The Journal of Social Policy Studies

Beyond the Conventional

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

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Health Craftsmen: Shaping a Healthy Image of Old Age

Dmitry Rogozin, Alexandra Chentsova — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The article examines the concept of 'craftsmen of health' — a special category of individuals who promote a positive perception of aging. The research is based on the results of four focus groups conducted in July 2024 at the Russian Gerontological Scientific and Clinical Center with elderly individuals undergoing medical examinations. Participants were selected based on their pensioner status, some of whom had experience caring for aging parents (children of centenarians over 90 years old). The authors identify several key practices that are characteristic of health craftsmen. First, they consider regular preventive check-ups to be essential, even in the absence of symptoms. Second, conscious dietary habits have become a way of life, not just a preventive measure. Third, consistent physical activity adapted to individual needs plays a crucial role. Fourth, maintaining intellectual stimulation through work or specialized cognitive exercises significantly contributes to well-being. Special attention is given to the social dimension of healthcare. Respondents emphasize the importance of feeling needed within family circles. Health craftsmen view their proactive behavior as a contribution to scientific knowledge and healthcare development, as well as personal gain. They are critical of official medicine and often experiment with alternative treatments, willingly sharing their experiences. The study reveals contradictions between the dominant 'logic of choice' in modern medicine, which prioritizes individualization and standardization, and the 'logic of care,' which emphasizes open, long-term relationships among participants. Drawing on the theoretical works by Richard Sennett and Annemarie Mol, the authors advocate for moving away from mechanistic views of health and adopting a more flexible approach that considers the uniqueness of each case. Key challenges to developing health craftsmanship include the age barrier to learning new things and the lack of mechanisms for transferring experience across generations. The authors propose viewing health craftsmen as socially oriented experts whose activities aim to promote both longevity and quality of life. Healthy aging is presented as achieving a balance between longevity and happiness, with the primary objective being to maintain a ‘good life’ rather than absolute health. Over the past few decades, old age has acquired normative traits that go beyond biological and social descriptions, and has become a subject of norm creation. Although numerous state programs and institutions divide responsibilities, they often absorb and redefine public initiatives. In Russia, a healthy lifestyle remains a state responsibility approached through multifunctional, multipronged strategies outlined in roadmaps and distributed among the relevant agencies. However, such regulation risks losing the human element in healthcare. Pursuing objectivity, order, and discipline can lead to an expansion of normative frameworks, which undermines the agency of individuals. Here, the pursuit of health is reimagined as striking a balance between freedom and coercion, with an emphasis on care rather than mechanistic treatment.

Transformation of the Family in the Context of Migration: Family Practices and Internal Family Dynamics (Case Study: Migrants from Central Asia in Russian Cities)

Olga Brednikova — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

The family is traditionally regarded as one of the most stable social institutions. Yet migration seriously tests its stability. The experience of Central Asian migrants in Russia demonstrates that familiar ideas about family solidarity, the role of older generations, and gender hierarchies often break down when faced with a new situation. Labour migration transforms the economy and symbolic order of family relations. In the context of 'living at a distance,' ties with the extended patrilocal family weaken, while the nuclear family gains autonomy. Over time, transnational networks become less frequent, and trips back home are increasingly viewed as holidays rather than family reunions. Digital technologies, which might sustain contact, prove insufficient for reproducing emotional closeness. At the same time, however, migration generates new forms as well as disrupting existing ones. The forced redistribution of responsibilities and the need to solve problems together encourage more egalitarian, partnership-like relationships. Women, who were previously dependent on the family budget, now earn independently and thus gain agency. Deprived of the support of the extended family, men take on some of the 'women’s' tasks. As a result, practices emerge that would have been unthinkable in the region’s patriarchal culture just a short time ago. However, migration produces ambivalent effects. Some families become more cohesive, while others collapse under the strain of separation and everyday hardships. While some women gain new resources for independence, others face even stricter control. These contradictory processes reveal that migration does not fit neatly into the optimistic framework of 'transnationalism' or into an integrationist model of convergence with the host society. Instead, migrant families form hybrid patterns of relationships that cannot be explained by simply borrowing norms from either the sending or the receiving society. These patterns emerge within migration itself, through the daily practices that combine economic challenges, cultural differences, and the necessity of collective survival. Thus, the migrant family becomes a key space of social change, where trends of individualization and solidarity, tradition and innovation converge. It is in this contradictory experience that the main lines of post-Soviet societal transformation lie.

