World Politics: A Sociological Analysis of Current Processes

Abstract

This article examines contemporary global politics as a complex and dynamic system of social interactions. It substantiates the need to apply a sociological approach to the study of global politics, which allows for a deeper understanding of the causes of instability in the modern world, the transformation of sovereignty, and the changing role of society in contemporary international relations in the XXI century. Sociological analysis reveals the relationship between social processes and the political dynamics of international relations. The study utilizes systemic, structural-functional, institutional, and dialectical approaches. This approach reveals the critical mass of social contradictions that have accumulated to date, manifested in the transformation of the global system and the decline in trust in states and international institutions. The renewal of the structure of international actors and the specifics of their network interactions are examined. Actor-based and substantive changes in the political socialization of individuals and states are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to the patterns of foreign policy decision-making and the mistakes of political elites, which arise under the influence of groupthink and the use of historical analogies. The study demonstrates that the world is in a transitional phase between the old liberal world order and a new, fragmented, and selfish social reality. Contemporary global politics is in a state of structural and narrative transition, in which the erosion of the old order is accompanied by the fragmentation of social ties, a crisis of institutional trust, competition between collective identities, historical memory, and normative projects for the future global order. The emerging multipolarity represents not only a shift in the balance of power but also a struggle for a new understanding of legitimacy, sovereignty, development, and security in the XXI century.