The article is devoted to the consideration of methods for studying the phenomenon of modern digital culture – user experience (hereinafter referred to as UX). This phenomenon includes knowledge and skills, as well as the results of human behaviour as a user of digital resources (products, systems). UX research is aimed at studying and analysing the processes of direct human contact with various online products: websites, applications and many others. The article provides an overview of automated desk methods, methods for selecting methods in empirical research, then methods for collecting (traditional and UX-specific) and processing data. Analysis of them shows that the cornerstone issue of systematisation of methods is the search for balance in such dichotomous complexes as “usability – hedonism”, “offline – online”; it is in these complexes that the most interesting and specific processes of mixing methods, standardisation of methods and the emergence of new concepts in the field of culture take place digital behaviour. Together with this, the author analyses the possible future transformation of UX research methodology into an applied industry theory of digital culture within the framework of sociological knowledge. The author comes to the conclusion that the results of this transformation will probably be noticeable no earlier than in 10 years, provided that digitalisation does not change its vector. However, the author believes, it is now necessary to observe the process of formation of this branch of sociological knowledge, because UX research practitioners constantly present repeated results of measurements of various aspects of people’s digital behaviour. Methodologists of sociological knowledge study the adaptation of classical sociological methodology to digital culture, as well as to the life of society at the intersection of offline and online.

The article is devoted to the consideration of neural network generative technologies as a marker of social stereotypes and attitudes. The aim of the research – approbation of generative artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI) as a method of sociological research of social stereotypes contained in big data. To realise this goal, the essence of AI, the legal framework of application and the spread to date are initially considered. The results of approbation show that the information returned by AI contains social stereotypes, primarily related to gender and age, which means that AI can indeed be used as a tool for studying social stereotypes. The source of shifts in data towards stereotypical images is contained in the data on which AI is trained, as well as in the code of the program itself, that is in the attitudes and worldview of developers, which in one way or another influence the process of program development. In most cases (more than 80% of all generated information), the AI returns young people, predominantly men, for queries related to high-paying professions, which is true for both gendered and non-gendered query formulations. AI is also characterised by attributing certain traits to different social groups, such as slovenliness and disorganisation, representing them in connection with a certain style of dress, and using several recurring markers to denote status or wealth.

The study is relevant for sociological theory and public practice, as it is devoted to the analysis of the role of digital socialisation of older people in protecting against telephone fraud. The purpose of the study is to characterise modern telephone fraud and identify the features of the role of digital socialisation of older people in effective protection against becoming a victim. Informational and empirical basis of the research: data of the Federal State Statistics Service “Distribution of the population who are active Internet users by type of settlement and gender and age groups”, 2023; materials of the Russian Public Opinion Research Center “Telephone fraud: monitoring”, 2024; results of a pilot interview with experts from among the staff of specialised police departments, 2024. The following has been revealed: there is a dynamic growth in the number of calls and messages received by the elderly people from telephone scammers; older people mostly count that they have a low probability of becoming a victim of phone scams; the main role of digital socialisation of the elderly in protecting against telephone fraud is to learn the rules and norms of communication in the digital environment and gain experience in remote communications. The results of the study can be used in the activities of specialised police units.

Digitalisation is important not only for the work of professionals in their workplaces, but also for the well-being of specialists and adaptation to changes in the information sphere as well as for providing high-quality educational, medical and social services to the population. The paper uses machine learning methods to classify regions according to a set of indicators of electronic services and services. A clear division of the regions into two large, almost equal groups according to this set of indicators has been obtained. The use of well-known statistical criteria has demonstrated the statistical significance of such a division. Scattering diagrams are constructed as an example of the relationship of such indicators. The multiple correlation coefficient between the indicators of electronic services and services is 0.71, which indicates a close relationship between the indicators of digitalisation of services. In addition, the division of regions into clusters has been obtained using hierarchical clustering, which implies that Moscow has significantly overtaken other regions of Russia in providing electronic services and services, and the remaining regions are heterogeneous in this indicator, considering the considered indicators of digitalisation of the subjects according to the Federal State Statistics Service data for May 2024.

The article examines the role of emotional intelligence (emotional quotient) in the process of management activities and the competing position of artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI), which is trying to master it through learning algorithms and implementation in management practice. Approaches to teaching AI emotions are considered, problems of introducing AI technologies into management processes are systematised as well as prospects for their resolution. The relevance of the sociological study of emotions in the process of social management is justified by the growing trends in the influence and development of artificial technologies, which are actively penetrating into all spheres of modern society and leading to changes, the consequences of which are still poorly predictable, and therefore require timely assessment. The research method is qualitative content analysis of scientific and scientific-practical sources devoted to the subject of research – emotional intelligence in professional management activities. The conclusions substantiate the need for mastering emotional skills by managers of social sector organisations, including law enforcement, whose practical activities are dominated by the need for effective communication with the external and internal operating environment, as well as the inclusion of emotional competencies as a priority when mastering the leadership qualities of managers.

The article attempts to summarise existing points of view on the issues of assessing the impact of digitalisation on the employment structure and the labour market in the Russian Federation (here inafter referred to as RF). The purpose of the study is to identify the key areas of the impact of digitalisation on socio-economic processes, the employment structure and the labour market in the RF. General scientific research methods are used: analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalisation, bibliographic description as well as the method of graphical visualisation of data. Various components of the impact of digitalisation and digital technologies on employment are analysed. Both positive and negative impacts of digitalisation are noted. Changes in the nature of work activity are considered, a natural increase in demand for digital competencies of employees is noted, the processes of emergence of new professions and forms of employment, especially non-standard forms, are determined. Conclusions are made about the versatility and inconsistency of the impact of digitalisation on the labour market; digitalisation creates both significant prospects for improving employment (new professions, promotes growth in labour productivity and efficiency, allows for the development of remote and flexible forms of employment) and necessitates the development of a number of problematic issues (the need for constant updating and development of workers’ skills, especially in the area of digital competencies, increasing complexity of labour, polarization of the labour market, regulation of non-standard forms of employment)

The review of the research handbook on digital sociology, edited by J. Skopek, provides a critical analysis of this field, encompassing studies on digital society, digital life, digital engagement, digital scientific and technological changes, and their consequences, alongside many related pressing issues. The book is both empirically oriented and fundamentally robust, maintaining its analytical and scientific depth. The purpose of the review is to present the key ideas of all 25 chapters of the handbook, which, due to editorial requirements, we must present in two parts. The handbook is structured into 5 sections reflecting key areas of digital sociology: social theory and the internet in everyday life, research of digital society, analysis of digital life and online interactions, digital participation and inequality, and consequences of digital technological changes. Each chapter is supported by extensive academic literature, both classical and modern, mostly published in recent years, which significantly expands the radius of the proposed subject contexts. The first part of this review presents the key ideas of 15 chapters, focusing on the foundational components of social  theory and their connections to the internet in daily life, digital  technologies for surveys and data processing, the significance  of mobile devices, big data, machine learning, agent-based  models of social phenomena, inclusive digital focus groups, social networking sites in professional contexts, online dating, partner selection based on digital information, the use of digital approaches in online markets, the application of YouTube in social sciences, and automated image analysis. A distinctive feature of the review is its exploration of the intersection between the digital and social spheres, framed as a contradiction between the proper (computer sciences) and the actual (social sciences), reflecting the search for meaning in communication and action within digital and social spaces.