Latent Social Groups: Phenomenon, Evolution, Research Prospects

Purpose of the study: to study and describe the phenomenon of LSG (latent social groups). Hypotheses: 1) The basis for the emergence of LSG as pre-forms are the subjective preferences of a person (“deep” personal formations formed by the conditions of the internal and external environment). 2) A person’s subjective preferences are factors that predetermine the possibility, likelihood and closeness of his connections with other people in the processes of formation and evolution of social groups. Methods: category-theoretic analysis, study of literary sources; author’s methodology (questionnaire “Dynamics of professional life style”: respondents assessed the role of social environmental conditions as “factors of professionalism”, the dynamics of their professionalism from 20 to 65 years old. 482 men and women aged 30-50 years were interviewed (M=39.9; SD=7.6; 132 civil servants, 129 engineers, 221 managers). The sample was divided into groups by gender, job position of the subjects, subjective significance of environmental conditions as “factors of professionalism.” The results of the study confirm the working hypotheses. Features of the formation of LSG in the continuum are highlighted successive spheres of human life; the definition.

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