The concept of “youth” as a definition of a socio-demographic group dates back to the late 18th - early 19th centuries. Before this, young people were not recognized as a special social group. Until the end of the 19th century, the problems of youth were considered through the problems of personal development, educating a citizen of a historically specific society, which found scientific expression in pedagogy, philosophy, psychology of the Renaissance, modern times, and Western philosophy of the 17th-18th centuries. Update theoretical research youth, the creation of independent concepts of age occurred at the beginning of the 20th century and were developed in sociological theories of youth.

Youth as special social group was recognized according to objective criteria that determine the existence, development and change of all aspects of a given social formation.

The starting position of the life cycle, coinciding with youth and associated with the process of preparation for adult functions, appeared in the process of transition from traditional to industrial society. The process of socialization in a traditional society is carried out through the transmission from generation to generation of values, activities, means and goals of which have existed for centuries as stable patterns and social norms. In modern conditions, the need for qualitatively different ways of preparing and integrating an individual into society has increased.

Therefore, today it is impossible to study youth either only from the point of view of sociology (socio-demographic group), or only from the point of view of a cultural approach (spiritual values ​​and ideals of youth). This makes the learning process one-sided. The solution lies in combining the two approaches into a single, inextricable sociocultural approach.

Concepts of youth in the sociocultural aspect began to be developed in the 50s of the 20th century. such researchers as G. Shelsky, K. Mannheim, A Tenbroek, S. Eisenstadt. In the domestic literature on youth issues, the sociocultural approach does not always receive proper objective coverage.

Today, in the circles of sociologists, the view of youth as a reference, socio-demographic group has been established, the most important features of which most authors consider age characteristics and associated features social status, as well as the socio-psychological qualities determined by both, which allows us to talk about a multi-level analysis of youth as a social phenomenon.

However, the question of the final definition of the concept of “youth” remains controversial. Scientists share different approaches to the subject of study - from the perspective of sociology, psychology, physiology, demography, etc.

Researchers Vishnevsky Yu.R., Kovaleva A.I., Lukov V.A. and others identify as the most typical approaches found in scientific literature, the following:

• - psychological: youth is the period of development of the human personality between “puberty” (puberty) and “maturity” (full maturity);
• - socio-psychological: youth is a certain age with its biological and psychological relationships, and as a result - all the characteristics of the age class;
• - conflictological: youth is a difficult, stressful and extremely important period of life, a long-term conflict between the individual and society, a problematic stage in human development;
• - role-based: youth is a special behavioral phase in a person’s life, when he no longer plays the role of a child, and at the same time is not yet a full-fledged bearer of the role of an “adult”;
• - subcultural: youth are a group with their own specific way of life, lifestyle, cultural norms;
• - stratification: youth are a special socio-demographic group, limited by age, with specific positions, statuses, roles;
• - socialization: youth is a period of social growth, primary socialization;
• - axiological: youth is a socially significant, important stage of a person’s life cycle, it is at this stage that the formation of a system of value orientations of individuals, a special attitude, aspiration for the future, and optimism occurs.

• - age;
• - socio-historical;
• - sociological;
• - spiritual and cultural;
• - socio-psychological;
• - cultural.

Thus, within the framework of the considered approaches, there are many definitions of youth that reflect, to a greater or lesser extent, certain aspects of life activity and the qualitative characteristics of this social group.

Young people have a higher degree of life satisfaction, which is associated with greater self-confidence, orientation towards the realization of personal goals and interests, achievement and success. Young people are characterized by a commitment to the values ​​of individualism, personal initiative and independence.

Success for a significant part of young people is characterized by achieving high material status. Higher education is less valued as a condition for achieving success. However, in the minds of young people, prestige higher education very high compared to the average.

The attitude towards work is very contradictory. On the one hand, young people generally do not consider work to be one of the most significant values. This is partly explained by the abolition of the ideology of the special social significance of labor and labor education. However, interesting work plays a big role for many. At the same time, the main motive of young people explaining their choice of work is the opportunity to earn more income. This is due to the weakening in the youth consciousness of the connection between money and work in its labor meaning.