Best Interests of the Child: Dilemmas and Solutions

Maria Minina, Natalia Razikova — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

Parental divorce often leads to disputes over a child’s place of residence, with the 'best interests of the child' (BIC) serving as a key reference point for guardianship and custody authorities. However, neither legal practice nor social work provides a consistent interpretation of this concept. A review of the scholarly literature likewise reveals methodological heterogeneity and an absence of a widely accepted assessment model. In such circumstances, practitioners’ decisions are susceptible to subjective interpretation and depend on local practice. This qualitative study of professional practices draws on in-depth interviews and a short survey of guardianship professionals from seventeen territories in the Sverdlovsk region. The difficulties identified when preparing court-oriented opinions informed the development of a methodological approach aimed at structuring reasoning and aligning procedures. The proposed conceptual map of factors provides a shared language for preparing opinions, while still allowing for professional judgment. The practical value of the work lies in standardizing templates, ensuring a more consistent consideration of the child’s voice across different age groups, and including a psychologist as a mandatory participant in case conferences.

Virtuous Victimization and the Boundaries of Third Sector Ethics

Aleksander Maksimenko, Dina Krylova, Olga Deyneka, Anna Bushueva — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article analyzes the phenomenon of virtuous victimhood in the context of crowdfunding, a method of attracting private donations in situations of institutional instability and a lack of regulatory frameworks within the third sector. Relying on the concept of the 'double signal' (Ok et al., 2020), the authors argue that demonstrating vulnerability alongside moral impeccability increases the legitimacy of seeking help and the likelihood of receiving resources. The study combines psychological and institutional perspectives, including an analysis of how nonprofit organisation representatives perceive themselves and how potential donors perceive the moral image of the victim. The empirical part of the study consists of two stages. In the first stage, a virtuous victimhood questionnaire adapted for a Russian sample (n = 101) was used. The results showed that employees of charitable organizations exhibited signs of symbolic victimhood, such as uncertainty about the future, a sense of being undervalued, and social invisibility, especially among respondents with longer professional experience. In the second stage (n = 409), the study employed an experimental design in which the degree of moral 'deservingness' of the character requesting a donation was manipulated. The results revealed that the greater the perceived virtue of the victim, the more willing were the respondents to provide financial support, and the larger the expected donation amount. The obtained data make it possible to interpret virtuous victimhood as a socially significant strategy of public engagement in the field of charity. The risks of its pragmatic use are discussed, as well as the need for institutional reinforcement of standards of transparency, accountability, and ethical responsibility. This article contributes to the development of an interdisciplinary research agenda focusing on the moral foundations of social support, trust, and legitimacy at a time when representative institutions are in crisis and aid distribution mechanisms are undergoing transformation.

Beyond Inclusion: How People with Disabilities are Involved in Business

Igor Novikov — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article provides a theoretical reflection on the employment of persons with disabilities (PwD) in the corporate sector, examining it as a managed process aimed at creating value within the reproductive mechanisms of the economy. It provides a critical review of the main academic approaches to PwD employment, such as neoclassical economics, strategic management, human capital theory, disability studies, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) frameworks. The analysis reveals that most of these approaches tend to frame PwD employment as either a social justice issue or an additional cost, overlooking its managerial potential. Instead, the article proposes shifting the focus from the individual worker to their labour as a productive resource integrated into the value creation chain. This analytical perspective provides a more clearer understanding of economic participation and helps to overcome the fragmentation of existing models by extending the management discourse on inclusion beyond normative commitments. A conceptual framework for managing PwD labour engagement (LWE) has been developed, grounded in systems analysis, socio-economic theory, and the reproduction paradigm. The article proposes a multilevel governance model incorporating macro, meso, and micro levels of decision-making and coordination. It identifies key methodological limitations, including misalignment between governance levels, disciplinary asymmetries, neglecting labour as an analytical category, and insufficient operationalization of inclusion and effectiveness. Particular attention is paid to institutional dysfunctions arising from the transplantation of formal institutional models into the specific context of the Russian economy. The article concludes by outlining future research directions, such as building input–output models to assess the effectiveness of LWE, formalizing managerial dilemmas through game theory instruments, and developing categorical models based on theories of social exchange. This research is intended for scholars in the fields of labour sociology, disability economics, organizational behaviour, and public management, as well as practitioners seeking to develop sustainable, context-sensitive corporate inclusion strategies.

