Types of youth and their problems. Problems of modern Russian youth: what do young people want? Reduction of social programs

Modern Russia is a rather specific country in which there has been a sharp change in the main vector of development. It is no secret that changes in the political and social fields most affect those who have not yet made a decision in life, in whom there is still no solid core laid down by upbringing and education, that is, the youngest.

The problems of modern youth are very different from those that their parents had at the same age. Moreover, they differ in all aspects - moral, social, and economic. The striking differences between their lives and the lives of the previous generation often made constructive dialogue impossible, much less the exchange of experiences between generations - these experiences are too different.

The moral problems of modern youth, according to psychologists, are caused by two main difficulties: laziness and lack of purpose. Many parents, having themselves gone through difficult times of lack of money and “initial accumulation of capital,” strive to make sure that their child does not need anything. And they succeed - the younger generation really does not need anything - neither money, nor family, nor love. By the time they graduate from school, most of them have everything they could dream of (this is especially true for children from big cities - it is more difficult to achieve financial well-being in the provinces), and all they can do is thinklessly. Morality as such is of little interest to them - they have completely different things on their minds , they simply don’t think about it. And parents, who have devoted their entire lives to ensuring that their child is the best, realize with horror that they missed the main thing - they did not teach him to love, respect and appreciate friends, parents, and loved ones.

Modern youth are determined, first of all, by the fact that today’s society sets one task for the guys - to have as much money as possible. But at the same time, everything that happens around teaches the younger generation exclusively that there is no need to earn money - there are many other ways to get it, much easier and simpler. Therefore, in the eyes of young people, things that had significance for their ancestors lose their value. School, education, family and even the state are worth nothing, because the meaning of life is not in them at all. Such problems of youth in modern society inevitably lead to gradual degradation of social and loss of communication between generations and a primitive existence devoid of a spiritual component.

The financial problems of modern youth are due to the lack of a clear government policy in this area. The level of scholarships and salaries for beginning specialists today is such that it is impossible to talk about any kind of decent existence. At the same time, subsequent employment seems very problematic due to the fact that higher education has long been producing an overabundance of specialists, and there are no vacancies for them in their specialty. At the same time, in cities with developed industry, there is a clear shortage of blue-collar professionals, but there are no young people willing to take these positions.

Also, many of the problems of modern youth are caused by the information field in which they live. The Internet and television do not aim at the new generation; their main goal is entertainment. Moreover, most of this entertainment is thoughtless and devoid of any meaning. This is another factor provoking degradation. In other words, the entire surrounding reality, under the influence of which a young personality is formed, influences it not creatively, but destructively, which leads to the emergence of a number of problems and difficulties.

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.

The most pressing problems for modern Russian youth, in our opinion, are problems related to the spiritual and moral sphere of life. The process of formation of modern Russian youth took place and is taking place in the context of the breakdown of the “old” values ​​of the Soviet period and the formation new system 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.

These factors, combined with the processes of differentiation and material stratification of society that arose during the transition to market relations, naturally lead to an expansion of the zone of desocialization, marginalization and lumpenization of youth (confusion; apathy; pessimism of young people; their lack of faith in the future, the possibility of realizing their interests in no other way , except for those deviating from moral and legal norms). They stimulate asocial and illegal forms of self-realization of young people (increasing criminal manifestations among young people, alienation from work, alcoholism, drug addiction, prostitution); development of counterculture in the content of youth subculture; desire to participate in informal youth associations; increased tension and aggressiveness, growth of extremism among young people. In the context of the global crisis that has broken out, all the identified problematic circumstances in the development of youth can be used by destructive forces to destabilize the situation in Russia and carry out another “Orange Revolution,” which our government rightly fears. Without paying due attention to the education of young citizens and the creation of the foundations of civil society, the state greatly contributed to the establishment of consumer society standards in our society and the education of consumers, but clearly did not expect that those in power themselves could become a “product” for these consumers.