Most of today's youth devote quite a lot important role family, considering it an indispensable condition for happiness. Cohabitation as a way of organizing family relationships is in many ways inferior to marriage. Most people believe that children are a prerequisite for family happiness. Among the main factors ensuring the sustainability and stability of the family, young people name the following: respect and support between spouses, marital fidelity, satisfaction sexual relations, decent income, normal living conditions, living separately from parents and willingness to discuss problems that arise between spouses. The trend is gaining momentum according to which the role of women in the material support of the family is increasing. One can note the increased role of material factors in the functioning of youth families.

Value orientations determine the spiritual core of a person, express his attitude to the world and to himself, and influence the direction and content of social activity, fill life with meaning, represent the main channel for a person to assimilate the spiritual culture of society, transform cultural values ​​into incentives and motives for practical behavior, and are a system-forming element of the worldview. youth family social educational

In a broad sense, youth is a set of group communities formed according to age and related activities. I.S. Kohn defined youth as “a socio-demographic group identified on the basis of a combination of age characteristics, characteristics of social status and socio-psychological properties determined by one or another.” The definition of the concept of “youth” is interconnected with the characteristics of generational relations in society, with its social structure, including layers, masses and social groups. This definition builds a clear structure, the initial link of which is “generation”, then “class” (or “stratum”) and, finally, the young part of the class - youth.

This conclusion has important methodological significance for defining the concept of “youth”. At the same time, researchers proceed from the fact that young people do not occupy a special place in the system of social relations, being distributed among various classes and social groups of society, possessing class characteristics to one degree or another. There's no denying it social features youth, determined by age, socio-psychological, physiological characteristics, specific interests, needs and value orientations. In accordance with this, the question of its age limits has a certain significance for the sociological study of youth. Currently, there are three main approaches to defining these boundaries.

The first, so-called demographic approach, considers youth as special part population, i.e. as people born in a certain year and at a certain time included in working life. The chronological boundaries in this case are from 18 to 30 years.

The second approach is statistical, where the basis for determining age boundaries is taken as time indicators of average life expectancy and the length of time from the birth of parents to the birth of their children. In accordance with this, the age of youth is determined by the period from 14 to 30 years.

The third approach is sociological, when the age range is determined by the essence of the object of study, i.e. a specific group of young people, characterized by certain professional, educational, socio-psychological characteristics. Most researchers limit this range to ages from 16 to 30 years, although in some cases a limit of up to 33 and even 40 years is allowed.

Adhering to a generally sociological approach to defining the concept of “youth,” one cannot help but note that this social group reflects complex differentiation social life modern society. Apparently, therefore, various studies characterize the internal structure of youth from different points of view.

Usually in sociology young people are divided into the following: age groups:

• a) students of incomplete and complete secondary schools;
• b) youth aged 16 to 19 years;
• c) aged from 20 to 24 years;
• d) from 25 to 30 years.

Based on this, it can be argued that the concept of “youth” includes the following groups of the young population, divided by place in social work.

• - Production workers. Machine operators, farm workers, transport workers, builders. Basically, they have special education based on courses and still represent a fairly large group of young people. Although it is 2 times less than among people over 30 years of age, it cannot be ignored, including from the point of view of consumption of public goods.
• - Persons engaged in unskilled and manual labor still represent a fairly large group of young people. Although it is 2 times less than among people over 30 years of age, it cannot be ignored, including from the point of view of consumption of public goods.
• - Technicians, technical support personnel. An actively growing layer of young people in the conditions of computerization of work and the emergence of new professions in servicing modern equipment.
• - A special group of young people consists of managers, realtors, agronomists, livestock specialists, as well as production organizers and specialists in various fields of the economy. This group has the highest level of secondary and higher education.
• - IN Lately Another group of youth is actively being formed - the scientific and creative intelligentsia. This includes medical workers, teachers and public education and cultural workers. This group has the highest percentage of brain drain.
• - Students are not homogeneous in their age composition and structure. Firstly, these are schoolchildren studying in secondary schools. Secondly, students of colleges, lyceums, vocational schools. Thirdly, students of secondary vocational and higher educational institutions studying various forms(in-person, part-time, part-time, part-time). The age range of this group of young people is from 14 to 30 years old, their needs are very diverse.

So, youth is that part of the population (aged 14 to 30 years) that is associated with the modern way of life, participates in at least one type of life activity and work, and is the bearer and consumer of all modern forms culture

Of particular value for today's youth is the opportunity to do what they love. As a specific socio-demographic group, youth are characterized, in addition to age, by the presence of a certain place in the structure of society, as well as by the characteristics of social formation and development. Within the framework of the characteristics of the younger generation, one can distinguish main and secondary ones. The main characteristics include physiological, psychological, age and social class. These characteristics are common to all young people. Secondary signs follow from the main ones and appear depending on the type of activity, place of residence and social status young man.

