Heuristics of “social activity” concept in Yelena Yakuba’s interpretation: view from sociology of knowledge and view from 2019

The article reveals the heuristic potential of the sociological concept of social activity developed by the founder of the Kharkov Sociological School E. A. Yakuba in the 1960- 1980s. Based on historical and sociological material and conceptual analysis, the author demonstrates the potential of this concept from the sociology of knowledge perspective. He analyzes a number of related categories and problems that are introduced by E. A. Yakuba to discuss the problems of social activity. It is emphasized that the elected by E. A. Yakuba position allows to study and measure social activity in detail (that is, answer the question “how?”), However, it is the sociology of knowledge that gives a chance to study the sociogenesis and ontogenesis of social activity (that is, answer the question “why?”). The definition, systemic connections and methods of operationalization and indication of social activity proposed by E. A. Yakuba are given and analyzed. A separate emphasis is placed on the analysis of how the category of “social activity” is associated with the category of “subjectivity”. The most important plot is the connection of the social essence of activity, that is, its inclusion in the sociality of the individual as a connection with the social whole. The evolution of the views of E. A. Yakuba on these categories, as well as their relationship with social maturity, activity, personality, is investigated. The possibilities of the sociology of knowledge in synthesizing various aspects of E. A. Yakuba approach are explored. Particular emphasis is placed on the consistency of E. A. Yakuba’s theory, and also the limitations and specifics of the (often implicit) influence of Marxism on its development have been studied. The conclusion about the possibilities and limitations of updating the concept of “social activity” in a sociological-knowledge reassembling of E. A. Yakuba’s theory is formulated.