The youth environment, due to its age, socio-psychological and ideological characteristics, is in dire need of sociocultural identification, and therefore, to a greater extent than other social and age groups, is susceptible to transformation processes associated with the assimilation of value systems and norms that shape certain forms of behavior. Process social formation youth, their choice life path and development strategies, is carried out through training and education, assimilation and transformation of the experience of older generations. Youth is a period of active formation of a stable system of values, the formation of self-awareness and social status of the individual. Value orientations, social norms and attitudes of young people “determine the type of consciousness, the nature of activity, the specifics of problems, needs, interests, expectations of young people, and typical patterns of behavior.” In general, the position of young people in society is characterized as extremely unstable and contradictory. On the one hand, it represents the most mobile, dynamic part of our society; on the other hand, due to the limited nature of her practical, creative activity, the young man’s incomplete inclusion in the system of social relations - the most socially unprepared, and therefore vulnerable part of it. The implementation of the life plans of young people and the opportunities provided to them largely depends on the material resources of their parents, on the basis of which certain intergenerational contradictions may arise. “Parents often become the main culprits of the unrealized market aspirations and consumer ambitions of their children.” In youth consciousness and behavior, contradictory traits and qualities can be combined in the most bizarre way: the desire for identification and isolation, conformism and negativism, imitation and denial of generally accepted norms, the desire for communication and withdrawal, detachment from the outside world.

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 material 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, culture and value orientations young people. 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, when asked: “What life goals, in your opinion, do modern youth most often set for themselves?”, first of all, noted their 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 possibility of getting 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 ​​of the political ideology 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).

Stability.

Freedom.

Respect for elders.

God (belief in God).

Patriotism.

Duty and honor.

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 value systems that dominate today in Russian society, experts noted the following anti-values:

Cult of money;

Indifference and individualism.

Permissiveness.

Cynical pragmatism, cult of career.

Family collapse.

Social dependency.

Sexual promiscuity.

Bad habits: drug addiction, alcoholism, foul language.

Corruption.

Xenophobia.

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

Its predominantly entertainment and recreational orientation 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's 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. The systemic crisis in which our society and state still find themselves, having not clearly and clearly formulated the 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.

References

1. S.G. Plukin Value orientations // http://plook.ru/index/cennostnye-orientacii
2. Karpukhin O.I. Youth of Russia: features of socialization and self-determination // Sociological studies. 2000. No. 3. P. 125.
3. Dobrenkov V.I., Smakotina N.L., Vasenina I.V. Extremism among youth. Results of sociological research. M.: MAX Press. 2007, p. 42.
4. Karpukhin O.I. Youth of Russia: features of socialization and self-determination // Sociological studies. 2000. No. 3. P. 126.
5. Public Opinion Foundation. All-Russian youth survey from July 18-23, 2002 (100 settlements in 44 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, 1,500 respondents). Principles and values ​​of youth // http://bd.fom.ru/report/map/youth/d047702.
6. Pitirim Sorokin Foundation. Values ​​in modern Russia: results of an expert study conducted from June 15 to September 10, 2007 // http://www.salvador-d.ru/files/cennosti.ppt.
7. Manko Yu.V., Oganyan K.M. Sociology of youth. SPb: Publishing House "Petropolis". 2008. P. 79.
8. Pitirim Sorokin Foundation. Values ​​in modern Russia: results of expert research // http://www.salvador-d.ru/files/cennosti.ppt.
9. Sociology of youth. M.: Gardariki, 2007, pp. 190-193/ Manko Yu.V., Oganyan K.M. Sociology of youth. SPb: Publishing House "Petropolis". 2008. P. 80.
10. Dobrenkov V.I., Smakotina N.L., Vasenina I.V. Extremism among youth. Results of sociological research. M.: Max Press, 2007. P. 34.

The main problems of youth in Russia and ways to overcome them: some aspects

There are a number of problems that modern youth in our country face.

