The article provides an overview of contemporary research on neocolonialism. The work examines the history of the term "neocolonialism", as well as the main features of neocolonialism in the 21st century, including: the transformation of the nature, forms and methods of colonial influence, and changes in its scale. The main reasons for the interest in the problems of neocolonial studies are outlined, including a general change in research optics, the emergence of new forms of colonial dependence, etc. The prerequisites for the emergence of neocolonial studies in sociological science are indicated. The analysis of foreign studies demonstrates, on the one hand, the preservation of interest in traditional topics related to the colonial legacy in African countries, since they are still in the most vulnerable position compared to other former colonies, and on the other hand, an exit to a broader topic related to cultural neocolonialism in the context of globalisation, as well as the transformation of technology into an instrument of colonial influence. Modern domestic studies of neocolonialism have their own specifics, expressed, firstly, in the dominance of the economic interpretation of neocolonialism, secondly, they are often devoted to the study of the relationship between neocolonialism and globalisation and capitalism, thirdly, in the works of domestic authors special attention is paid to the position of Russia in the system of global neocolonialism. Based on the analysis of scientific discourse, the authors developed a typology of neocolonialism forms, that divides all forms into two large groups - traditional and new. Traditional forms include, first of all, economic and political neocolonialism. New forms include cultural and educational neocolonialism. The intensification of the digitalisation process and the increase in environmental risks at the beginning of the 21st century allow us to say that such forms of neocolonialism as environmental and digital are becoming increasingly important. Particular attention in the article is paid to environmental neocolonialism as a new, special form. The reasons for the growing interest in it and its impact on the political and economic spheres are also considered. The thesis of turning the green agenda into a new form of ideology, with the help of which the G7 countries implement policies that are beneficial to them, is discussed. The authors conclude that it is necessary to identify specific interests and values behind modern environmental initiatives.

The article examines the features of the current stage of urbanization, in particular, the increasing complexity of spatial organization associated with cities overcoming their administrative boundaries, which led to the emergence of agglomerations and urban regions. New urban forms are considered as a result of the formation of a post-industrial society, where the labor market demonstrates greater flexibility than in the industrial one. In addition, the modern transport system makes it possible to easily cover significant distances in a short time and thereby changes the idea of space. Digital technologies have made it possible to transfer a number of interactions (both personal and business) to a remote format, which also contributed to the expansion of urban entities and complicated their management. The author also points out the ambiguous nature of the social consequences of digitalization and algorithmization of urban space. It is noted that smart city technologies, which are positioned as an effective opportunity to counteract uncertainty and manage it, create new vulnerabilities and threats. Special attention is paid to new challenges that modern cities face due to climate change. Thus, the author demonstrates a wide range of social problems relevant to modern urban entities that are becoming in creasingly complex. The article emphasizes that today urban studies is an interdisciplinary field for which sociology is of great importance, allowing us to get an answer to the question of how to improve the quality of life of the population of all spatial forms existing today.

Рецензируется книга австралийского социального исследователя Деборы Лаптон «Ковидные общества: теоретизируя коронакризис», автор которой ставит перед собой задачу поиска адекватных социокультурных подходов и понятий для осмысления трансформаций, произошедших в мире под влиянием пандемии COVID-19. Лаптон указывает, что мир сильно изменился с января 2020 г. и ковидный кризис «перекроил» все сферы общественной и повседневной жизнедеятельности. Для осмысления происходящих процессов необходим многоуровневный анализ, включающий изучение научно-публичного дискурса, окружающего пандемию, макрополитическую перспективу изучения происходящего, а также исследование повседневных представлений и практик, адаптирующихся к новым глобальным условиям, через социальную рефлексию позднего модерна. В связи с этим автор обращается к идее биовласти М. Фуко, теории «голой жизни» Дж. Агамбена и ее интерпретации Р. Эспозито, понятию «некрополитики» А. Мбембе, деконструктивизму Ж. Делёза, а также к концепциям общества риска У. Бека и культурных границ М. Дуглас. Лаптон умело демонстрирует возможности использования этих подходов для анализа пандемии, что, по ее мнению, позволяет на основе методологического плюрализма проанализировать взаимосвязанные социальные, политические и экономические контексты пандемии COVID-19.

