Features of the social status of youth. Depending on the characteristics of youth initiatives, youth groups and movements can be classified. Distinctive features of youth as a social group

Aggressive amateur performance

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.

Outrageous (fr. 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, hair, and in spiritual ones - art, science. “Challenge” aggression on yourself from other people so that you are “noticeable” (punk style, etc.)

Alternative amateur performance

It is based on the development of alternative behavioral patterns that are systemically contradictory to generally accepted models of behavior, which become an end in itself (hippies, Hare Krishnas, etc.)

Social initiative

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

Political amateur performance

Aimed at change political system and the political situation in line with the ideas of a particular group

The acceleration of the pace of development of society leads to an increase in the role of youth in public life. Involving in social relations, young people modify them and, under the influence of the transformed conditions, improve themselves.

The problems of the Russian youth, in their essence, are problems not only of modern younger generation, but also of the whole society as a whole, on the solution of which depends not only today, but also tomorrow of our society. These problems, on the one hand, are interconnected and come from objective processes taking place in modern world- the 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 in relation to youth.

Most topical issues for modern Russian youth, in our opinion, are the problems associated with the spiritual and moral sphere of being. The process of formation of modern Russian youth took place and is taking place in the conditions of breaking the "old" values Soviet period and the formation of a new system of values ​​and new social relations. In the context of the systemic crisis of modern Russian society and its main institutions, which has affected all spheres of life, socialization institutions (family and family education, the system of education and upbringing, labor institutions and labor activity, army), the state itself. Active planting and substitution of the foundations of existence civil society consumer society standards, upbringing young man, 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 (decrease, deformation, destruction of the image of a person), substitution of the norms of the value of high culture with average samples of mass consumer culture, reorientation of young people from collectivist spiritual values ​​to selfish-individual values. This, as well as the lack of a clearly formulated national idea and a unifying ideology, a development strategy consolidating society, insufficient attention to the cultural development of the population, the inconsistency of the state youth policy naturally leads us to extremely negative consequences.

Against the background of the ideological uncertainty of young people (their lack of ideological foundations of sense-orientation and socio-cultural identification), commercialization and negative impact The media (forming the "image" of the subculture), the ongoing 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 meaning human being, moral degradation of the individual and a decrease in the value of human life. values ​​are being eroded and traditional forms public morality, the weakening and destruction of the mechanisms of cultural continuity, the threat of preserving the originality of the national culture, the decrease in the interest of young people in the national culture, its history, traditions, and in the 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 is very patriotic, they believe in the future of Russia. He advocates the continuation of changes in the direction of increasing the socio-economic well-being of the country, the creation of a civil society and rule of law. She wants to live in a great country that provides a decent life for its citizens, respecting 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 a much greater freedom of choice of profession, patterns of behavior, life companions, style of thinking, compared to her peers 20-30 years ago. But this, as they say, is one side of the coin.

The other side of it shows that the ongoing " Time of Troubles”, had the most acute impact on the younger generation. Our society is rapidly aging, there is a reduction in the number of young people, the number of young families, the number of children born. Each new generation of young people turns out to be less healthy than the previous one, diseases have "moved" from old age to youth, jeopardizing the nation's gene pool. The socio-economic pressure on jobs has increased in order to ensure the life of all generations; the intellectual potential of young people, the innovative capabilities of society are rapidly declining. The youth 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 possibilities of social mobility. There was a sharp differentiation and social polarization of young people, based on property stratification, social background and own social position of young people. Possessing social, age and subcultural characteristics of different communities, they differ in material capabilities, value orientations, image and lifestyle. The question arose about the life prospects of young people: their creative self-realization (education, profession, career), well-being, the ability to financially provide for their future family. There are obvious problems of youth employment, deterioration of their material and living conditions, accessibility of education. The youth environment has become a dangerous crime zone. There has been a sharp rejuvenation of crime, an increase in its group character, an increase in the number of "women's" crimes and crimes committed by minors. Each new generation of youth compared to previous generations by key indicators social position and development: 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 socio-cultural values ​​of today's youth. The cult of fashion and consumption gradually and gradually takes over the minds of young people, acquiring a universal character. The tendency to strengthen the processes of standardization of cultural consumption and leisure behavior, approved by a passive-consumer attitude towards culture, begins to prevail. It is impossible not to note the underlined apathy of the youth, which soberly and without false hopes assesses the attitude towards themselves on the part of the state and society as indifferent and frankly consumerist. “77% of respondents believe that: - “When necessary, they remember us.” Maybe that's why today's young generation is closed in their own little world. Young people are absorbed in the internal problems of survival in difficult and cruel times. They seek the culture and the education that will help them endure and succeed.” .