For example, the problems of employment and employment of young professionals, which affected a significant part of young people, have now come to the fore for many of them. It is no secret that a significant part of Russian enterprises and organizations often do not hire graduates educational institutions without work experience in their specialty, does not want to invest in their on-the-job training, especially during a period of rising unemployment and layoffs of employees. A particularly difficult situation with professional employment among young people has developed in small-population settlements in Russia. The inability to find a job for a young specialist in them is exacerbated by the fact that in these cities, as a rule, there are only a few city-forming enterprises that employ the majority of able-bodied residents. For example, according to the employment center, in the city of Mednogorsk, Orenburg region, at the beginning of October 2009, there were 494 unemployed people per 30,400 residents, a third of whom were students and young professionals aged 18 to 30 years. The lack of a permanent source of income for young people, in turn, often leads to the latter committing various crimes, primarily of a property nature. In particular, according to the State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation, 58.5 thousand such crimes were committed by minors alone in the period from January to August 2009. Often crimes are committed by children from disadvantaged families whose parents abuse alcohol or drugs. Unemployment only exacerbates the spread of alcoholism in Russia. Many people, having lost their jobs and found themselves in a circle of unfavorable circumstances, not being able to resist them, begin to relieve stress and escape from reality with the help of alcohol and drugs. The children of such people, left unattended, commit a whole host of different offenses. In addition to the above, there are many other problems of modern youth, including limited opportunities for purchasing housing, including for young families; problems of organizing leisure time for young people, especially at a time when most parents are busy with constant earnings, and they have practically no time left to raise children. It should be noted that the state and society are making active attempts to solve these problems. In particular, programs are being developed to support young families and young professionals; one of the main national priorities of the Russian Federation is providing young families with affordable housing. In the field of youth employment, an important decision of the state was to grant the right to individual higher educational institutions in Russia to create small and medium-sized enterprises to ensure the employment of their graduates and the development of innovative technologies. In accordance with the new federal law, more than 200 scientific and educational institutions will be able to create business societies for the practical implementation of the results of their intellectual activity. This circumstance, in turn, will make it possible to employ thousands of young and talented university graduates. I would like to formulate some proposals related to solving problems in the field of youth policy of our state, among which we highlight the following: 1. It is necessary to continue the development and implementation of state programs in the field of youth employment. At the same time, increased attention should be paid to youth employment not only in large cities, but also in small towns, as well as in rural areas. For example, the state program to create decent working conditions in rural areas for young specialists has proven quite successful. Agriculture, as you know, is one of our state priorities, but its development without the active involvement of young people is unthinkable. 2. One of the most important areas of state activity in the field of youth affairs, especially in conditions of an economic crisis, should be to ensure maximum large quantity young people with affordable housing. In particular, to improve, including at the regulatory level, the system for issuing and repaying loans for the purchase of housing. 3. It is important to provide leisure time for young people, to engage them in positive and developmental activities that benefit the individual, society and the state. It is gratifying to note that our country is taking successful steps in this direction. For example, the sports system is actively developing and physical culture . At a meeting of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the development of physical culture and sports, elite sports, preparation and holding of the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi, the XXVII World Summer Universiade 2013, held in Kazan on October 23, 2009, the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev pointed out the need for the mass dissemination of physical culture and sports in Russia and the transformation of our country into a sports power. The development of physical culture and sports, in turn, will help maintain the health of the younger generation. 4. The development of civic initiative and the spirit of entrepreneurship will help the self-realization of youth. Recently, more and more young people are striving to actively participate in the life of the state. Only the active life position of young people will help modernize the Russian state, make it strong and modern. In particular, it is worth supporting and developing various forms of youth self-government at all levels. On August 10, 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev introduced a bill to the Russian State Duma that would allow citizens over 18 years of age to be elected to representative bodies of local self-government. The adoption of this bill will allow enterprising youth to more effectively participate in solving issues of local importance. 5. Increasing the level of legal and general culture of youth will help to form a full-fledged personality. Every civilized resident of the modern Russian state must comply with the Constitution and current legislation of the Russian Federation, respect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, as well as the legitimate interests of the state and society. Legal training and education must be made an integral element of education at all levels. Legal literacy will help a young person better navigate the modern world, protect the rights and freedoms of both their own and those around them. Undoubtedly, the level of culture and integrity of a person is determined not only by legal values, but also by a whole set of other social values. However, law is the only regulator of social relations, which is sanctioned by the state, and is mandatory for compliance, so to speak, acts as a necessary minimum of human integrity. We believe that it is necessary not only to increase the number of hours for teaching legal disciplines at the Faculty of Law, but also to expand the teaching of the fundamentals of law at non-law faculties and specialties. In addition, a promising area of ​​activity could be the organization of legal centers at all educational institutions. Moreover, such centers could be organized not only at universities and secondary specialized educational institutions, but even at schools. The implementation of this initiative, among other things, will help ensure the protection of the rights and interests of the child. For example, special school lawyers could explain children's rights in education to students and their parents. The state and society must solve youth problems constantly, purposefully and systematically. Without the effective implementation of youth policy, our state has no future. A stable and prosperous Russia largely depends on the prosperity of its young generation.

