The object of the investigation is a social sphere as a versatile phenomenon, a component of the system of the condition necessary for life; the structure of the social sphere, theoretical, methodological and applied aspects of the formation of the population living level in the transition period. The aim of the thesis is the integrated theoretical elaboration and the substantiation of methodological principles of the development of social sphere in the transition period; the determination of the essence of the social sphere and the determination of its place and its role in transformation conversions; the acceptability of the usage of the model of social market economy in domestic conditions. Methods of the research. The principal method of the research is dialectal way of cognition of process and phenomenon which characterizes the regularity of development of social economic and economic relationship. When studying the fundamentals of social sphere the objective and subjective approaches for explaining social and economic phenomenon and processes were applied. Besides, in the process of research such generally scientific and special methods were used: - descending from abstract to specific - to analyze the social sphere and its components, social justice and its elements, systems of social protection, social policy; - historical and logical - to analyze the economic socialization, forming of social-directed market economy; - analysis and syntheses - to study the state of social sphere in the transformation economics, level and quality of citizens lives; - economic modeling - to study the behavior of the state in the transformational period as for producing and supplying well-beings; - program for special purposes - to analyze the social policy and the system of social protection; - methods of systematization and generalization, comparative and statistical analysis. The dissertation's methodological basis is the integral comprehension of vital - from the standpoint of economic science objective logic- achievements of economic theory, philosophy and sociology classes, contemporary both native and foreign scientists. The dissertation's informative basis is based upon fundamental researches of both native and foreign scientists; leading scientifical centers on formation and realization of social policy; materials of international, ukranian-wide and regional scientific and practical conferences; legislative acts of the Supreme Council of Ukraine, decrees of the President of Ukraine, decrees and resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; materials of official sites of the President of Ukraine and Ministries, materials of ukranian-wide and regional periodic and official accounts of the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine. The scientific novelty of the received results consists in the revelation of the development problems and the substantiation of the significance of the social sphere at the transition stage of the economic system development, the determination of the principles of the social sphere's functioning and the expediecy of its state patronage in the transition period, and also in the elaboration of an effective mechanism of the social sphere's functioining. At that: - for the first time the notion "social sphere" is defined by means of the category "the condition necessary for life" with marking out social-economic and political-legal aspect of this notion; the category "the condition necessary for life" is considered in a wide and narrow meanings; - it is proved that in contemprorary conditions the social sphere undergoes the decisive influence of socialization, a process of social reorientation, which penetrates micro-, meso- and macroeconomical levels of the national economics; - the research of the correlation between notions "social sphere" and "well beings" is deepened by the differentiating of the social sphere on social-cultural and financial daily spheres; the notion "well beings" is done as a total social well beings, which are produced by the social sphere; - the realizing of a human capital is widened by means of stressing on special functions in a family: the human capital - is a physical, mental, creative and moral potential of an individual which is founded by the family as a result of financial, emotional, time and other investments. Later on it will help him to get knowledge, qualification, gain experience and as a result of participating in a social manufacture - further economical and well-being increase; the social mission of the education is defined as a system of continuous getting knowledge, that promotes the optimization in a social choice; produces conditions for forming and developing the human capital; - the substantiation of the necessity to activate the state social politics concerning basic economical subjects - a family, with a purpose to restore the trust of the state's inhabitants and further the harmonization of the subject-subject relations - the main principal of the social economics - is deepened; - it is defined that a rational choice in a behavior of economical subjects and elaboration of politics in accordance with planning social aims are an original compromise between the ideal maximum economic efficacy and non- economic directings; it is proved that there is a tight connection between social price in the investigation of efficacy and transformation in the conditions of manufacture when a collective optimum is attained; - a mechanism of social sphere's development is offered, which is based on the principles of differentiation of the power between state and private sectors concerning production and giving social charities; rationalization of state finance of social sphere depending on the goal; increase of inhabitants solvency as a stimulating means concerning access's widening of the social commodities and services, which are produced and given by private sector. Theoretical and practical importance of received results. Scientific thesis, conclusions and recommendations of the dissertation are of the scientific and practical value. On the scientific levelthe research can be used by the scientific institutions, analytical organizations for further deepening of the theoretical notions concerning the importance of the social sphere in the progressive development and movement of the national economics to the socialized market economy. The practical importance of the received results in the dissertation is determined by the substantiated suggestions in reference to the improvement of the state policy concerning the social sphere Separate author's recommendations in the form of scientific reports were accepted for using by The Administration on business of a family and youth of the administration in Poltava region (certificate №04/187 from 21.06.2004), The main Administration of work and social protection of the administration in Poltava region (certificate №03-6207 from 27.10.2004). Conclusions of the these can be used in the educational process - in high schools teaching such subjects as "Theory of economics", "History of the economic studings", "Economic historyof Ukraine", "Organization of the business-activity", "Basis of the family economics". The author made programs of courses, provided their methodological support and teaching in V.G. Korolenko State Pedagogical University in Poltava (certificate №5239/01-37/29 from 03.11.2004).
