Course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” in Universities: Socio-Political Effects in Social Media

The article presents the results of study of information flows in social media about the course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood”. Given the degree of hybridization of the media sphere, as well as the involvement of students in the digital environment, the most complete picture of the socio-political effects of the implementation of course can be formed based on the digital traces left by Internet users – students who have mastered this course and other audiences involved in the process of developing and teaching the discipline. The research method is two-stage and includes the use of cognitive content mapping on the topic of course implementation, as well as automated social media analysis of information flows in 2023-2024. The authors analyze the content of the content about the course of positive and negative modality, the semantic core of the information flow, its technological support, as well as the structure and interests of the audience. The information flow formed by the supporters of the course dominated over the opposing one in all network parameters. At the same time, the discourse of the positive segment is purely narrative in nature and does not convey the semantic concepts of the course, which gives it a formal character and creates the image of a routine academic discipline. In an attempt to avoid “politicization” and “ideologizing”, educational organizations actually emasculate the semantic content, often distancing themselves from the current socio-political agenda. Despite the fairly consolidated content of the positive digital flow, its importance for informing key audiences, there is a clear lack of a proactive agenda, discourses of active patriotism, and a focus on converting students’ activity into positive practices. The negative flow is less consolidated and voluminous and often designates the course as a means of discrediting the Russian educational system and the state as a whole. Content of this kind, despite its small number, is deeply politicized and allows various network actors, to use specific university cases for provocative purposes. Based on the results of the study, the authors consider key areas for improving the practice and methodology of teaching the course.

1. Bagdasaryan, V.E. (2022). The Concept of State-Civilization: Problems of Methodology and Political Implementation. Srednerusskij vestnik obshhestvennyh nauk = Central Russian Journal of Social Sciences. Vol. 17, no. 6, pp. 15-29, doi: 10.22394/2071-2367-2022-17-6-15-29 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

2. Gurkina, N.K. (2023). Ushinsky and the Soviet School (From the Historical Experience of the Creation of the National Education System). Upravlencheskoe konsul’tirovanie = Administrative Consulting. No. 11, pp. 122-131, doi: 10.22394/1726-1139-2023-11-122-131 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

3. Parma, R.V. (2024). Promoting the Patriotic Agenda on Social Media among Russian Students. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 44-67, doi: 10.31992/0869-3617-2024-33-1-44-67 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

4. Lukushin, V.A., Kravchuk, I.D. (2023). Patriotic Agenda in The Information Flows of Russian Universities: Key Areas of Efficiency Improvement. Gumanitarnye Nauki. Vestnik Finasovogo Universiteta = Humanities and Social Sciences. Bulletin of the Financial University. No. 13 (6), pp. 15-21, doi: 10.26794/2226-7867-2023-13-6-15-21 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

5. Sklyarova, N.Y., Brodovskaya, E.V. (2023). Sovereignization of the National System of Education and Upbringing in the Assessments of Young People Receiving Pedagogical Education in the Russian Federation. Vlast’ = The Authority. No. 31 (2), pp. 9-14, doi: 10.31171/vlast.v31i2.9516 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

6. Zayakina, R.A. (2024). Russian Student Readiness for Professional Service: from Actual to Desired. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 73-88, doi: 10.31992/0869-3617-2024-33-2-73-88 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

7. Shaisultanova, E.I. (2024). Civilizational Foundations of Russian Statehood. Vestnik Gosudarstvennogo social’no-gumanitarnogo universiteta = Bulletin of the State Social and Humanitarian University. No. 1 (53), pp. 34-44. Available at: https://elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_65854211_37833535.pdf (accessed: 08.12.2024). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

8. Medvedev, N.P. (2024). Foundations of Russian Statehood: On the Question of the Use of Some Current Scientific Publications in Developing a Training Course. Voprosy nacional’nyh i federativnyh otnoshenij = Issues of National and Federative Relation. Vol. 14, no. 4 (109), pp. 13721377, doi: 10.35775/PSI.2024.109.4.039 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

9. Borzova, T.A. (2024). Discipline “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” as a Basic Educational Potential of The Educational Process of Modern High School. Mir nauki, kul’tury, obrazovanija = The World of Science, Culture and Education. No. 3 (106), pp. 42-45, doi: 10.24412/19915497-2024-3106-42-45 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