N.F. Golovaty identifies the following objective circumstances that determine the special role of youth in the life of society:

• · youth play an important role in national economic production, because is the only source of replenishment labor resources;
• · youth are the bearers of the intellectual potential of society; they have great abilities for work and creativity in all spheres of life;
• · youth are able to acquire new knowledge, skills, and professions much faster than other social groups, thanks to which they have a greater social and professional perspective.

The role of youth as an object and subject in the historical process of development of society also has its own specifics. Upon joining social life a young man is the object of social influence from the environment external environment: family, friends, educational institutions, etc. As he grows up, he learns and begins to engage in creative activities, becoming the subject of socio-economic, political and social transformations.

Youth is a special socio-demographic group that plays an irreplaceable role in society. Youth is the only source of replenishment of labor resources, the bearer of the intellectual potential of society. She is more capable of adapting to new conditions, learning and assimilating new knowledge and skills. The value orientations of young people cannot but influence the life of society as a whole.

The spiritual crisis obliges philosophers and sociologists to look for the foundations for the competent development and education of the new generation. Young people need support and attention, because without this there will be no development of the country. This, in turn, requires an understanding of how the socialization of young people occurs and their assimilation of the values ​​of society.

general characteristics

Young people, as a social group, are characterized by a dependent social status, insufficient personal independence when making decisions regarding their lives; the severity of the problem of choice professional path, life partner, moral and spiritual self-determination; active formation of subjectivity as self-identification, awareness of one’s interests, growth of one’s organization, and great intellectual potential.

The entry of an individual into a social group of youth is characterized by the active development of self-awareness, reflection on oneself and the world. There is an expansion of human living space. An awareness of the future sets in, a life perspective appears, and professional intentions arise.

The meaning of ideals

Awareness of the need to determine personal goals in life, an intensified search for life guidelines through ideals and values ​​is a feature of this age. Based on this, psychologist Viktor Frankl considered it dangerous to “protect” young people from value and ideological influence under the pretext of maintaining the independence of their worldview and inner peace (homeostasis with the social environment), since the existential vacuum at this age turns into destructive forms of social activity. It is among young people that the perception of new ideals and values, their internalization, causes not internal conflict, but satisfaction. The psychological stress associated with such internalization contributes to the development of personality, the formation of self-confidence and the ability to overcome difficulties. V. Frankl’s conclusions are confirmed by a study conducted under the direction of V.I. Chuprov and Yu.A. Zubok, the results of which turned out that 64.2% of young people in Russia consider it important for themselves to have ideals, and only 28.6% believe that ideals interfere with a person’s life.

In a study conducted by Professor V.I. Kuznetsov in 2006, 52% of respondents considered themselves to be among those who have ideals, and only 13.2% indicated that they did not have them. However, 34.8% of respondents found it difficult to answer this question. Only 28.5% have ideals that coincide with the ideals of their parents, 31% do not coincide, and 40.5% (!) could not decide on this either.

In search of stability

On the one hand, there is an increasing focus on social continuity, including the centuries-old experience of Russian culture, on the other hand, on innovation and evolutionism. However, in modern conditions, these two orientations often do not complement each other, but appear in parallel and may come into conflict. As a result, a discreteness of the value field of the individual arises, which leads to the undermining of “ontological security”, that is, according to E. Giddens, the state of people’s confidence in the constancy of the surrounding social and material world in which they live and act. New opportunities are opening up for young people to manage their living space, time, money, education, choose a form of work, and a career, but there is always a risk of losing these benefits. This situation strengthens the relativism of values ​​in the minds of young people and distrust of ideals, which hinders the formation of the meaning of life and the implementation of sustainable life strategy, i.e. normal functioning of personal values.

In the modern living conditions of the younger generation, characterized by uncertainty, social innovation necessarily manifests itself in the form of risk. Therefore, self-confidence is replaced by apprehension, fear of change and the desire for stability, which society cannot provide to him.

