Demand for change" in sociology and in the media (in memory of V.V. Petukhov - "Inventor" of the concept/meme).

Abstract

One of the little-known merits of Vladimir Vasilievich Petukhov is the “invention” of the scientific term (and a media meme as well) “demand for change”, proved popular in recent years. Based on the ideas of the sociology of concepts and materials of content and discourse analysis of Russian media using SCAN-Interfax, the article attempts to trace the formation and development of this concept/meme, as well as to determine its content. First used in the late 1990s, it became viral at the turn of the 2000s-2010s, allowing to record the ups and downs of general social discontent, whilst at the same time not allowing to decide how this discontent correlates with traditional designations of socio-political conflicts. “Deciphering” the concept of “demand for change” requires understanding whether we are talking about the desire of modern Russians for revolutionary or evolutionary changes. V.V. Petukhov himself leaned towards an evolutionist interpretation, believing that the request for, first all, the expansion of democratic participation is far from a "revolutionary situation". The final answer about the essence of this social phenomenon can only be given by the next decade of Russian history.