions that are evident in social attitudes. In the context of the growing literature on contemporary autocracy, these papers present a strong case for increased focus on social attitudes and behaviors as well as the ideational and informal elements of the state's mechanisms to maintain regime stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines Russia's actions in Libya in the context of its pursuit of great power status. Drawing on a theoretical framework of Social Identity Theory, which had been developed and popularized in IR by the scholars Larson and Shevchenko, the article argues that Russia's Libya policy consists of two strategies. First, it pursues social creativity through versatile diplomacy, which has positioned it as an invaluable mediator. Moreover, Russia relies also on social competition by supporting Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar. While these strategies raised Russia's profile, the ultimate success of status-seeking strategies depends on the recognition by the higher-status holders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on interviews and desk review this paper explores social work activities during the on-going armed conflict on the territory of Ukraine with regard to theoretical framework of a multidimensional 'hybrid war'. The study defines the key groups of war-affected population and looks at a variety of interventions during different stages of the warfare (2014-2016). The paper argues that during the armed conflict Ukrainian social services and social workers have been unprepared to act in emergency situations and political conflicts. A number of structural and ethical complexities have been identified, including value conflicts. The paper suggests possible ways of ensuring social work responses to the emergency situations during warfare within the context of the newly developed professional social work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the development of real volumes of expenditures and revenues of Russia's consolidated government budget (combined federal, regional and local budgets, as well as state social funds, but excluding inter-budget transfers). Novel budget deflators are built from relevant prices and structures of the government budget's expenditures to assess: (1) how the government has performed the basic twin role of (A) supplying services and goods, including spending on individual functional branches of the government budget sector, and (B) providing social support; and (2) how government budget spending has impacted demand in the economy. Regarding the supply of services and goods, the real volume of government budget spending for acquiring the inputs remained well below its 2009 peak during most of the 2010s. This decline reflects, in particular, the major increases in nominal wages in the government budget sector. Real spending on the supplying government sector branches have moved along partly different paths. In the task of providing social support, the spending allotment increased in real terms until the middle of 2010s, then levelled off. Looking at the impact of government spending on demand in the economy, the real spending volume rose almost continuously before plateauing in 2013. The volume declined considerably in 2015, staying at the lower level until 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Dilemas Contemporáneos: Educación, Política y Valores is the property of Dilemas Contemporaneos: Educacion, Politica y Valores and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• Young people leaving care are often described as 'vulnerable', but this is often poorly understood. • They are subjected to, and experience, a range of forms of vulnerability, which form 'institutionalised vulnerability'. • Understanding vulnerability is important to prevent the production of stigmatising discourses, policies and practices. Care leavers are often considered to constitute some of the most disadvantaged young people in society, and there exists a significant body of research that seeks to understand why some young people 'succeed', whereas others struggle due to accumulated 'vulnerabilities'. Despite this extensive research base, policy and practice aiming to support young people leaving care remain diverse, indicating a lack of consensus on why some experience 'poor outcomes' and what might be done better to support them. This article focusses on the experiences of young people leaving care in the Russian Federation and makes two contributions; firstly, it provides theoretical insights through a critical discussion of the notion of vulnerability. We argue for attention to institutional vulnerabilities, which heavily structure the potential outcome of transitions available to young people leaving care in Russia. We note discourses and practices of dependency-related victim-blaming, which indicate the operation of 'attribution errors' in the Russian care and post-care systems, erroneously positioning individuals as responsible for their vulnerability rather than the dysfunction of systems of care. To fully understand the reasons for many young people's 'poorer outcomes', we suggest refocussing attention towards the combined operation of discourses, systems and structures through the conceptual approach of 'institutionalised vulnerability'. Secondly, the paper provides an empirical contribution in shedding light on the experiences of young people transitioning out of the care system as well as practitioners working in both the state and third sector in Russia, as the country experiences an ongoing process of deinstitutionalisation. This is important for other contexts given global efforts to deinstitutionalise residential child care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "gay propaganda law"--criminalizing public messaging supporting sexual and gender minority (SGM) communities in the presence of youth--implemented within Russia in 2013 has been widely criticized by those in the international field of human rights, yet remains in effect. Although the law is supposedly protecting the well-being of children, it is likely detrimental to youth who may be sexual or gender minorities. This paper uses the 2018 conviction of a minor for violating this law to frame a discussion concerning how Russia, rather than progressively respecting, protecting, and fulfilling the rights of its people, is rejecting, regressing, and neglecting its rights obligations. In particular, we consider the rights outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to determine ways in which the Russian state could redirect its actions to support human rights for SGM people and their allies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Russian Federation's invasion in Ukraine has resulted social hardship, millions of internally displaced persons, the destruction of medical infrastructure, and limited access to HIV services. There is no available information regarding the impact of the war on the HIV treatment cascade among women who inject drugs (WWID) in Ukraine. In this study, we examine the barriers and facilitators of HIV detection, initiation of treatment, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among WWID. Methods: During the in-depth interviews, participants were queried about their needs for HIV testing, treatment and related services, as well as barriers to HIV testing, initiation and retention on ART, including organizational barriers and changes in existing preventive and treatment programs. Thematic content analysis was used to employed to derive the results. Results: From August to September 2022, we conducted in-depth interviews among 38 WWID in Kryvyi Rih, Kyiv, and in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Odesa regions of Ukraine. The most persistent personal facilitator for HIV detection, ART initiation, and retention in services was a combination of several factors, including strong ties with relatives and a sense of responsibility for loved ones, support from the family, willingness to cooperate with specialists, a higher level of education, and a relatively prosperous financial situation. Barriers such as war-related stress and disruptions to healthcare facilities are directly linked to the ongoing war. The influence of other barriers (fear of discovering the presence of the disease, potential social restrictions, and drug use) was universal and only indirectly related to the state of war. The majority of WWID provided positive assessments of the quality of work and the availability of preventive HIV services. Conclusion: The ongoing war against Ukraine continues to have a detrimental impact on all aspects of the population's life, particularly affecting WWID. Providers of HIV services must make every effort to sustain and optimize these services, taking into account the evolving context and new requirements. The changing life situation and shifting priorities of WWID necessitate a dynamic and comprehensive assessment of existing challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is dedicated to studying volunteer tourism as a new phenomenon in the industry of tourism. In the paper, problems and development prospects of this focus area in Russia are considered, with an emphasis on the activity of volunteer training centers and the Association of volunteer centers. The authors detailed the notion "volunteering in tourism" and gave a summary of its development history in their research. As the objectives of this study, the authors determined analyzing the current condition and the content of volunteering in the sphere of tourism, the development prospects of volunteer tourism in the RF. As a result of the research conducted, it has been concluded that in Russia this focus area of volunteer practice is promising in the domain of tourism, tourist activities and regional studies. Finally, a list of recommendations on the development and support of tourist voluntary work and volunteer tourism within the Russian Federation has been compiled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  This paper focuses on Tajik male migrant workers in Moscow and seeks to address the global public health problem of HIV prevention amongst male migrant workers. To develop feasible and effective preventive interventions for reducing HIV risk behaviors amongst Tajik male migrant workers in Moscow, this study aimed to characterize their HIV/AIDS risk and protective knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, as well as key contextual factors that would likely impede or facilitate a preventive intervention. This was a collaborative multi-sited ethnography in Moscow that included minimally structured interviews with 16 participants and focus group discussions with an additional 14 participants. The results suggest that many Tajik male migrant workers in Moscow are having unprotected sex with commercial sex workers. Although some of the migrants have basic knowledge about HIV, the migrants’ ability to protect themselves from acquiring HIV is compromised by harsh living and working conditions as a consequence of being unprotected by law in Russia. To respond to HIV/AIDS risks amongst Tajik male migrant workers in Moscow, preventive interventions must be developed that respond to their sense of being unprotected in the midst of harsh living and working conditions and that draw upon existing sources of religious, community, and family support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevailing research on political protest—which use data on events in pluralist societies —stresses the importance of target characteristics and the distribution of social support as explanatory variables affecting protest outcomes. This paper questions the applicability of these findings for explaining protest outcomes in hegemonies. An analysis of 303 protest events in the USSR yields the conclusion that measures of the internal strength of protest groups are the most important determinants of the effectiveness of Soviet dissident groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the article was to analyze the collected empirical material in the form of in-depth interviews, observations, statistical data, and numerous accounts of the assistance of the Catholic Church in Poland in the first 8 months of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The results of the survey revealed that the Catholic Church's activities and support to Ukrainians were carried out on many levels: charitable—mainly material, financial and social housing assistance, psychological, educational, and medical. All Catholic parishes and almost all women's and men's convents and monasteries in Poland, Caritas Poland, as well as dozens of church institutions, joined in helping refugees from Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the social movement of ethnic minorities in defence of republican state languages in ethnic regions of the Russian Federation in the context of politics of fear. In particular, the