SCIENCE IN THE MODERN RUSSIAN SOCIETY. AN ANALYTIC REVIEW

The overview of publications and discussions of the journal "Sociology of science and technologies" undertaken in the article shows how the scientific community considers the role and position of science in the contemporary society as well as its problems, specific features and the prospects for its development in Russia. Along with the acknowledgement of the sphere of science as important factor and as the priority of the development for the contemporary society, the state of science and formation at Russian society is evaluated as crisis. An public appeal to innovative development in Russia is regarded by many authors as a purely formal stance. With the existing portion of science in Russian GDP (Gross Domestic Product) the passage of the country to the innovation way is viewed as possible. As the indices of the crisis of science, the number of the organizations, which carry out scientific research and its applications, ceases dramatically as well as their staff. The number of domestically created advanced production technologies in Russia increases poorly, the significant exceeding of the export of technologies over the export takes place, while leading world countries obtain essential profit from the export of technologies. A quantity of the developed and mastered competitive technologies is low and continues to cease, that contradicts world-wide economic tendencies. As the basic reasons for this degradation, one notes the following reasons: the insufficiency of financing, the loss of a large quantity of qualified technical cadres and the absence of necessary interaction of science and production. The progress in the technological effectiveness of science and its influence on modernization of Russian economy requires a new scientific and technical policy in the context of formation and realization of general strategy of the social and economic development of the country.