The Risks of Educational Inclusion in Assessments of Russian Masters Students

Ekaterina Voevodina, Anna Garmonova, Evgenia Opfer, Daria Shcheglova — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article examines the educational risks faced by master’s students in the context of inclusive learning. Although research on inclusive education has expanded in recent years, the master’s level has largely been overlooked by scholars, with most studies focusing on adapted bachelor’s programs. This study aims to identify and assess risk factors affecting the success of students with disabilities and to evaluate the readiness of Russian master’s programs to implement the principles of inclusion. The theoretical framework draws on the social model of disability and the concepts of normalization and social atypicality, as well as a managerial approach to the concept of risk. The typology of educational risks is organised by the functions of the main university subsystems: professional choice, socialization, the organization of learning, and the educational process. The empirical basis consists of a survey of 2 498 master’s students from 28 universities across 21 regions of Russia. The sample includes national research universities, federal and flagship universities, as well as institutions without special status. Educational risks and accessibility indicators were measured using indices based on five-point scales. The findings reveal that only 1 % of the surveyed master’s students have a disability. The most significant challenges identified were a lack of time, psychological barriers, and academic difficulties. Low accessibility indices were recorded for conditions supporting students with visual and hearing impairments, as well as for individual assistance, socio-psychological support, and medical services within universities. A comparative analysis shows that students with disabilities tend to rate the social and pedagogical atmosphere more positively than their peers, but give lower ratings for the accessibility of key support services. A significant correlation between the type of university and perceptions of difficulty suggests that there are considerable disparities in infrastructural capacity across institutions. The study concludes that organizational risks, particularly those linked to the inadequate development of the material and technical resources, are prevalent, especially for students requiring environmental adaptations. Recommendations include adapting the educational environment to accommodate different disabilities, improving public oversight of accessibility, increasing access to socio-psychological and medical support, and creating online learning formats. These findings are relevant for informing both university-level and governmental policy adjustments aimed at improving inclusive education at master’s level.

Socially Oriented NGOs in the Context of Regional Challenges: The Case of the Republic of Karelia

Yuliya Petrovskaya, Olga Fedoseeva — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article analyzes the development of socially oriented non-profit organizations (SONPO) in the Republic of Karelia in the context of regional socio-economic and spatial challenges. The study aims to identify key issues affecting the functioning of SONPOs, compare the structure of the sector with the social needs of the population and describe the factors contributing to its regional specificity. The theoretical framework is based on a subjective approach to civil society, enabling us to consider the contributions of organizations and citizens as actors. The empirical basis includes semi-formal interviews with the heads of Karelian SONPOs, materials from a themed roundtable, as well as official statistics and industry ratings. It is evident that there is an imbalance in the region between pronounced social needs, such as a high proportion of the elderly, people with disabilities, and poverty levels, and the structure of the sector. Organizations providing direct social support account for a small proportion of the sector and are concentrated in Petrozavodsk. The key barriers to the sustainable development of SONPO are revealed, including grant dependence, staff shortages, a lack of transparency and low volunteer involvement. A typology of Karelian SONPO is proposed (resource-mature, 'working' adaptive and 'club' local) and the influence of territorial and demographic conditions on their strategies is shown. This intelligence-based study is limited to a small, targeted sample, but the results can inform the development of targeted support measures, such as diversification of financing, human resource development, strengthening information support, and interregional exchange.

Reframing Women’s Life and Labour: A Critical Inquiry into Ferdynand Zweig’s 1952 Perspectives on Gender, Work, and Family in Post-War Britain

Piotr Biegasiewicz — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article revisits Ferdynand Zweig’s Women’s Life and Labour (1952), illuminating the paradoxes of women’s position between paid employment and unpaid caregiving, and establishing it as a key historical document of post-war Britain. Written during a period of reconstruction, Zweig’s study captures the indispensable nature of women’s labour as well as the cultural pressures that sought to confine it to the domestic sphere. His descriptive analysis reveals the contradictions of a society that relied on women’s economic contribution yet denied its full recognition. The article shows that, despite being rooted in the immediate post-war context, Zweig’s work continues to influence debates on gender, work, and social policy. By highlighting the structural invisibility of domestic labour, the enduring wage disparities, and the limitations of welfare provisions, Zweig’s observations remain strikingly relevant for understanding persistent inequalities. However, the analysis also shows that, shaped by the assumptions of his era, his conclusions require critical revaluation in light of later policy reforms and shifting gender norms. Reconsidering Women’s Life and Labour today highlights the importance of historical perspectives for contemporary debates: Zweig’s account not only provides a portrait of mid-twentieth-century Britain but also lays the groundwork for examining how institutional legacies continue to shape women’s opportunities in work and family life.