Since young people are simultaneously the object and subject of socialization, instability in the ways a young person achieves social status is spreading, which is also reflected in the process of internalization of values, because Young people are becoming alienated from historical experience, traditional values, and culturally established forms and methods of social participation. This undermines the sense of “ontological security.” Then a contradiction arises between the objectively inherent desire of young people to occupy appropriate positions in the social structure, to acquire a certain social status, and the obstacles to their effective integration into society that arise in conditions of social instability and crisis. This contradiction can be resolved by changing the content of socialization, during which not only ready-made models of social participation are laid down, but also the ability to discursively assess changes, separate the situational from the permanent, and identify objectively destructive and constructive social processes.

Lacking sufficient resources and cognitive potential, the ability to influence the transformation of social structure and institutional norms develops latently and manifests itself, in most cases, upon transition to older age groups, in which the synergy of resources, symbolic capital and sociocultural potential of the individual significantly enhances the individual’s participation in social process as a subject.

Features of further socialization

Thus, the features of the formation of youth as agents social relations determined by a number of factors. Firstly, there is an increase in uncertainty, both in the individual himself and in the construction of relationships with outside world; contradictions in the structuring of values ​​associated with the search for the meaning of life, disappointment in certain values, intrapersonal conflicts, and contradictions of past stages of socialization are intensifying.

Secondly, the need to plan a life strategy based on stable social connections, join new social groups, develop a long-term life position, and accumulate social capital is becoming more urgent.

Thirdly, the incompleteness of the internalization of values ​​and, as a consequence, the inconsistency of the value structure of the individual prevent him from adequately constructing and developing social life.

Fourthly, the state of a young man’s personality is characterized by high dynamics of the value system and active interiorization of values. Therefore, young people do not have the opportunity (often the desire) to set long-term goals consistent with the social environment and plan adequate ways to achieve them. As a result, the personality of a modern young man is more inclined to conformism than to inculcate and achieve radical goals, including those related to the destruction of social order.

Fifthly, a young person, finding himself in many new social situations, may experience dissatisfaction, disagreement with circumstances, or protest against established norms. However, the incomplete crystallization of values ​​prevents the realization of these aspirations and limits reflection, the ability of self-esteem and sustainable self-organization. Therefore, a young person strives to overcome the boundaries of the information field in which an individual and a group operate in order to build or expand the real and symbolic space of the life world.

Transgressiveness of youth consciousness

An important characteristic of consciousness that influences the internalization of values ​​among young people is transgressiveness, which is expressed, as the above-mentioned Chuprov and Zubok write, in “ system of attitudes of young people to transfer these models into their lives, due to the lack of stable imperatives in society, the devaluation of the proclaimed value-normative models and social experience» .

Thus, transgressive ideas about what is proper and significant in the future, including those based on intuition, form the basis for the formation of terminal values ​​and social identities of young people.

Consequently, the formation of the weight and significance of values ​​among young people is based not only on correlating the value with the possibilities of its actualization in the present, but also on predicting the possibilities of including values ​​in long-term life strategies, predicting the dynamics of the significance of their living conditions, social connections, and personal properties. " Behavioral strategies of young people are focused not so much on the demands of today’s already elusive world, but rather on the requirements of tomorrow – not yet clear and expressed, but predictable» .

A study by the Center for Sociology of Youth at the Institute of Socio-Political Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences was conducted in 2006 in 12 regions of the Russian Federation, 2000 people were surveyed. (director Yu.A. Zubok).

Kuznetsov V.I. Youth at the turn of the century // Sociological Research. - Rostov-n/D: RSU, 2008. P.46.

Zubok Yu.A., Chuprov V.I. Social regulation under conditions of uncertainty. Theoretical and applied problems in youth research. - M.: Academia, 2008.P. 62.

Right there. P. 65.

Alexander Ogorodnikov

Lecture:

Youth as a social group

Youth is the most active and dynamic social group of people growing up. Throughout history, society's attitude towards youth has changed. There were times when children worked equally with adults for 10-12 hours a day. Before the transition of society to the industrial stage of development, youth were not identified as a separate social group. And in modern society it is a special demographic group, characterized by an age range from 14 to 30-35 years.

Youth is a very important period for a person, when the formation of personality occurs, the acquisition of one’s “I”, the assimilation of knowledge and values, and the mastery of social roles. This is the period of the most important events in life. Firstly, the young man completes his schooling and enters a vocational training educational institution. Secondly, he reaches adulthood, which characterizes him civic formation- achievement of full legal capacity. Thirdly, he acquires a profession and gets a job. And finally, fourthly, he creates a family.