10. Gulyaev, A.A. (2023). The Importance of a New Discipline in Universities – “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood”. Vlast’ = The Authority. No. 31 (5), pp. 100-103, doi: 10.31171/vlast.v31i5.9785 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

11. Shinkevich, V.Y. (2024). The Experience of Teaching the Course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” in the Context of the Formation of Patriotism Among Students of Higher Education. Vestnik Vostochno-Sibirskoj Otkrytoj Akademii = Bulletin of the East Siberian Open Academy. No. 53, pp. 1-10. Available at: https://elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_67856820_67984139.pdf (accessed: 01.01.2025) (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

12. Zubov, V.V. (2024). The Ideological Foundations of Teaching the Course of Fundamentals of Russian Statehood in Higher Education Institutions. Vlast’ = The Authority. Vol. 32, no. 6, pp. 90-95, doi: 10.24412/2071-5358-2024-6-90-95 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

13. Galimullina, N.M., Vagaeva, O.A. (2024). The Introduction of the Discipline “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” into University Curriculum: Students’ Attitude and Teaching Methods. Nauchnometodicheskij jelektronnyj zhurnal “Koncept” = Scientific-methodological electronic journal “Koncept”. No. 4, pp. 235-250, doi: 10.24412/2304-120X-2024-11054 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

14. Vilkova, A.A. (2024). Theoretical and Methodological Foundations for Studying the Process of Perception of University Worldview Courses by Students (Using the Example of the Course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood”). Obshhestvo: politika, jekonomika, parvo = Society: Politics, Economics, Law. No. 3, pp. 87-93, doi: 10.24158/pep.2024.3.9 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

15. Brodovskaya, E.V., Dombrovskaya, A.Yu., Karzubov, D.N., Sinyakov, A.V. (2017). Developing Methodology for “smart” Search for Political Process Markers in Social Media. Monitoring obshhestvennogo mnenija: jekonomicheskie i social’nye peremeny = Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. No. 5, pp. 79-104, doi: 10.14515/monitoring.2017.5.06 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

16. Dombrovskaya, A.Y., Ognev, A.S. (2024). A Subject-activity Approach to the Typologization of Humanitarian Technologies as an Instrumental Basis for Influencing Public Consciousness. Vlast’ = The Authority. No. 32 (5), pp. 37-42, doi: 10.24412/2071-5358-2024-5-37-42 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

17. Volodenkov, S.V. (2020). Information Interference as a Phenomenon of the Contemporary International Policy Subjects Activity. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 4. Istoriya. Regionovedenie. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya = Science Journal of Volgograd State University. History. Area Studies. International Relations. Vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 148160, doi: 10.15688/jvolsu4.2020.3.13 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

18. Lukushin, V.A. (2023). External Information Pressure on Russian Youth as a Tool of Global Confrontation. Obshchestvennye nauki i sovremennost’ = Social Sciences and Contemporary World. No. 3, pp. 68-82, doi: 10.31857/S086904992303005X (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

19. Castells, M. (2000). The Rise of the Network Society (The Information Age: Economy, Society and Culture, Volume 1). Hoboken: Blackwell. 594 p. Available at: https://deterritorialinvestigations.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/manuel_castells_the_rise_of_the_network_societybookfi-org.pdf (accessed: 01.01.2025).

20. McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. New York: McGraw-Hill. 318 p. Available at: https://designopendata.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/understanding-media-mcluhan.pdf (accessed: 01.01.2025).

21. Granovetter, M. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. American Journal of Sociology. Vol. 78, no. 6, pp. 1360-1380, doi: 10.1086/225469

22. Harré, R. (2009). The Second Cognitive Revolution. In: After Cognitivism (Ed. K. Leidlmair). Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 181-187, doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-9992-2_11

23. Potter, J., Margaret, W. (1987). Discourse and Social Psychology: Beyond Attitudes and Behavior. London: Sage. 256 p. Available at: https://alingavreliuc.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/potterwetherell-discourse-and-social-psychology.pdf (accessed: 01.01.2025).

24. Hodas, N., Lerman, K. (2014). The Simple Rules of Social Contagion. Scientific Reports. No. 4, article no. 4343, doi: 10.1038/srep04343

25. Matz, S.C., Kosinski, M., Nave, G., Stillwell, D.J. (2017). Psychological Targeting as an Effective Approach to Digital Mass Persuasion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Vol. 114, no. 48, pp. 12714-12719, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1710966114