According to the results of the Foundation's polls Public Opinion conducted in 2002, 53% of young Russians answered the question: “What life goals, in your opinion, most often puts before itself new generation?”, first of all, noted her desire to achieve material well-being and enrichment; in the second place (19%) - education; in the 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 successful career, interconnected with the possibility of obtaining good vocational education.

Table 1. "Goals of modern youth"

For modern youth as a whole, a change in the direction of life orientations from the social (collectivist) component to the individual is characteristic. “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 public problems, most of all disturbing young people at the present time, in the first place are such problems as: an increase in crime, rising prices, inflation, an increased level of corruption in power structures, increasing income inequality and social inequality, division into rich and poor, environmental problems, passivity of citizens , their indifferent attitude to what is happening. Of the various problems experienced by young people, the problems of material security and health are brought to the fore, although the orientation towards healthy lifestyle life is formed insufficiently actively.

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

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

According to the results expert research, conducted in 2007 by the Pitirim Sorokin Foundation, the hierarchy of the 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:

The cult of money;

Indifference and individualism.

Permissiveness.

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

Its predominantly entertainment and recreational orientation life values and interests;

Westernization of cultural needs and interests, the 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 ethno-cultural self-identification.

The dominance of consumer value orientations inevitably affects the life strategy of young people. Data from the analysis of the results carried out in 2006 - 2007 by the Department of Sociology of Youth of Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov sociological research among students showed that: “At present, in the youth environment, in society, one can meet ambiguous life principles. The data obtained allow us to draw a conclusion about the dysfunction in the youth environment and require a more detailed study. Draws quite a bit of attention high degree indifference of young people to such traditionally negative phenomena as opportunism, indifference, unscrupulousness, consumerism, an idle lifestyle and their positive evaluation» . (See Table 3).

Table 3. List of phenomena encountered in the youth environment

All of the above problematic features of the modern youth socio-cultural environment unequivocally testify to the 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 in itself all the most significant processes taking place in our society. The systemic crisis in which our society and state are still living, which have not clearly and clearly formulated national idea and did not determine their development strategy, led to the 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, well-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 dissemination of new liberal (consumer) interests, the triumph of anti-values. The improvement of the youth environment, which forms the value orientations of modern Russian youth, can, in our opinion, be carried out by improving the system, forms, and methods for implementing youth policy in the Russian Federation.

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

Similar information.

Lecture 4

Types of amateur performances of youth.

Aggressive self-activity - 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.

outrageous(amaze, surprise) amateur performance - It is based on a challenge to norms, canons, rules, opinions both in everyday, material forms of life - clothing, hair, and in spiritual ones - art, science. “Challenge” aggression on yourself from other people so that you are “noticeable” (punk style, etc.)

Alternative amateur performance - It is based on the development of alternative behavioral patterns that are systemically contradictory to generally accepted ones, which become an end in itself (hippies, Hare Krishnas, etc.)

