The Forms of Extremity in Modern Society.

Abstract

The article is devoted to the isolation and analysis of forms of extremity in modern society. The author seeks to give a definition of extreme and extremity as it’s manifestation in the social sphere, as well as to identify the main characteristics, which may attribute one or another social phenomenon to forms of extremіty. To do this, the author analyse concepts such as the social norm, deviance, marginality, radicalism. The author shows examples of those phenomena that other scientists refer to forms of extreme but do not fall under the characteristics that auther highlights and is therefore not considered to be the author of article the such forms. Examples of such social phenomenons have deviance nature: prostitution, drug addiction, alcoholism, suicide. As author thinks, only suicide in this list belongs to the forms of extremity. Author offers the following characteristics, which can determine whether the various phenomena of social life forms of extremity: going beyond the social norms, uniqueness and threat of security. The author gives her own classification of forms of extremity based on these characteristics in the light of changes in postmodern society: phenomenons at the individual level and at the social level. At the individual level these are extreme professions, sport and tourism; criminality and even accepting of a new religious paradigm. At the social level forms of extremity include radical expressions of counterculture, extremism, terrorism, revolution and war. The problem of extremity in recent years is gaining momentum in the scientific community, and so it is important, in author’s view, to concretize, delineate outlines of the forms that we refer to the concept of extremity. This lets continue to explore more deeply its principles, causes and perhaps even to find the means of control at all levels.