Let's consider the features of the social status of the youth group:

Transition of position – search for oneself, frequent change of activities and hobbies, formation of social status.

High level of mobility - young people are not tied to a specific place by any obligations, for example, family ones, and actively move along social elevators.

Favorable prospects for choosing a profession and starting a family.

An active search for one’s place in life, tireless experimentation, creative growth.

Mastering new roles, for example, student, employee, family man.

A special psychological make-up, the desire to assert one’s individuality.

The value-orientation orientation of the personality, which different people different. For example, Andrey is interested in music, reading books, visiting museums, and art is his value. Marat is a master of sports in freestyle wrestling, he never spends a day without training, for him the value is sport. Sasha is interested in banking, he knows how and at what price you can buy Sberbank shares, for him the value is money).

Its own subculture, distinguished by a special image, slang, behavior patterns and often subject to criminalization.

Youth problems and youth policy of the Russian Federation

The position of young people in modern society is quite contradictory. On the one hand, youth is the most favorable period for professional development and family formation. But on the other hand, a number of problems arise during this period. Firstly, unemployment and material insecurity among young people who are forced to live at the expense of their parents. Secondly, low wages for employed young people and the inability to purchase their own housing. Thirdly, lack of confidence in the future and postponing the creation of a family “until better times.” These problems reduce standard of living young people and contribute to the growth of crime, alcoholism, and drug addiction. In addition, modern sociologists note the degradation of the spiritual values ​​of young people. The reason for which is the impact of mass culture and Westernization, as well as the cultivation of the younger generation's consumer attitude towards everything.

Only the state can solve these problems. Our country has developed a Resolution “On the main directions of youth policy in the Russian Federation.” Its goals are the spiritual and physical development of youth, the prohibition of discrimination based on age, the creation of conditions for the full inclusion of young people in all spheres of society, support talented youth and etc.

Based on these goals, the directions of youth policy are:

ensuring the rights of young people (for example, parents are responsible for ensuring access and creating conditions for their children to receive school education);

guaranteeing employment and employment (the employment service temporarily attracts unemployed youth to public paid work, so that the young person can try himself in something new and, perhaps, find something of his own);

stimulation of entrepreneurial activity (a young person who wants to do business has the right to do this after reaching 16 years of age, for this he needs the written consent of his parents);

support for a young family (in the Russian Federation there are social programs improving the living conditions of young families);

support for talented youth (organization and holding of competitions of various contents aimed at identifying and encouraging talented youth), etc.

Additional materials for the lesson :

Social studies mind map No. 37

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Aggressive initiative

It is based on the most primitive ideas about the hierarchy of values, based on the cult of persons. Primitivism, visibility of self-affirmation. Popular among teenagers and young people with a minimum level of intellectual and cultural development.

Shocking (French epater - to amaze, surprise) amateur performance

It is based on a challenge to norms, canons, rules, opinions both in everyday, material forms of life - clothing, hairstyle, and in spiritual ones - art, science. “Challenging” aggression on yourself from others in order to be “noticed” (punk style, etc.)

Alternative amateur performance

Based on the development of alternative, systemically contradictory models of behavior that become an end in themselves (hippies, Hare Krishnas, etc.)

Social activities

Aimed at solving specific social problems (environmental movements, movements for the revival and preservation of cultural and historical heritage, etc.)

Political amateur activities

Aimed at changing the political system and political situation in accordance with the ideas of a specific group

The acceleration of the pace of development of society determines the increasing role of youth in public life. By getting involved in social relations, young people modify them and, under the influence of transformed conditions, improve themselves.

The problems of Russian youth, in their essence, represent problems not only of the modern young generation, but also of the entire society as a whole, on the solution of which not only today, but also the future of our society depends. These problems, on the one hand, are interrelated and come from objective processes occurring in modern world- processes of globalization, informatization, urbanization, etc.. On the other hand, they have their own specifics, mediated by modern Russian reality and the youth policy pursued towards youth.

