Towards a democratic society

Abstract

In the paper the social changes of post soviet years are analysed. As the author noticed, the new structures and features of the society demanded new sociological research methodology and the rethinking of the subject matter of sociological investigations (quality of life, social transformation). Now modern social science has more possibilities to represent various points: sociology, e.g., can be based on patriarchal or feministic, central or marginal, macro or micro, positivistic or post-modernistic approaches. Post-socialist Lithuania is connected with the process of democratization, national freedom, economic, social and cultural reforms and new reality. The system of public opinion is characterized by pluralism of political views, difference in attitudes to state and private property (new institutions of the market economy emerged), new concepts of everyday life styles. New social movements (those of landowners, women, businessmen, students, pensioners, peasants) give a potential for new needs and interests. The article deals with the analysis of modern social order. The author is analysing new movements of political, economic and cultural situation, modern individualization, and a changing identity of people. The actuality of the researched problem is related to the research of private life characteristics, which is very significant for modern people – it is similar to new identity formation. Consumption is now a part of the formation of civilizational competence. The development of consumption means the orientation towards European culture and a way of life. Conspicuous consumption is a category of intentional actions in which the goal is to bring about an improvement in the opinions which others have of oneself. The author accents the features of vagabond subculture, the situation of beggars and the poor in the traditional Lithuanian culture and in modern social structure, and their relations to more successful strata of the society. In the research some scientific approaches are outlined: the interpretative, phenomenological and existential concept of subjectivity. The significant features of civilization is the abundance of both choices and temptations people face as consumers. In the behaviour of women the feeling of tension between self-discipline and pleasurable consumption is noted. In the paper some aspects of the use of space are researched. The author analyses the situation of the way of life of non-traditional religious groups in today’s Lithuania, the motives of some people to change their religious faith (namely to leave the Roman Catholic Church for various protestant denominations) after the regaining of Independence, as well as the opinions of traditional believers about this phenomenon.