article focuses on how the repressive context shapes this social mobilisation both in offline and online domains. The article offers a detailed description of responsive as well as pre-emptive and visible as well as covert repressions aimed at ethnic activists and explains how these repressive practices change the nature of dissent, pushing it online and thus inadvertently leading to the development of grassroots activism. It also suggests that the repressive turn in Russia started long before the poisoning of Aleksei Naval'nyi in August 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses, and subsequent increases in turnover, have been extensively documented. This article examines a profile of nurses which included (1) the degree to which direct-care nurses are caring for themselves, (2) the degree to which their manager acts in a caring way, (3) the degree to which nurses have clarity about their professional role and about how the system works, and (4) the degree to which nurses are satisfied with essential social and technical dimensions of their jobs, to help understand how some of the critical internal states and working relationships of nurses fit together as a model. To test the model, authors used structural equation modeling with a 35-item measurement tool in three countries (Russia, Serbia, and Turkey; n = 984), replicating a recent 8-country study. Results revealed a good model fit, similar to the original study, despite statistically significant differences in mean scores between the countries studied. Good model fit with a second group of countries, despite differences in mean scores, suggests that results from both studies can be used for a global conversation about how caring, clarity, and job satisfaction in nursing relate to one another. These results provide evidence that health facilities should study variables such as caring for self, caring by the unit or department manager, clarity of role and system, and job satisfaction to learn about, recover, and monitor nurses' health and experience of work as they emerge from the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the support systems of a group of older immigrant women. We explore how they negotiate their way through a matrix of problems encountered each day in a country that is socially, culturally and linguistically alien to them. Epidemiological studies indicate that older immigrant women, particularly those from lower socio-economic status households, face considerable challenges to their health and well being. Based on extensive qualitative interviews with 16 older women, our findings indicate that the participants' adaptive success—their overall well-being—results from their ability to maintain physical, social, and spiritual engagement. Such engagement leads to an enhanced sense of cultural competence which, in turn, promotes an increased sense of wellbeing. We suggest this sense of competence and resilience results, in large measure, from their participation in communities of like-minded people who share their previous experience, their language, and their culture. This sense of shared experience provides them with social connection and instrumental support in a potentially alien and alienating world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research uses the Social Network Analysis (SNA) method to determine the main actors in Twitter discussions around news topics. First, using the theory of networked authoritarianism (MacKinnon, 2011), it conceptualizes the ways that authoritarian states may influence domestic media and the broader Internet, taking Russia as our case study. It describes Russia's media system and the incentives behind it. Next, it discusses the role of Twitter in authoritarian societies and defines Twitter's role in today's Russia. Methodology and results are followed by an exploration of the involvement of state-loyal actors in online discussions of the news, including those centered on social media in support of Russia's domestic and international priorities, aiming to set the agenda on sensitive news topics and, thus, support existing authoritarian elites while diminishing voices of opposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gestational surrogacy, in which the surrogate mother is not biologically related to the child she is carrying, is the most common type of surrogacy today. Although technologically well-developed and legal in many countries, it is stigmatized socially because it provokes and even contradicts basic traditional concepts of family, motherhood, and gender roles. The present study examines the types and expressions of the surrogacy stigma in Russia, applying a dual-pathway stigma model to a qualitative content analysis of 15,602 posts on a Russian-language online forum for surrogate mothers. Our findings reveal that the women's choice to become surrogate mothers initiated a social process in which these women experienced four types of stigma: Bad mothers, bad wives, pathetic losers, and greedy women. Surrogate mothers described the experience and internalization of stigma as threatening their social roles in the traditional family and financial realm alike. Our study places surrogacy stigma in the context of the post-Soviet financial and social climate as experienced and expressed by participants. Furthermore, understandings of the essence of perceived surrogacy stigma may help professionals develop a more nuanced and accurate approach for psychological and social care and may lead to increased accuracy in media, law, and political representation of members of this vulnerable group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Espacios is the property of Talleres de Impresos Oma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To illustrate the role of organizations of lawyers in social changes we analyze the process of transforming legal and socio-political institutions in Russia over the past 30 years. We combine the theory of legal mobilization with the concept of violence and social orders proposed by North, Wallis and Weingast to describe the general logic of this process. Russian case shows that exogenous shocks stimulate collective action of criminal defence lawyers which, in turn, compel the government to respond. The state can promote the passivity of the legal community and stop legal mobilization by providing certain preferences for the profession. Even though in the 2000s, Russia took the path of destroying legal institutions, legal profession