Theoretical constructs and experience of empirical analysis of patriotism in modern Russian sociology

The article studies a theoretical and methodological analysis of the works of Russian sociologists involved in the study of patriotism. The purpose of the theoretical research work is an attempt to develop a methodological apparatus for constructing a specific sociological study of patriotism in modern Russian society through systematisation of key approaches to the interpretation of the concept of patriotism, analysis of typologies of this phenomenon and comprehension of existing methodological developments in empirical studies of patriotism. The initiating step of immersion in the designated discourse was an appeal to the definitions of patriotism. An analysis of the works of Russian sociologists made it possible to identify four groups of definitions similar in content, where patriotism is understood as an emotional feeling, a social feeling, a value and a state resource. The variety of interpretations of patriotism gives rise to a variety of typologies of patriotism, identified in the course of research reflection. Of methodological interest is the classification of patriotism proposed by prof. I. A. Khaliy within the framework of the activity-activist paradigm. The authors of the article, referring to the wide variability of types of patriotism, pay special attention to false patriotism as an independent phenomenon, reflected in the discourse of sociological science. The conducted theoretical research allows us to formulate the author’s definition of patriotism. Patriotism is understood as an individual’s feeling of his entry into some supra-individual unity, that performs identification and integrative functions and is represented in 1) attitude, i.e., the emotional side of this entry, 2) awareness, i.e., understanding of this identification as a value, and also 3) activity, i.e. defending it in the form of actions aimed at protecting the components of unity common to all its members. The complexity of operationalising the concept of patriotism lies not only in the diversity of research approaches, but in the understanding of patriotism in the mass consciousness of modern Russians as multivariate and ambiguous, that is reflected in the available body of empirical material. The analysed methodological foundations of empirical research allow us to conclude that the application of the axiological approach is promising in the sociological study of patriotism with the addition of its aspects of identification and sociocultural components, based on the definition of patriotism as a value significant to the individual and focused on the interpretation of patriotism in the consciousness of the individual through understanding the reasons for the formation of one or another of its forms.