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

Political amateur performance - Aimed at changing the political system and the political situation in accordance with the ideas of a particular group

Modern humanity is a complex ethnic structure, including several thousand ethnic communities (nations, nationalities, tribes, ethnic groups, etc.), differing both in numbers and in the level of development. Majority modern countries polyethnic. There are more than a hundred ethnic groups in the Russian Federation, including about 30 nations.

ethnic community- ϶ᴛᴏ historically developed on certain territory a stable collection of people (tribe, nationality, nation, people) with common features and stable peculiarities of culture, language, mental warehouse, self-awareness and historical memory , as well as awareness of their interests and goals, their unity and difference from other similar entities.

Theme 12. Youth as a social group

Youthis a socio-demographic group identified on the basis of a population age characteristics(approximately from 16 to 25 years), characteristics of social status and certain socio-psychological qualities.

Youth is a period of choosing a profession and one's place in life, developing a worldview and life values, choosing a life partner, creating a family, achieving economic independence and socially responsible behavior.

Youth is a certain phase, stage life cycle human and biologically universal.

- Transition of the position.

– High level mobility.

– Development of new social roles(employee, student, citizen, family man) associated with a change in status.

- Active search for your place in life.

- Favorable professional and career prospects.

Young people are 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 tolerance (from lat. tolerantia - patience); the desire to stand out, to be different from the rest; the existence of a specific youth subculture.

It is typical for young people to unite in informal groups , which are characterized by the following features:

- emergence on the basis of spontaneous communication in the specific conditions of the social situation;

– self-organization and independence from official structures;

- obligatory for the participants and different from the typical, accepted in society, models of behavior that are aimed at the realization of vital needs unsatisfied in ordinary forms (they 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 even worldview, stereotypes of behavior that are uncharacteristic of society as a whole;

- an attribute that emphasizes belonging to a given community.

Youth groups and movements can be classified depending on the characteristics of youth initiatives.

The acceleration of the pace of development of society causes an increase in the role of young people in public life. Involving in social relations, young people modify them and, under the influence of the transformed conditions, improve themselves.

Job Sample

A1. Choose the correct answer. Are the following statements about psychological characteristics youth?

A. For a teenager, first of all, external events, actions, friends are important.

B. In adolescence, it becomes more important inner world man, the discovery of his own "I".

1) only A is true

2) only B is true

3) both statements are correct

4) both judgments are wrong

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

general characteristics

Youth, as a social group, is characterized by a dependent social status, insufficient personal independence in making decisions regarding their lives; acute problem of choice professional path, life partner, moral and spiritual self-determination; active formation of subjectness as self-identification, awareness of one's interests, growth of one's organization, great intellectual potential.

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

The meaning of ideals

Awareness of the need to determine personal goals in life, a heightened search life guidelines through ideals and values ​​is a feature of this age. Proceeding from this, psychologist Viktor Frankl considered it dangerous to “protect” young people from value and ideological influence under the pretext of maintaining their independence of 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 in the young that the perception of new ideals and values, their internalization causes internal conflict rather satisfaction. The psychological tension 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, according to the results of which it 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 in 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% of the ideals coincide with the ideals of their parents, 31% do not coincide, and 40.5% (!) could not decide on this either.

Looking for stability

On the one hand, there is a growing focus on social continuity, including centuries of experience. 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 conflict. As a result, there is a discreteness of the value field of the individual, 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 operate. Young people are opening up new opportunities for operating with living space, time, money, education, choosing the form of work, career, but there is always a risk of losing these benefits. This situation reinforces the relativism of values ​​in the minds of young people and distrust of ideals, which hinders the formation of the meaning of life, the implementation of a sustainable life strategy, i.e. normal functioning of personal values.

In the modern conditions of life 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 him.

Since young people are both an object and a subject of socialization, the instability of ways to achieve a social status by a young person is spreading, which is also reflected in the process of interiorization of values, because growing alienation of young people from historical experience, traditional values, forms and methods of social participation that have developed in the culture. This undermines the sense of "ontological security". Then there is a contradiction between the objectively inherent desire of young people to take appropriate positions in the social structure, to acquire a certain social status, and the obstacles to its effective integration into society that arise in conditions of social instability and crisis. This contradiction can be resolved by changing the content of socialization, in the process of which not only ready-made models of social participation are laid, but also the ability to discursively evaluate changes, separate the situational from the constant, and identify objectively destructive and constructive social processes.