I think this problem is relevant for young people (and not only young people, but primarily for them), not only modern ones, but for anyone, regardless of time. Reflections, soul-searching, uncertainty, constant attempts to prove oneself in this or that matter, some have pressure from parents, others get rid of this and are even more caught up in their search, first successes and failures, temptations, etc. Society puts pressure, pressure from the environment, telling you what age you should be, what you should achieve, setting stereotypical parameters and standards. To fall into recklessness, not planning your life at all, infantilely managing resources, wasting them is not good, this is extreme, of course, no one says the opposite, but living according to the cliché is just as evil.

1. The problem of misunderstanding of the world around us, rejection of one’s “I”.

Among young people, in my opinion, this is especially pronounced, since it is at this age that a person is faced not just with existential problems, but also with attempts to understand them, with certain conclusions. We are far from always able to fully understand that, in general, we are always alone, we are born, we die, separated from the rest of the world (but not deprived of interaction with it), we are, in fact, the world (microcosm), which is why we desperately strive At any cost to get close to someone, we experience confusion from failures on this front, thus creating suffering. It is necessary to treat other people as fellow travelers, comrades, someone who can share our path into some fraction or a little, and perhaps a lot more, but not a vessel into which you plunge, forgetting, dissolving, losing yourself. This is very important, it largely determines lifestyle, behavior, aspirations, psychological and mental state.

1. As correctly noted above, the problem is “information garbage”. Why is this again relevant specifically for young people? The current young generation has experienced the information and technological boom in full, and this state of development of the relevant industry has accompanied them since childhood (some even from an early age). Our mothers, fathers, and even more so generations older had a different education system, a much smaller volume of sources for obtaining information, but now a subject actively involved in the Internet space (and they are still the majority among young people) is being bombarded with so much data, materials, news , necessary and unnecessary, that willy-nilly the thinking, methods and mechanisms of perception of texts change (I’m talking now not only about verbal symbolic systems, but about the text in a broad sense, the perception of reality in general, probably in hermeneutics the point of view has long been established according to which everything what is perceived by the mind is a text), in the future this will be reflected in the education system, professions and methods of implementation professional activity. The Internet audience is more accepting of short, abstract material, essential “snippets”. The skills of highlighting the essential, quickly obtaining information, and being succinct are, of course, useful, but they hardly contribute to breadth of thinking, creativity, and creativity.

The position of young people in modern Russian society is quite contradictory. On the one hand, this is the most mobile part of society, among this social group The professional level and career are rising at the fastest pace. On the other hand, the difficulties of the transition period hit the situation of young people especially hard: only a small part of them managed to find their place in the market system, while the majority have not yet managed to adapt to the changed situation. And this part is experiencing a decrease in social status, opportunities for access to education and cultural values ​​are narrowing, but crime is expanding and deviant behavior, unemployment, etc.

Today, sociologists and political scientists identify several features that characterize the system of youth values:

A predominantly entertaining orientation of life values ​​and interests, supported by the direct influence of mass culture;

Replacement of the values ​​of national culture by Western patterns of behavior and symbols;

Priority of consumer orientations.

The value orientations of young people differ significantly from those of adults. What they were brought up to do Soviet people over the decades, quickly lost its value. The legal and social guarantees for young people that exist today are often declarative in nature. The position of young people in society is unstable. At a time when there is a reassessment of values, norms, it is difficult for young people to navigate issues that relate to their life prospects, goals and meaning of life. The conditions of instability of the transition period lead to an exacerbation of youth problems:

Loss of social guarantees;

Loss of a sense of personal security;

Declining living standards;

Dissatisfaction financial situation, living conditions, work.

