Abstract

The relevance of the problem of the development of sociological thinking in the context of the digitalization of society is due to the process of sophistication of society, which requires a constant increase in the ability to ensure the adequacy of social management. The subject of the research is the development of sociological thinking in the post-Soviet Ukrainian society. The purpose of the article is to comprehend the problem of the development of sociological thinking in the context of the formation of a digital society. The methodology for studying the problem of the development of sociological thinking is based on the use of systemic, logical, historical, dialectical and civilizational approaches and methods. Scientific research results. The formation of sociological thinking is carried out on the basis of the theoretical ideas about this phenomenon of E.Giddens, J.Masionis, C.Mills. The need to develop sociological thinking in the modern world is due to the need to streamline and ensure the life of society in the face of growing influence of threats, dangers and risks. Sociological thinking is professional thinking, the object of which is social management at all levels of the social structure of society. The training of sociologists with a high level of sociological thinking requires a deep assimilation of specific sources devoted to understanding the social realities of society. An analysis of social changes in the post-Soviet Ukrainian society indicates the appearance in it of all the main features that characterize it as a “risk society”. The formation of an information and communication society requires the training of large groups of specialists both in the field of information and communication technologies and in the field of social and humanitarian technologies. The growth of information networks and the formation of a network social order give rise to new opportunities for the use of social and humanitarian technologies in both constructive and destructive directions. Therefore, the condition for the preservation and development of society is the existence of a broad social group capable of providing effective social management based on sociological thinking. Unfortunately, in modern Ukraine the level of sociological thinking is not measured by anyone, the trends of its changes are not tracked, and the number of professionals with a high level of sociological thinking does not correspond to the challenges faced by the post-Soviet Ukrainian society. The practical value of the results lies in substantiating the contradiction between the state of development of sociological thinking of students and the need to update the social management system in order to ensure its ability to be adequate to the threats, dangers, risks and challenges faced by our Ukrainian society.