Spiritual Security: A Sociological Analysis

Abstract

This article is an attempt to conceive a complex and barely tangible sociological phenomenon of spiritual security, to define its sociological sense and meaning for further empirical analysis. The author shows how in Russia the spiritual security exists in a form of a need, which is closely bound to the nature of and prospects of development of the Russian society and state. The spiritual security, as interpreted by A. Vozmitel, is a specific component of national security, which is embedded in all of its types. It represents the state of personality, society and power, which provides their normal functioning and creative cultural development of the forming national way of life. From the other side, it is also a process of conservation and metastasis of the ideas, ideals, values, norms and customs which are dominant in society, shared by the people and power structures in order to provide social reproduction which guarantees the stability of succession and dynamics of societal progress. Thus the specifics of sociological approach to the problem of spiritual security is underlined, which is defined through its special place in a system of national security and society as a whole and also through the analysis of its quite definite specific functions in social life. Moreover, while in conventional approach the protection against risks, challenges and threats is stressed, in sociological approach it is the inner state of the security system and the interaction of its actors, which provide normal its normal functioning, and the functioning of the whole society despite any possible threats. In this article were also provided definitions for both, subject and object of the spiritual security. Its structure consists of three major components, which characterize the spiritual life of a personality, society and power; and seven primary elements – the state of personality’s spiritual look, mass and specialized consciousness, which define the exact contents, the process and major factors of the spiritual security. By analyzing the real situation in Russia according to the structure outlined above the author concludes, that in providing the country’s spiritual security a number of various and even contrary trends can be tracked, which are actualized by the state, religious and private structures and must be included in the whole scheme. It is undoubtedly mass media, which exerts great influence on it; religious organizations (Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional confessions), and the institutes of socialization themselves (education), which perform primary functions of social reproduction and moral education. The proposed methodological instrument (the system of spiritual security) allows us to view the system, the interconnection of its elements as a whole and the outer conditions under which it functions. It gives us an opportunity to define the research field and major problems for further sociological research of spiritual security. In its turn, social and political mechanisms, which provide spiritual security, will be revealed.