The situation of youth in modern Russian society

For today's youth, the most significant are: money, health, housing problem, educational opportunity, advanced training, career, promotion. The significance of the problem varies depending on age, so for today’s youth the most significant are (we will list the five most important): money (43.8%), health (37.4%), housing problem (24.7%), educational opportunities , advanced training (23.9%), career, promotion (15.3%). At the same time, health ranks 2nd among both 17-year-olds (36.2%) and 31-year-olds (37.4%). 17-year-old youth considers important: - education (39.6%), 3 - money (35.5%), 4 - financial dependence on parents (21.6%), 5 - love (16.9%). 31-year-old youth give priority to other problems: 1 - money (54.3%), 3 - housing problem (33.9%), 4 - raising children (24.6%), 5 - the possibility of losing a job (23.6 %).

Financial problems of youth:

Low salary or stipend

Opportunity to work in your specialty

Loan for home purchase

Providing jobs for graduates of educational institutions

Help for a young family

Medical care.

Only the state can solve these problems. And their implementation determines the degree of trust in authorities and electoral activity.

Youth problems are analyzed by specialists from the Youth Institute, who claim that the younger generation today demonstrates a “desire for harmony and civil peace” and adheres to a “wait-and-see attitude.” Among young people there is a higher level of social optimism and greater readiness to live and work in new conditions. Young people in general present themselves as active, pragmatic, and ideologically tolerant people.

The conditions of the systemic crisis and the difficult economic situation have led to negative consequences among young people. The growth rate of youth unemployment exceeds the growth rate of unemployment among the population as a whole (according to statistical data, the share of young people among the unemployed in 2002 was about 40%, in 2003 - 43.5%); the number of unemployed among graduates of secondary and higher educational institutions is growing; There is an outflow of young people from the field of science. In the labor market there is a significant flow of labor from the state to the non-state sector of the economy. By moving into the sphere of the non-state economy, to positions that do not require serious professional knowledge, young people risk their future well-being without ensuring the accumulation of intellectual property and professionalism. This area of ​​employment is characterized by a very high degree of criminalization. This results in a blurring of ideas in the eyes of young people about socially approved and disapproved types of employment.

There is a downward trend in the social value of labor and the prestige of a number of professions important to society. Various sociological studies in recent years have stated that in work motivation, priority is given not to meaningful work, but to work aimed at obtaining big money and material benefits. “Big salary”, it was this motive that turned out to be decisive when choosing a place of work (according to the survey) for 59.9% of 17-year-olds, 65.3% of 24-year-olds and 64.4% of 31-year-olds .

A shift in the direction of social orientations of young people can be observed in assessments of satisfaction with personal problems and life values.

Thus, for today’s youth the most significant are (we will list the five most important): money (43.8%), health (37.4%), housing problem (24.7%), educational opportunities, advanced training (23.9 %), career, promotion (15.3%). At the same time, health ranks 2nd among both 17-year-olds (36.2%) and 31-year-olds (37.4%). The significance of other problems varies with age. 17-year-old youth considers important: - education (39.6%), 3 - money (35.5%), 4 - financial dependence on parents (21.6%), 5 - love (16.9%). 31-year-old youth give priority to other problems: 1 - money (54.3%), 3 - housing problem (33.9%), 4 - raising children (24.6%), 5 - the possibility of losing a job (23.6 %).

Among the social problems of young people, the most pressing ones should be highlighted:

Reduction in the share of youth in the population (since 1979 it has decreased by almost 15%);

Trend of deteriorating health (only 14% of children are practically healthy, 35% of children are chronically ill);

The intellectual potential of the Russian nation is rapidly declining;

Deterioration of the education system;

There is a process of desocialization and marginalization of youth;

The accelerating pace of criminalization of children and youth: 57% of all crimes are committed by today's young people; This is facilitated by deteriorating socio-economic conditions, the psychological situation of instability in society, the collapse of previous ideals and moral foundations. According to experts, youth crime will increase.

The demographic situation is worsening (the birth rate in youth families is decreasing, the morbidity rate of children, adolescents and young people is increasing, migration processes and attitudes are intensifying), the deterioration of the material living conditions of the majority of young people continues, the criminalization and marginalization of the youth environment is growing, the chances of boys and girls from low-income families to obtaining a prestigious professional education. Market relations in their current state do not require a comprehensively developed morally and spiritually rich personality, but a “market” type of personality is actively being formed, which evaluates those around them (and is evaluated by them themselves) according to the criterion of consumption and the availability of material opportunities. A precise description of the “market” personality was given at one time by E. Fromm: “A person is no longer interested in his own life or in his own happiness, he is only concerned about not losing the ability to sell himself.”

