Bulakh Evgeniy V.

Introduction. According to the Russian sociologists, in recent years, domestic sociology has become one of the sciences experiencing a crisis in its development. This is evidenced by the growing criticism of sociological science in society. In sociological science itself, interest in theoretical research is declining even it would seem, in those directions that are capable of revealing the applied nature of sociology. One of the areas is the study of local self-government. A complex social system operates within the boundaries of the municipality. Individual elements of this system are potential participants in local self-government, but so far they have not been identified and described, and their management resources have not been used.
Materials and methods. The analytical conclusions are based on the review of theoretical material about the nature of social community. Generalization and assessment of the world scientific experience and the experience of the Greater sociological Urals, of which G. E. Zborovsky is deservedly a prominent representative, allows us to make proposals for expanding the subject part of the sociological theory of communities by substantiating the new category “local community.” The general approach and the theory of generalities involve the use of the following research methods: comparison and contrast, structural-functional, institutional, system analysis, and other methods.
Results. The methodological basis, formed on the theoretical views of the Greater sociological Urals group, makes it possible to reveal community-forming properties and supplement this list with those that are characteristic of small territorial communities operating within the boundaries of the municipality. Such communities can be defined as “local communities”, and based on an analysis of their activities in the organizational form of local self-government; they can be compared with a community. A comparison of the categories “local community” and “community” made it possible to identify their similarities, especially in cases where we are talking about self-organized participants in the local community in the form of territorial public self-government. In turn, such an identity reveals prospects for finding answers to questions in interdisciplinary research in the field of local self-government.
Rationale and conclusions. The lack of a clear theoretical vision of the municipal social unit that forms the entire municipal community does not allow us to develop and offer a set of applied tools to improve the efficiency of local self-government. “Local community” will fill the gap in the idea of municipal social structure. The presented theoretical additions to the theory of communities allow us to look at the theories of local self-government taking into account the modern description of the community. Taking into account all elements of the local self-government system makes it possible to objectively predict the dynamics of the development of municipal processes with the participation of established local communities. 

Introduction. The activities of legislators indicate that society recognizes the local level in the public administration system as urgent special attention. It is still difficult to predict whether this will be a radical reform or an attempt to launch all existing mechanisms. Against the background of the current discussion about the non-political nature of territorial public self-government, it is necessary to justify its right to be present in the system of local government. A comprehensive analysis of this form of self-government is based on the recognition of part of the residents of the municipality as an analogue of the community. Theories of local government consider the community as the main category in local government studies.
Materials and methods. The model for analyzing territorial public self-government presented for discussion is based on a consistent synthesis of three approaches: institutional, functional and behavioral. This is due to the lack of a clear theoretical understanding of the content of various forms of local self-government (except for administrative, with the participation of local authorities); the problem of the practical implementation of the right of citizens to directly resolve issues of local importance requires new scientific data. Using methods of generalization, systemic, structural-functional, legal and comparative analysis, this form of self-organization can be considered as the main resource for revitalizing municipal public-power relations and a tool for implementing the expected local self-government reforms.
Results. The dualistic type of local self-government, the concept of which is taken as a basis in modern Russian practice, requires the institutionalization of the self-organized part of the residents of the municipality. Residents of a municipality forming two or more subsystems of interaction on issues of life are not a single community. The community is revealed in its best light within the framework of the theory of communities. The institutionalization of the community has modern practical experience, it is presented in the registration of the organizational form of territorial public self-government. Maintaining a balance of interests and effective distribution of responsibilities between the community and government authorities must be based on a clear process of determining the functions of a self-organized community.
Discussion and conclusions. The methodological foundations of local self-government and methodological recommendations for creating a workable mechanism for distributing responsibility for the quality of life will ensure the process of strengthening state power. Active political participation of citizens will increase trust in government authorities.