Lonely in the socio-cultural dimension: variation in research
In: Moscow State University Bulletin. Series 18. Sociology and Political Science, Band 28, Heft 3, S. 246-265
ISSN: 2541-8769
The author in this article raises the topical issue of loneliness. The focus on this phenomenon is linked to the instability and uncertainty of the current sociocultural situation in a rapidly globalizing world. The changes that are taking place in the political, social, cultural and economic spheres of a State, as well as in the world as a whole, have an impact on the structure of interpersonal communication and identity.The author points out that in the 20th century the phenomenon of loneliness is seen through the lens of "extreme situation", in both atheistic and religious existentialism. And in religious existentialism, the loneliness of man in the "extreme situation" is a prerequisite for understanding God as a transcensency, whereas in atheistic terms, the attempt to realize leads to the conclusion of the absurdity of human existence and entails the isolation of man, feeling alone. The article shows that today's realities make it imperative for the individual to mobilize all resources in order to develop adaptive capacities corresponding to a constantly evolving world. But not everyone is capable of accepting previously unfamiliar living conditions. There are many who feel the pain of losing the ties that were important to them, who feel the agony of not being able to acquire new ones, even though they are urgently needed. The text defines a single person as a subject of communication who experiences difficulties in social interaction. The author also shows that loneliness affects an individual in the following way: it can both distort a person's perception of social action and have a positive effect on the individual, contributing to serious spiritual development.The author concludes that loneliness, being a key point of dissatisfaction with oneself and oneself (the position in society), can be an impulse for the need to analyse internal experiences, to understand life's problems and eventually to understand its place in the world.