Most current problems For modern Russian youth, in our opinion, there are problems associated with the spiritual and moral sphere of life. The process of formation of modern Russian youth took place and is taking place in conditions of breaking down the “old” values ​​of the Soviet period and the formation of a new system of values ​​and new social relations. In conditions of a systemic crisis of modern Russian society and its main institutions, which has affected all spheres of life, institutions of socialization (family and family education, education and training systems, institutions of labor and work, the army), the state itself. Actively planting and replacing the foundations of the existence of civil society with the standards of a consumer society, educating a young person, not as a citizen, but as a simple consumer of certain goods and services. There is a tendency towards dehumanization and demoralization of the content of art (lowering, deformation, destruction of the image of a person), replacing the norms of value of high culture with average samples of mass consumer culture, reorienting young people from collectivist spiritual values ​​to selfish individual values. This, as well as the lack of a clearly formulated national idea and unifying ideology, a development strategy that consolidates society, insufficient attention to the cultural development of the population, and the inconsistency of state youth policy naturally leads us to extremely negative consequences.

Against the background of ideological uncertainty of young people (their lack of ideological foundations of meaning orientation and socio-cultural identification), commercialization and negative influence The media (forming the “image” of the subculture), the incessant spiritual aggression of the West and the expansion of mass commercial culture, the imposition of standards and the psychology of the consumer society, there is a primitivization of the meaning of human existence, moral degradation of the individual and a decrease in value human life. There is an erosion of the value foundations and traditional forms of public morality, a weakening and destruction of the mechanisms of cultural continuity, a threat to the preservation of the originality of national culture, and a decrease in the interest of young people in national culture, its history, traditions, and bearers of national identity.

Speaking about the youth sociocultural environment, of course, one cannot fail to note its certain positive features. Modern youth in general are very patriotic and believe in the future of Russia. He speaks out for the continuation of changes towards increasing the socio-economic well-being of the country, the creation of a civil society and the rule of law. She wants to live in a great country that provides a decent life for its citizens and respects their rights and freedoms. “Young people adapt more easily to new economic conditions; they have become more rational, pragmatic and realistic, focused on sustainable development and creative work.” . She has much greater freedom to choose a profession, patterns of behavior, life partners, and style of thinking, compared to her peers 20-30 years ago. But this, as they say, is one side of the coin.

Its other side shows that the ongoing “time of troubles” most acutely affected the younger generation. Our society is rapidly aging, the number of young people, the number of young families, and the number of children born are declining. Each new generation of young people turns out to be less healthy than the previous one; diseases have “moved” from old age to youth, threatening the gene pool of the nation. The socio-economic pressure on jobs has increased in order to ensure the life of all generations; The intellectual potential of young people and the innovative capabilities of society are rapidly declining. Young people turned out to be the most socially disadvantaged part of society. There is a clear conflict between the interests of young people and the real opportunities for social mobility. There has been a sharp differentiation and social polarization of young people, based on wealth stratification, social origin and their own social status. Possessing social, age and subcultural characteristics of different communities, they differ in material capabilities, value orientations, lifestyle and lifestyle. The question arose about the life prospects of young people: their creative self-realization (education, profession, career), well-being, and the ability to financially provide for their future family. There are problems of youth employment, deterioration of their financial and living situation, and access to education. The youth environment has become a dangerous crime zone. There has been a sharp rejuvenation of crime, an increase in its group nature, and an increase in the number of “female” crimes and crimes committed by minors. Each new generation of youth, in comparison with previous generations, in terms of the main indicators of social status and development: is much less spiritually and culturally developed, more immoral and criminal, distant from knowledge and education, less professionally trained and work-oriented.

In a society where material well-being and enrichment become the priority goals of its existence, the culture and value orientations of young people are formed accordingly. Consumer orientations prevail in the sociocultural values ​​of modern youth. The cult of fashion and consumption is gradually and gradually taking over the consciousness of young people, acquiring a universal character. A tendency to strengthen the processes of standardization of cultural consumption and leisure behavior, approved by a passive consumer attitude towards culture, is beginning to prevail. It is impossible not to note the emphasized apoliticality of young people, who soberly and without false hopes assess the attitude towards themselves on the part of the state and society as indifferent and openly consumerist. “77% of respondents believe that: - “When necessary, they remember us.” Maybe that’s why today’s young generation has withdrawn into its own little world. Young people are absorbed in the internal problems of survival in difficult and cruel times. They strive to get the culture and education that will help them survive and succeed.” .