The article analyzes the main directions of modern man's transformation in daily life under the impact of artifi-cial intelligence technologies. Based on the approach of the Austrian sociologist A. Schütz in defining the eve-ryday world, the authors identify significant directions in its transformation under conditions of digitalization, namely: transformation of the intersubjective interaction structure; emergence of new sources of available knowledge; diversification of spatial and temporal structures of daily life; construction of new daily practices. Considering the positive effects of the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies as part of the imple-mentation of smart city and smart home strategies, the authors point out the shifts in the structure of daily prac-tices due to their impact, which have an ambiguous nature, often turning an active subject into an object of ma-nipulation. In conclusion, the authors underline the importance of a rational and balanced approach to the fur-ther active integration of smart devices into human daily life that should be above any commercial interests.

The article discusses the digitalization of healthcare paying special attention to the concept of Australian sociologist Deborah Lupton. Health is one of the key areas for digitalization, where the benefits of using big data are obvious. New technologies are often а basis for modernizing national health systems for they make possible to ensure availability of various medical services for different groups of population. Lupton analyzes both the benefits and risks of digitalization in this area, thereby highlighting the ambivalent character of the ongoing changes. She believes that it is necessary to recognize the interaction not only between people, but also between people and digital technologies. These new relationships form a new social reality. The Australian sociologist focuses her attention on new opportunities due to digitalization which can improve people's lives. From her point of view, the "concept of fear" still dominant in social research of digital technologies should be replaced by the concept of "thinking with care", according to which the data obtained as a result of using new technologies can and should be used for the benefit of humanity. Lupton demonstrates that digital data can help reorganize health care system and change patterns in people's behavior related to their health, in particular, through the ability to regularly monitor indicators of one's condition.

Статья представляет собой рецензию на книгу австралийского социального исследователя Инджи Джон «Города в эпоху антропоцена: новая экология и городская политика». В своей работе автор предлагает новый подход к разработке экологической политики, основанный на концепции антропоцена, в рамках которой природные явления рассматриваются как субъекты социальных отношений, что предполагает иное, отличное от традиционного инвайронментализма, понимание и измерение их последствий. Автор указывает, что в условиях современного состояния окружающей среды и слабой эффективности международных усилий по ее сохранению реальными площадками для активизации новой экологической политики, которые могут продемонстрировать роль «природы» в повседневной жизни человека и способствовать формированию экосознания и экокультуры, являются урбанизированные территории. Именно в городах возможна реализация концепции новой экологической политики, поскольку города как сложные социальные системы обладают рядом качеств, отличающих их от других пространственных образований, а именно интенсивностью социальных взаимодействий, их сложностью, непредсказуемостью и уникальностью. В качестве подтверждения своих теоретических выводов Инджи Джон приводит ряд примеров, демонстрирующих возможности предлагаемой ею концепции новой городской экополитики.

The article discusses the main stages of urbanization, which are distinguished on the basis of Soja’s concept of urban revolutions. The specificity of the spatial organization of each of the stages is analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the features of the current stage of urbanization, in which there are not only cities, but also more complex spatial formations, such as agglomerations. The article focuses on the postmetropolis as the main contemporary spatial form, according to Soja, which is replacing the traditional metropolis. This process is a result of the development of information and communication technologies. The transformation of the suburbs is also considered; the suburbs are turning from homogeneous residential areas into multifunctional “edge cities” and even “edgeless cities”, which are extremely difficult to map due to their dispersal over vast territories. Modern urbanization demonstrates a spatial morphology that reflects the changes caused by the formation of a postindustrial society, globalization and scientific and technological progress.

Публикация представляет собой рецензию на книгу британского социолога Д. Лайон «Ритманализ: методы исследования», в которой рассматривается история возникновения метода, его видение французским социологом А. Лефевром, а также современные исследования, выполненные с его помощью. Автор подчеркивает, что возможности данного метода довольно широки, и полагает, что он может помочь выявить взаимосвязи между индивидуальными и социальными ритмами, тем самым дополнив современную картину социальной реальности.

The article is a review of the book by Deborah Lupton Data Selves: More-Than-Human Perspectives (New York: Polity Press, 2019), which continues the authors analysis of the same issues of changes in daily life under the impact of information digital technologies due to producing an increasing amount of various data including personal. This is an urgent issue due to the growing importance of digital technologies in the life of contemporary society, which became even more obvious under the current pandemic. Fast digitalization changes our everyday world, new technologies expand our capabilities; however, in addition to obvious benefits and advantages, new technologies also bring new risks. Lupton develops an original interpretation of the symbiosis of man and his digital data - she considers this symbiosis in the framework of the theory of neomaterialism and concludes that our personal living data is more-than-personal and more-than-human. Therefore, life in the digital world constructed by data becomes our new social reality.