in certain circumstances could again act as an agent of social change. We conclude that the efficiency of collective action depends on the institutional capacity of legal association and on the position of the professional elite standing at its head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, migrants and non-migrants in the USA and Russia were compared regrading positive and negative variables of mental health. Data of resilience (RS-11), social support (F-SozU), happiness (SHS), life satisfaction (SWLS), depression, anxiety and stress symptoms (DASS-21) were collected in representative samples in Russia (non-migrants: N = 2129; migrants: N = 188) and in the USA (non-migrants: N = 2191; migrants: N = 116). In Russia, no significant differences between migrants and non-migrants were found. In the USA, social support and (marginally) resilience were significantly lower in the migrant sample. Cross-culturally, multiple regression analyses showed that for non-migrants all positive variables were associated with depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. In both migrant samples, the associations were more specifically. While in the US migrant sample, happiness and life satisfaction were of particular importance, in the migrant sample in Russia, happiness and social support played a significant role. Practical applications for enhance of subjective well-being and limitations of gained results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we performed a latent profile analysis of reading and related skills in a large (n = 733) sibpair sample of Russian readers at risk for reading difficulties. The analysis suggested the presence of seven latent profiles, of which two were characterized by relatively high performance on measures of spelling and reading comprehension and the remaining five included severely as well as moderately affected readers with deficits in the domains of phonological, orthographic, and morphological processing. The results suggest that the development and manifestation of reading difficulties in Russian is mappable on a complex pattern of interactions between different types and severities of processing deficits. The results point to the psychological reality of multiple different suboptimal patterns of deficits in reading and reading-related skills and support the multifactorial view of the disorder, with intriguing implications for future neurobiological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing interest in studying factors affecting subjective well-being of older adults, little research has been conducted on vast territory of Siberia (Russia) with large population. To address this lack of evidence, we explored the relationship between subjective well-being and social aspects (social and emotional support, social network, and social activities), living conditions (standards of living and residence area), self-reported health, and demographic characteristics in older adults living in Tomsk Region, Siberia. Subjective well-being was measured by life satisfaction and happiness (each measured with one 11-point question). Sample included 489 community-dwelling respondents, aged 65 or older. We found that mean life satisfaction and happiness reported by our respondents were lower than those of European countries. Higher quality of social interaction, better standards of living, and being satisfied with own health were associated with higher life satisfaction and happiness. This study provides original data on a region barely investigated and suggests that Siberian older adults receive strong benefits from social support and from social network and that similar factors are related to subjective well-being both in Siberian and Eastern European older adults. Future studies should further explore the relationship between different kinds of social support (e.g., psychological vs. material support) and subjective well-being in different Siberian ethnic groups or regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of AIDS & Behavior is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The current research hypothesized that individual social capital facilitates the implementation of one's intention to start a business. The research samples were drawn from a sample of 2061 adult respondents: a sub-sample of 269 adults who stated their intention to start their own business during the next two years ('intenders') and a matching sub-sample of 270 who said they did not intend to do so ('non-intenders'). The study shows that the 'intenders' possessed greater individual social capital. These resources had a positive indirect impact (through increased perceived behavioural control and attitude) on their intention to start their own business. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary Russian reality is characterized by inconsistency in the official discourse regarding the problems and prospects of labour migration in Russia and the lack of a clear framework for building a network of social support for labour migrants. Research was carried out into the cultural resources for migrants provided by two types of regional social services: the territorial authorities and human rights NGOs providing social support for migrants. The authors argue that development of services requires integration mechanisms aimed at an inclusive culture for labour migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the dire life circumstances of labor migrants working in Russia are well-known, their HIV risk vulnerability and prevention needs are understudied. Low socioeconomic status, lack of access to services, separation from family, and limited risk awareness all contribute to migrants' HIV vulnerability. Male labor migrants in St. Petersburg ( n = 499) were administered assessments of their sexual behavior practices, substance use, and psychosocial characteristics related to risk and well-being. Thirty percent of migrants reported multiple female partners in the past 3 months. Condom use was low, ranging from 35% with permanent to 52% with casual partners. Central Asian migrants had very low AIDS knowledge, low levels of substance use, moderate sexual risk, high depression, and poor social supports. Eastern European migrants had higher AIDS knowledge, alcohol and drug use, and sexual risk. Improved HIV prevention efforts are needed to reduce the risk vulnerability of migrants who relocate to high disease prevalence areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]