According to the results of surveys by the Public Opinion Foundation conducted in 2002, 53% of young Russians answered the question: “What life goals, in your opinion, do they most often set for themselves? modern youth?”, first of all, noted her desire to achieve material well-being and enrichment; secondly (19%) - getting an education; in third place (17%) – work and career. (See Table 1). Analysis of the data obtained indicates a clear pragmatic and rational position of young people, their desire to achieve material well-being and a successful career, interconnected with the opportunity to receive a good vocational education.

Table 1. “Goals of modern youth”

Modern youth in general are characterized by a change in the direction of life orientations from the social (collectivist) component to the individual. “The personal value position of young people does not correlate with the values political ideology which they prefer." Material well-being began to be valued much higher than freedom, the value of wages began to prevail over the value of interesting work. Among the social problems that most worry young people at the present time, the first place is occupied by such problems as: increased crime, rising prices, inflation, increased level of corruption in government structures, increased income inequality and social inequality, division between rich and poor, environmental problems , passivity of citizens, their indifferent attitude to what is happening. Of the many problems experienced by young people, problems of material security and health are brought to the fore, although the focus on healthy image life is not being formed actively enough.

The dominant values ​​in the value system of modern youth are money, education and profession, business career, and the opportunity to live for pleasure (see Table 2).

Table 2. Distribution of basic values ​​of young people .

According to the results of an expert study conducted in 2007 by the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation, the hierarchy of dominant values ​​of young Russians is built as follows:

Material well-being.

The value of “I” (individualism).

Career (self-realization).

At the same time, analyzing the current state of Russian society, it was noted that the place of values ​​in Russia is largely occupied by anti-values. Among the values ​​that dominate today in Russian society Experts noted the following anti-values:

Cult of money;

Indifference and individualism.

Permissiveness.

Characterizing the youth consciousness and value system of modern Russian youth, sociologists highlight:

Mainly entertainment and recreational orientation of her life values ​​and interests;

Westernization of cultural needs and interests, displacement of the values ​​of national culture by Western patterns of behavior and symbols;

Priority of consumer orientations over creative, constructive ones;

Weak individualization and selectivity of culture associated with the dictates of group stereotypes;

Extra-institutional cultural self-realization;

Lack of ethnocultural self-identification.

The dominance of consumer value orientations inevitably affects the life strategy of young people. Data from the analysis of results conducted in 2006 - 2007 by the Department of Youth Sociology of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov sociological research among students showed that: “Currently, among young people, in society, one can find ambiguously assessed life principles. The data obtained allow us to draw a conclusion about troubles among young people and require more detailed study. Noteworthy is the rather high degree of indifference of young people to such traditionally negative phenomena as opportunism, indifference, unscrupulousness, consumerism, an idle lifestyle and their positive assessment.” (See Table 3).

Table 3. List of phenomena encountered among young people

All of the above problematic features of the modern youth socio-cultural environment clearly indicate an alarming trend of deep and systemic social degradation of a significant part of modern Russian youth, in particular, and our entire society as a whole. The youth environment clearly copies and mirrors all the most significant processes taking place in our society. A systemic crisis in which our society and state are still in, which have not clearly and clearly formulated national idea and not defining their development strategy, led to their loss of the meaning of their own existence and immediately affected the youth environment. In it, as in modern Russian society, in general, there is definitely no single established system and hierarchy of values. At the same time, one can observe the coexistence of two processes: both the continuity of traditional values ​​historically inherent in our society, and the formation, mass spread of new liberal (consumer) interests, the triumph of anti-values. The improvement of the youth environment, which shapes the value orientations of modern Russian youth, can, in our opinion, be achieved through improving the system, forms, and methods of implementing youth policy in the Russian Federation.

Social organization(from French. organization, from late Latin. organizo - I give a slender appearance, I arrange) - historically established orderly system of activity of society and people; a historically established orderly system of social relations, for example, economic organization society, military organization of society, political organization of society, etc.

Main difference social organization from social institution lies in the fact that the institutional form of social relations is fixed by the norms of law and morality, and the organizational form includes, in addition to institutional ones, also ordered relations, but which are not yet fixed by existing norms.

Related information.

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3.3. Youth as a social group

The youth – 1) a socio-demographic group, identified on the basis of a combination of age characteristics (approximately from 14 to 30 years), characteristics of social status and certain socio-psychological qualities; 2) the most active, mobile and dynamic part of the population, free from stereotypes and prejudices of previous years and possessing the following socio-psychological qualities: mental instability; internal inconsistency; low level of tolerance; the desire to stand out, to be different from the rest; the existence of a specific youth subculture.