Книга Анны Дэвис, профессора Тринити-колледжа в Дублине, «Фудшеринг в городе: правила, механизмы и сети» затрагивает интересные аспекты формирующейся шеринговой культуры, касающиеся продовольственных цепочек. Эта работа является одним из результатов довольно масштабного проекта Sharecity, стартовавшего в 2016 году. Его участники полагают, что многие современные города далеки от идеалов устойчивого развития в том числе и в сферах потребления продуктов питания, а также утилизации пищевых отходов. С их точки зрения, совместное использование, или шеринг, может стать одним из преобразующих механизмов, ведущих к созданию устойчивых городов. По словам Дэвис, ее цель заключается в том, чтобы начать заполнять пробел в нашем понимании фудшеринга и изучении его возможностей, способствующих созданию устойчивых продовольственных систем (с. 4). Основой исследования стали современные практики фудшеринга в 100 городах мира, особое внимание уделяется тем практикам, которые опосредованы информационно-коммуникационными технологиями (ИКТ). Подробную информацию о них можно найти в базе данных проекта Sharecity, где практики фудшеринга систематизированы не только по городам, но и по объектам, которые совместно используются, формам организации и наличию/отсутствию вознаграждения для участников (Davies et al. 2016). Text in Russian DOI: 10.25285/2078-1938-2020-12-2-248-251

The article discusses the life and work of Gilberto De Mello Freyre, one of the well-known thinkers at the origins of the national sociological school of Brazil. His scientific heritage is so diverse that even today it raises interest among researchers. A descendant of Portuguese colonialists, Freyre was able to understand the originality and uniqueness of Brazil, its history and culture, and showed this to the world in his many works. The most famous one is his earliest work Casa-Grande. Senzala ("Manors and Barracks"), first published in 1933. It is an original case study that focuses on the details of the life of the Brazilian population of the 17th-18th centuries. The author describes it relying on various methods of data acquisition. The work can be considered the first sociological study presenting a detailed analysis of the social life of Brazil. Considering the features of the life of the local population, the author describes them, demonstrates their interconnectedness and dependence on the environment and cultural traditions. The subordination of all elements gives an understanding of the systemic nature of this world, which Freyre knew well and analyzed brilliantly. Considering the peculiarities of the relationship between different cultures, he notes the need to establish the equality of their bearers through the preservation of traditions and lifestyles, the change of which should occur gradually, but not by force, taking into account all factors: natural, social, cultural ones. Despite the almost century-long period after the first edition, this book is still relevant for understanding modern Brazil. Another famous book by Freyre that is interesting when considering his contribution to the development of sociology in Brazil is called Sociology: An Introduction to Its Principles. Freyre defines sociology as a science about socialization, which he understands as the formation of a social person as a result of the mutual conditioning of biological, psychological, geographical, historical, and cultural factors. Despite the fact that Freyre's methods and works are subject to criticism, many issues he discussed are still relevant. Therefore, studies of his works can help to get a fresh look at the "eternal" social problems that are familiar to all societies: inequality, poverty, exclusion, etc.

The article discusses the features of sociology’s formation in Brazil. The authors say that in the system of modern sociological knowledge, studies of Latin American sociologists, and in particular, Brazilian ones, are not so widely represented. Nevertheless, they are a part of sociological knowledge which can help to understand the urgent social problems in Latin America. Authors note that the main themes of the early Brazilian sociology are the problems of national relations and the search for identity in postcolonial country, social changes and social inequality. According to the authors, a distinctive feature of the sociology in Latin America, including Brazil, is its special role in the formation and development of society. The article analyzes the work of Brazilian social thinkers such as Gilberto de Melu Freire, Sergio Bouarque de Holland, Fernando de Azevedo, Floristan Fernandez. The authors consider the main stages of sociology’s development in Latin America and note that the first steps of this process were reflected not only in the works of “social thinkers”, but also in some reform projects that were carried out in the countries of this region. According to the authors, the work of Brazilian sociologists such as Gilberto de Melu Freire, Fernando de Azevedo can rightfully be considered not only as the basis for the development of sociology in Latin America, but also as an important element of Brazilian society. The study of the heritage of outstanding Brazilian sociologists is extremely important for understanding social problems of the country in the modern era, which makes the study of their work relevant today.