Analyzing data on youth participation in election campaigns in 1991-2001, we can conclude that young people, to a greater extent than representatives of other ages, supported political parties, leaders, and movements focused on the values ​​of a market economy and the expansion of political freedoms. At the same time, by the mid-90s, young people became distrustful of all traditional forms of the political process and the desire to support political leaders who were in no way connected with political power. One can trace a new trend based on the results of a survey regarding youth voting - young voters are more likely than older voters to trust “new” leaders. Young people are distancing themselves from traditional political leaders. This indicates disappointment with the course and results of the political processes that took place in Russia in the 90s of the 20th century. A third of young people are not interested in politics at all, and more than half are for political information do not follow, although sometimes they discuss political events. Until recently, pessimistic sentiments prevailed in young people's assessment of the political situation in the country. Today they are being replaced by more neutral and positive ones.

In 2002, the Public Opinion Foundation conducted a study on “Youth Problems.” According to Russians, youth organizations are just a tool to influence young people, who are seen as an object of influence by the state and (to a lesser extent) various political forces. As noted in the analytical results of the study, “This circumstance largely explains the, at first glance, unexpected fact that the overwhelming majority of participants in the national survey - 77% agreed with the point of view that “the state should support youth political organizations” and only 8% expressed the opposite opinion. Given the more than skeptical attitude of Russian citizens towards parties and other political institutions... this position looks “unnatural.”

The results of sociological research give grounds to assert that all parties operating in Russia include no more than 1% of the youth population. Political parties today do not pay much attention to political and educational work among the population. They do not have sufficient experience in working among the population. Only during election campaigns their activities are intensified in order to attract as many supporters as possible to their side and win the elections. Youth membership in political parties (as a percentage of the total number) is determined low level trust in political parties among young people. According to all-Russian studies, in 1997, 14.7% of young people were members of a trade union, 4.5% of respondents participated in hobby clubs, 4.4% participated in youth organizations, 3.9% participated in youth associations, and local government bodies - 4.4%. 1.9%, environmental organizations - 0.7%. More than half of the youth surveyed - 51.4% - did not participate in any organizations. Trade unions also failed to attract the bulk of young people into their ranks.

In modern Russia, the predominant part of young people is a politically passive group. The majority of young people are not members of political associations, political parties and trade unions (the latter have formal membership). Political parties do not have a clearly formulated youth policy. IN recent years Most studies note a decrease in the level of socio-political activity and participation of Russian youth, a concentration on personal problems, and a refusal to take an active role in public affairs. Low level of trust among young people in almost all institutions political system Russian society.

The decline in the political activity of young people in the last decade indicates a weakening of their influence in the political sphere compared to other age groups, although suffrage in Russia there are about 25 million young people aged 18 to 29 years, and this accounts for 23% of all voters in the Russian Federation. Representatives of the younger generation demonstrate lower rates of political activity in all forms; electoral participation, organizational and protest activities. Young people today are mostly observers of political processes in society. The reason for this is the insufficiently effective state youth policy. It is necessary to develop mechanisms of influence on young people for their active participation in the political life of the country.

The formation of an opinion about politics as an area far from the interests of young people is facilitated by ideas about the low professional and moral qualities of those who are today in power structures and the disappointment of young voters with the course and result of the political processes taking place in the Russian Federation over the past decade. More than 40% of young Russians explain their passivity by saying that they “have no time for civic activity right now, since the most important thing is to survive, complete their studies, and find a job.”

The behavior of young people in elections is characterized by a high level of passivity. The authors of the report “The Situation of Youth and the Implementation of State Youth Policy in the Russian Federation: 2000-2001” note: “As evidenced by the election results, young Russians have few real opportunities for the practical implementation of political choice through voting. At the same time, many of them did not exercise their right to vote, demonstrating political nihilism.”

Elections are viewed by young people primarily from the perspective of their life situation. Most young people are ready to accept the idea of ​​active participation in elections provided their life situation improves, so the implementation of this opportunity is associated with the implementation of specific social projects that are aimed at youth, i.e. it is necessary to create conditions to activate the youth electorate.