Features of the social status of young people: transitivity of position; high level of mobility; mastering new social roles (employee, student, citizen, family man) associated with changes in status; active search for your place in life; favorable professional and career prospects.

* From the point of view of leading activities, the period of youth coincides with the completion of education ( educational activities) and entry into working life (work activity).

* From the point of view of psychology, youth is a period of finding one’s self, establishing a person as an individual, unique personality; the process of finding your own special way to achieve success and happiness. Awareness of mistakes shapes his own experience.

* From a legal perspective, youth is the time of civil adulthood (in Russia – 18 years). An adult person receives full legal capacity, i.e. the opportunity to enjoy all the rights of a citizen (voting rights, the right to enter into legal marriage, etc.) At the same time, the young person assumes certain responsibilities(compliance with laws, paying taxes, caring for disabled family members, protecting the Fatherland, etc.).

* From a general philosophical point of view, youth can be considered as a time of opportunity, a time of aspiration to the future. From this position, youth is a period of instability, change, criticality, constant search novelty. The interests of young people lie on a different plane than the interests of older generations: young people, as a rule, do not want to obey traditions and customs - they want to transform the world and establish their innovative values.

Main problems of youth

- V social structure the situation of young people is characterized by transition and instability;

– economic forces most of all affect the situation of young people (young people are not well-off financially, do not have their own housing, are forced to rely on financial assistance from their parents, lack of experience and knowledge prevents them from obtaining highly paid positions, wages of young people are much lower than average wages, small and student scholarship). In a situation of economic recession, the number of unemployed among young people sharply increases and it becomes increasingly difficult for young people to achieve a state of economic independence.

– spiritual factors: The process of loss of moral guidelines and erosion of traditional norms and values ​​is intensifying. Young people, as a transitional and unstable social group, are most vulnerable to the negative trends of our time. Thus, the values ​​of labor, freedom, democracy, and interethnic tolerance are gradually leveled out, and these “outdated” values ​​are replaced by a consumerist attitude towards the world, intolerance towards others, and herdism. The protest charge characteristic of young people in times of crisis is distorted, acquiring cruel and aggressive forms. At the same time, an avalanche-like criminalization of youth is occurring, and the number of young people with social deviations, such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and prostitution, is growing.

– the problem of fathers and children" is associated with a conflict between the values ​​of young people and the older generation. Generation is an objectively emerging socio-demographic and cultural-historical community of people united by age and common historical living conditions.

Informal groups are characterized the following signs: emergence on the basis of spontaneous communication in specific conditions of a social situation; self-organization and independence from official structures; models of behavior that are mandatory for participants and differ from those accepted in society, which are aimed at self-affirmation, giving social status, gaining security and prestigious self-esteem; relative stability, a certain hierarchy among group members; expression of other value orientations or worldviews, behavioral stereotypes that are uncharacteristic of society as a whole; attributes that emphasize belonging to a given community.

Classification of youth groups and movements (depending on the characteristics of youth activities)

1) Aggressive initiative: is based on the most primitive ideas about the hierarchy of values ​​based on the cult of persons.

2) Shocking amateur performance: is based on a challenge to norms, canons, rules, opinions both in everyday, material forms of life - clothing, hairstyle, and in spiritual ones - art, science (punk style, etc.).

3) Alternative amateur activities: is based on the development of alternative, systemically contradictory models of behavior that become an end in themselves (hippies, Hare Krishnas, etc.).

4) Social activities: aimed at solving specific social problems(environmental movements, movements for the revival and preservation of cultural and historical heritage, etc.).

5) Political activities: aims to change the political system and political situation in accordance with the ideas of a specific group.

Youth policy is a system of government priorities and measures aimed at creating conditions and opportunities for successful socialization and effective self-realization of young people. The purpose of state youth policy – comprehensive development of the potential of youth, which should contribute to the achievement of long-term goals - the social, economic, cultural development of the country, ensuring its international competitiveness and strengthening national security.

Main directions of youth policy

– involving young people in public life, informing them about potential development opportunities;

– development of creative activity of youth, support of talented youth;

– integration of young people who find themselves in difficult life situations into a full life.

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