The article deals with the issue of significance of institutional and regulatory components in the socio-cultural modernization of regions. The authors draw attention to the special role of institution of higher education as a factor affecting the level of social support for the actions of government authorities and mechanisms to ensure a high level of solidarity of the Russian society in addressing the issues of socio-cultural modernization. The purpose for the research is to scientifically substantiate and develop the procedures for identifying the degree of social support for the policy of the government and its separate units by social groups with higher education. In the context of implementation of Project on diagnostic study of the status and prospects of modernization in regions, a special research objective is to assess the correlation between the concentration of people with higher education in regional structures and types of modernization, the equilibrium in the process of regional modernization. The method of secondary analysis of the research results helps refine empirically meaningful hypotheses developed in the Project taking into account the social role of higher education in the modernization model of the regional management system. The article offers some theoretical and methodological aspects of a possible shift in the research and practice. The authors believe that purposeful regulation of the modernization process is necessary. And it is not just investing in the economy, but also the social aspect – the real increase in the quality of life and standard of living due to an increase in the cultural and educational potential of the population. Within this framework, the authors mainstream the issue of distinction and connection of a spontaneous processes of social change and programmable processes of social development. The authors characterize the theory of sociological management of education, design technology in higher education, innovative vision of the nature of future education and the choice of possible ways of its development in connection with the issues of managing modernization processes in countries and regions. New opportunities of the evolution of sociological views on the development issues of social management in higher education in Russia are interpreted by the authors according to the original concept of the socio-forecast approach as a special sphere of scientific knowledge integrating socio-humanitarian knowledge and scientifically sound development of solutions to future problems through the development of design technology. Theoretical generalizations contained in the article can be used as discussion materials in scientific debates. They can also be of relevance to scientific and educational activities
Keywords
regions, human capital, socio-cultural modernization, higher education, subjectivity, design technology