Choreographic Model of Social Being: Communicative Perspectives of Elite and Mass Dimensions of Society

A choreographic metaphor is proposed and substantiated as a new analytical model for the theoretical interpretation of contemporary society, characterized by dynamism, decentralization of power, and hybridity of cultural codes. The limitations of traditional models — mechanistic, organismic, and the consumer society model — are identified in describing the complexity of social interactions, where structures are not static but are constantly reassembled through everyday practices. In contrast, a choreographic model is developed that interprets society as a discursive-practical dance in which participants not only perform predefined roles but also actively create and transform rhythms, patterns, and rules of interaction. It is established that the choreographic model allows for maintaining a simultaneous unity of structure and agency, order and variability, revealing the dual nature of social existence: on the one hand, stable institutional norms (“choreographic scenarios”), and on the other, improvisation, resistance, and reinterpretation by actors. The dynamics of interaction between elite and mass dimensions of culture are analyzed: elites act as “choreographers” who set official behavioral schemes, while the masses function as “dancers” who creatively interpret and transform these schemes in everyday life. Using examples of street dance, internet memes, and social movements (such as #BlackLivesMatter), it is shown how mass practices introduce elements of spontaneity and innovation, ensuring the evolution of cultural space. The theoretical basis of the study integrates key concepts of E. Goffman, P. Bourdieu, M. Foucault, Z. Bauman, A. Gramsci, M. de Certeau, and H. Jenkins. The result of this integration is the construction of a holistic choreographic model that enables a systematic analysis of the dialectic of power and resistance, stability and change in social processes. The developed model opens new perspectives for studying mechanisms of social change under conditions of digital transformation, providing a tool for analyzing synchronized yet improvisational interactions in the media environment. In particular, it allows for the examination of how platform algorithms set the “rhythm” of communication, while user practices (memes, challenges, hashtag campaigns) become a form of collective improvisation influencing the formation of public agenda and symbolic order.

EDN OUKHLU

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