Dynamics of social conflicts and modern theory of social policy

Abstract

In modern social and political theory, efforts are underway to find answers to new challenges related to the demographic and economic changes of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, primarily the aging of the population, globalization and migration, and the preservation of social programs created in the 20th century. The aim of the study is to analyze modern approaches to determining the opportunities and limitations of social policy in the context of social conflicts. Based on the results of the study, three key issues have been identified that research on social policy in the context of social conflicts is devoted to. The first issue is related to the relationship between the state and society. In light of the fact that social policy serves as a means of ensuring stability and preventing conflicts, two approaches are distinguished: on the one hand, a technocratic approach aimed at preventing risks, and on the other, the role of democratic participation in ensuring equality of opportunity. The second issue concerns the reconciliation of efficiency and fairness. Some theorists and policymakers propose strengthening market mechanisms to promote economic growth and, consequently, well‑being, while others advocate for increased redistribution to promote equality. The third issue concerns the alignment of migration and social policy, i.e., the contradictions between the problem of labor demand, competition in the labor market, and the integration of migrants into the cultural and legal space. A comparison of approaches allows us to conclude that the proposed solutions depend not only on the economic but also on the philosophical stance of the authors. * The article is prepared at the State Academic University for the Humanities as part of fulfillment of the State Assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (theme № FZNF-2023-0004 “Digitalisation and the development of the modern information society: cognitive, economic, political and legal aspects”).