Identity of Siberian youth under Russian society modernization

Abstract

The problems raised in the article by A. V. Ivanov and Yu. V. Popkov “Spiritual and ecological civilizational perspective: the value potential of youth in the Siberian context”, published in the journal “Siberian society” no. 1 (2021), are very relevant in conditions of serious internal and external “challenges”: coronavirus, sanctions of a number of countries against Russia, “brain drain”, especially among young people, the need for radical modernization of society in the context of globalization etc. Siberia is undoubtedly one of the centers of the Eurasian civilization. Siberia is a region not only with the richest natural resources, but, no less important, human resources. The main “human capital” is youth. The author of the article rightly notes the leading role of youth in modern socio-political and economic transformations. At the same time, “human capital”, and above all the youth potential of Siberia, is being used ineffectively. Moreover, young people, not seeing opportunities for self-realization in the Siberian region, find such opportunities outside its borders (in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other countries). The “brain drain” of young people is an acute problem not only in Siberia, but throughout Russia. This article is about the topic of the spiritual and ethical component of modern civilizational processes, in which the social identity formation of young people takes a significant place. At the same time, some critical remarks were made about the article by A. V. Ivanov and Yu. V. Popkov. In particular, the expediency of referring to the experience of the past, to those values and morals that existed more than a hundred years ago, is questioned. Certain conclusions controversy of the article under discussion is noted. Although, according to the author, it is precisely in their ambiguity that its heuristic potential lies, since they encourage discussion and the formation of new approaches. The article highlights and analyzes three main paradigms of modernization. On the basis of N. Luhmann’s approach, the structure of the civilizational order as an autopoietic system is formulated. The necessity of preserving the unique socio-cultural landscapes of Siberia is substantiated.