Unrecognised and Undervalued: Informal Women Workers in Tamil Nadu’s Coastal Industries

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

What does it mean to work every day in conditions that are structurally unsafe, legally unrecognised, and emotionally exhausting, yet considered normal? In India’s informal economy, millions of women face precisely these realities every day. This article examines how working conditions in the seafood and coir processing industries in the coastal Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu shape the psychosocial well-being and economic circumstances of women in the informal workforce. Combining feminist approaches to informality with cognitive stress theory, the study draws on original survey data collected from 120 women across two sectors. While previous research has documented the economic marginalisation of informal workers, this study shifts the focus to the lived experience of informal labour, particularly the accumulation of stress in environments marked by legal ambiguity, wage insecurity, and institutional neglect. What emerges is not merely a catalogue of disadvantages, but rather a pattern of chronic psychosocial strain that challenges our understanding of informality itself. Why does perceived stress persist even where sectoral, income, or employment differences exist? And what happens when stress becomes an embedded condition of survival? Rather than offering prescriptive answers, this article invites readers to reconsider the relationship between gendered labour, invisibility, and the everyday experience of stress in informal work. In doing so, it highlights the urgent need to address not only the working conditions of women, but also the institutional silences that allow these conditions to persist.

Beyond Ideology: How Contemporary Social Movements are Reshaping Social Policy in Bangladesh

Saikot Chandra Ghosh — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article explores the evolution of contemporary social movements in Bangladesh since the 2013 Shahbag movement, paying particular attention to their engagement with social policy. Although Shahbag mobilised unprecedented public support for justice in war crimes trials, it also exacerbated the ideological divide between secular and Islamist groups within civil society. This polarisation has constrained the capacity of subsequent movements to build broad-based alliances and promote shared civic agendas. Drawing on documentary analysis and interviews, this study examines how recent movements, such as the 2018 quota reform protests, the road safety mobilisation, the anti-Rampal environmental campaign, and the anti-rape movement, have shifted their focus from ideological confrontation to concrete, issue-based demands. These demands focus on questions of public accountability, equitable access to resources, gender justice, environmental protection, and citizen safety. By doing so, these movements have brought the key themes of social policy such as redistribution, recognition, and state responsibility into the public sphere. In a context where formal mechanisms for participation remain limited, the paper argues that social movements increasingly operate as informal yet influential actors in shaping how the state defines and delivers welfare, protection, and inclusion. Rather than functioning solely as protest organisations, they are evolving into sites of policy engagement, civic negotiation, and democratic accountability. This shift signals the emergence of a more pragmatic and policy-oriented civil society in Bangladesh — one that engages with the state through focused demands for justice and institutional reform, rather than grand ideological claims. By tracing the trajectory from Shahbag to more recent movements, the article contributes to broader debates on the role of civic mobilisation in transitional democracies, highlighting the significance of protest in shaping the everyday architecture of social policy
Keywords: social movement, social policy, civil society, citizen mobilization, Bangladesh politics

A Conceptual Framework for Analysing the Development of Social Entrepreneurship in the BRICS Countries

Magdalena Alejandra Gaete Sepulveda, Olga Dymarskaya, Haliyana Khalid — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

This article presents a conceptual framework for analysing the characteristics of social entrepreneurship in emerging economies, with a focus on the BRICS nations. It explores the definitional approaches to social entrepreneurship and highlights the need for new methodological resources to understand and manage this field in an ever-changing landscape of new challenges. Drawing on comprehensive reviews and country-specific studies, it examines the similarities and differences in the emergence and evolution of social entrepreneurship, as well as its contributions to societal development in rapidly growing economies. The significance of the context in which social entrepreneurship develops is emphasised, showing how each of the countries under consideration has developed its sphere of social entrepreneurship over several decades, largely reflecting its historical, political, economic, cultural and other specificities. Particular attention is paid to the dynamics of state participation in these processes. The peculiarities of the development of social entrepreneurship in the BRICS countries are evident, including the legislative framework, state support, access to finance, infrastructure, educational support, market readiness, public perception of social entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial culture. A conceptual framework is proposed to highlight the specifics and potential prospects for developing social entrepreneurship in emerging economies, demonstrating its capacity to address specific social issues and systemic social changes through compensatory and transformative types of social entrepreneurship. In conclusion, the current situation and prospects for the development of social entrepreneurship in the BRICS countries are assessed in terms of its role in addressing social issues and the state’s influence on this activity. This study could form the basis for comparative research on social entrepreneurship in different countries, as well as providing practical recommendations and informing political and managerial decisions in this field.

Trust and Transparency in Multi-level Governance Systems

Konstantin Obukhov — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0300

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