Without sufficient resources and cognitive potential, the ability to influence the transformation of the social structure and institutional norms develops latently and manifests itself, in most cases, during the transition to older age groups, in which the synergy of resources, symbolic capital and the sociocultural potential of the individual significantly increase the participation of the individual in social process as a subject.

Features of further socialization

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

Secondly, the need to plan a life strategy based on stable social ties, joining new social groups, establishing a long-term life position, and accumulating social capital is becoming more urgent.

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

Fourthly, the state of a young person's personality is characterized by high dynamics of the value system and active internalization of values. Therefore, young people do not have the ability (and 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 person tends to conformism rather than to plant and achieve radical goals, including those associated with the destruction of the social order.

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

Transgressive consciousness of youth

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

Thus, transgressive ideas about the 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 the correlation of 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 one's life conditions, social connections, and personal properties. " Behavioral strategies of youth are guided by the requirements not so much of today's, already elusive world, as of tomorrow's - not yet clear and not expressed, but predictable.» .

A study by the Center for Sociology of Youth of the Institute for Socio-Political Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, conducted in 2006 in 12 regions of the Russian Federation, interviewed 2,000 people. (headed by 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 the study of youth. — M.:Academia, 2008.S. 62.

There. S. 65.

Alexander Ogorodnikov

Lecture on social studies in grade 10

Topic: Youth as a social group

Features of youth subculture

Youthis a socio-demographic group identified on the basis of a combination of age characteristics (approximately from 16 to 25 years old1), social status and certain socio-psychological qualities.

Youth is a period of choosing a profession and one's place in life, developing a worldview and life values, choosing a life partner, creating a family, achieving economic independence and socially responsible behavior.

Youth is a certain phase, stage of the human life cycle and is biologically universal.

Features of the social status of youth

Transition of position.

High level of mobility.

Mastering new social roles (worker, student, citizen, family man) associated with a change in status.

Active search for your place in life.

Favorable prospects in professional and career terms.

Youth - this is the most active, mobile and dynamic part of the population, free from stereotypes and prejudices of previous years and having the followingsocio-psychological qualities: mental instability; internal inconsistency; low level of tolerance (from Latin tolerantia - patience); the desire to stand out, to be different from the rest; the existence of a specific youthsubcultures.

Subculture- part of the culture of society, distinguished by their behavior from the vast majority

It is typical for young people to unite ininformal groups , which are characterized by the followingsigns:

The emergence on the basis of spontaneous communication in specific conditions of the social situation;

Self-organization and independence from official structures;

Mandatory for participants and different from the typical, accepted in society, behavior patterns that are aimed at the realization of vital needs that are not satisfied in ordinary forms (they 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 even worldview, stereotypes of behavior that are uncharacteristic of society as a whole;

Attributes emphasizing belonging to a given community.

Youth groups and movements can be classified depending on the characteristics of youth initiatives.

Aggressive amateur performance

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.

outrageous(French epater - hit, reap, surprise)amateur performance

It is based on a challenge to norms, canons, rules, opinions both in everyday, material forms of life - clothing, hair, and in spiritual ones - art, science. “Challenge” aggression on yourself from other people so that you are “noticeable” (punk style, etc.)

Alternative amateur performance

It is based on the development of alternative behavioral patterns that are systemically contradictory to generally accepted models of behavior, which become an end in itself (hippies, Hare Krishnas, etc.)

Social initiative

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

Political amateur performance

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

The acceleration of the pace of development of society causes an increase in the role of young people in public life. Involving in social relations, young people modify them and, under the influence of the transformed conditions, improve themselves.