Formation of civil orientations of social competence of the younger generation (on the example of the activities of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian schoolchildren’s movement)

Abstract

This article analyzes the process of formation of civic guidelines of social competence of the younger generation on the example of the Russian Schoolchildren’s Movement (RSM). The materials of a qualitative research conducted on the basis of the St. Petersburg branch of RSM in 2022 are presented, in the course of which the practices related to civic education of young St. Petersburg residents were investigated in detail. The significant role of RSM in the process of educating future citizens of the Russian Federation is shown. It is emphasized that, despite the presence of shortcomings and “birth traumas” in its activities, RSM successfully creates new forms of representation of civic guidelines in the context of the formation of social competence of the younger generation, as well as provides participants with a wide range of directions and types of activities. The author also made a conclusion about the dominance of models based on the value of patriotism among the civic orientations of social competence in RSM activities, as well as about the prevalence of representations of patriotism inextricably linked to military themes, especially the events of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. At the same time, the tendencies of “fatigue” from the above narratives have been identified, which may indicate the need to search for new forms of representation of civic values in the context of the formation of social competence of the younger generation.