THE CULTURAL CODE OF BELARUSIAN SOCIETY: AN AXIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The article analyzes the phenomenon of cultural code and its form, a political culture code. Two aspects of understanding the cultural code are distinguished: a descriptive aspect and a programmatic aspect. Separate areas are noted in the latter: a normative and axiological area and a symbolic and semiotic one. Based on this differentiation, a structural scheme of the political culture code is proposed to include two components: a descriptive component and a programmatic component. The selected area which this article addresses and which is of high sociocultural interest is normative and axiological analysis of the political culture code, with political values being its core from this perspective. The typology of political values is proposed. It is indicated that, following Samuel Huntington’s concept, the political culture code includes some common civilizational features in a number of aspects. It is noted that a sociological survey can help reveal those political values which are relatively permanent and dominant among the general public. Based on the analysis of data from empirical representative polls, the following specific values are proposed as the ones comprising the political culture code of modern Belarusian society: the value of democracy, the significance of left-wing ideologies (communism, socialism, social democracy), the paternalistic role of the state, low interest in strikes and protests, preference to common political views, Rechtsstaat (‘legal state’), equality before the law.