Political participation is opposed to such a type of political behavior as absenteeism. Absenteeism is a form of electoral behavior of a significant number of citizens of modern countries. Depending on the rank of the elections, according to researchers, from 35 to 80% of those included in the voter lists do not come to the polling stations.

The political attitudes of young Russians bear the imprint of the contradictions in the country's political life and reflect the struggle of various political forces. Thus, according to a sociological study conducted by the Russian Independent Institute of Social and National Problems in 1999, 15.2% of young Russians called themselves supporters of the “independent Russian path of development”, 18.1% – “centrists”, 7 – adherents of radical market reforms .6%, social democracy -6.29%, communist ideology - 5%. And 45.2% of Russian youth are alien to any ideology.

The political orientations of young people are closely related to their socio-economic status. Relatively prosperous youth gravitate towards market and liberal values, less prosperous ones - towards national-patriotic ones, and disadvantaged ones - towards socialist ones. Compared to older age groups, young people’s preferences for modern ideological and political trends are less pronounced. In terms of their socio-political orientations, modern youth largely support democracy and the market.

Sociologist Kuznetsov V.I. analyzes data from youth surveys in 1999 on the question of forms of political participation: “Youth’s ideas about the ways in which ordinary Russian citizen may influence the development of events in the country:

Participation in elections to bodies state power various levels - 32%;

Participation in local government - 15%;

Conscientious fulfillment of their civil and professional duties - 29%;

Execution of laws - 30%;

Participation in various political organizations (parties, movements) - 8%;

Participation in trade union activities - 7%;

Participation in protests (rallies, demonstrations, strikes, hunger strikes) -11%;

Appeals to the media (TV, print) - 11%.”

Consequently, young people recognize electoral participation as the main channel of influence on government. At the same time, it demonstrates low involvement in other forms of political participation that require more activity. Low trust in political parties, their weakness and lack of effective mechanisms for interaction with government bodies is one of the reasons why young people do not want to join them. According to official data, less than 7% of young Russians admit participation in political organizations.

But the general level of interest in politics is differentiated - the younger generation, compared to older age groups (50-60 years old), follows information about political life three times less often. Among young people there is a very high percentage of those who are not interested in politics at all. Detachment from politics leads to the fact that its interests in legislative bodies are represented by other age groups. Winning such a significant social force on one's side becomes relevant for political forces in the struggle for power. The youth of modern Russia have a negative attitude towards all power structures, have a negative perception of the development of the political situation in the country, do not see opportunities for themselves to influence the political process, and therefore are passive and apolitical.

The results of surveys of young people indicate that the younger generation clearly understands that there can be no return to the past. The proportion of supporters of radical market reforms among today's youth is small. National - the patriotism of a significant part of modern youth - the understanding that having become a periphery of the West, Russia will not be able to eliminate its lag and dependence.

The younger generation is optimistic about the future and is very patriotic. 39% of respondents are proud of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, 35% - cultural heritage, 26% - natural resources, 38% - the history of the country as a whole, 20% of young people are confident that the 21st century is the century of Russia’s prosperity and a great future awaits it.

Modern Russian youth mostly support democratic reforms. Young people consider rights and freedom to be the main achievement of today's Russia, although they argue that most freedoms are not guaranteed, but are only declared by the state.

They consider themselves the main factor in the sustainable development of Russia, and 54% of them, according to the Youth Institute, are the driving force behind fundamental changes in society.

Table The most significant problems of a personal nature among young people (distribution is given depending on age, %)

Sociological monitoring data (youth of Russia) Research Center at IM, 97.

As can be seen from the above data, older youth communities live with problems characteristic of their age. Let's say that the fairly large dependence of 17-year-olds (including material) on their parents pushes the problem of money to third place, while for 31-year-olds the opposite situation occurs.

Within Moscow, the priority for young people for these personal problems (on the periphery of the system of problems) is different: money (46.8%), health (31.2%), financial dependence on parents (19.9%), housing problem (18. 3%), recreation opportunities, free time (17.7%), opportunities for education, advanced training (15.1%), career, career advancement.