Social аnd Humanitarian Studies and Today’ Scientific Processes: Factors of Update and Prospects of Development

The article summarizes the main provisions of scientific theories regarding the role of socio-humanitarian studies in the development of society and analyzes the factors contributing to their actualization in today’s scientific processes. Arguments are given that confirm the leading role of social and humanitarian studies in the research of society’ dynamic changes, forecasting of social development, determination of value orientations and strategic goals of the modern world. The change in the nature of globalization impact on the socio-humanitarian sphere, from restraining to stimulating, is noted, and it is manifested in the participation of the relevant sciences in solving the most large scale problems of our time, such as overcoming the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, finding answers to the challenges of war, understanding the European civilizational choice of Ukraine, etc. The practical possibilities of social and humanitarian studies in society are analyzed, in particular, their functioning as a basis for social practices, as a platform for justifying political decisions, as a basis for interdisciplinary research, as a core for the analysis and understanding by the world community of the modern place of science in the system of human values, its key role in improving the quality of life, creating a favorable and healthy environment for current and future generations. It was revealed that the analysis of the past carried out by the social and humanitarian studies, the definition of fundamental values, the substantiation of social, legal, moral and other norms, the meaningful directions of the development of social, political, and scientific processes are crucial factors in the effective response to these challenges.