Socio-Cultural Activities as an Instrument of Social Policy

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The article is devoted to the analysis of the possibilities of reconstruction of socio-cultural activities in the direction of solving social problems through the involvement of various groups of people in a variety of mass cultural services. The main focus of this analysis is a differentiated approach to working with various age groups that have their own pressing social problems. The authors consider ways to solve the most acute social problems of Russian society, which are directly related to the social well-being and physical self-preservation of the majority of Russian citizens.
 Methodology: As a first step in solving this problem, it is necessary to study the traditional spiritual values of the Russian people, which formed the basis of their mentality and cultural identity. Knowledge of the spiritual life of the inhabitants of Russia should be drawn, first of all, from historical sources, as well as modern socio-cultural practices. Spiritual values of contemporaries are explored both by traditional methods of testing, interviewing, observing and analyzing mathematical-statistical data, as well as new methods. For example, reflexive methods are used as the main tool for studying A. Heger’s relevant values. The work also utilized M. Smirnova’s methods and psychometric research results.
 Main Findings: The main results of the research are the determination of reference points for further improvement of skills and increasing the level of professionalism in the work of specialists in the social and cultural sphere in a broad social context. The main reference point is the mastery of social scientific knowledge and social technologies of working with the population as the main content of the training of personnel of modern social and cultural activities demanded by society.
 Applications of this study: The results of the study are useful in the development of educational programs for training specialists in the socio-cultural sphere, the system of advanced training and retraining. The revealed new spiritual and value orientations necessitate the search for new organizational and pedagogical technologies of social and cultural activities, the study which is an important research problem of today.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: The novelty of the research lies in identifying ways to solve social problems, in particular, further rapprochement of socio-cultural activities and social work, where the main common interests of relevant specialists are to support members of society in acquiring life meanings and cultural values in everyday life, the absence of which generates the majority emerging social problems.