Social well-being of the student youth (regional aspect)

Abstract

At the present stage of the Russian modernization, social well-being indicates satisfaction with various aspects of life, which makes it a focus of sociological research. Positive social well-being, especially of the youth, is an important indicator of social stabilization. The authors considered different theoretical-methodological approaches to provide a structural operationalization of social well-being. The article presents the content of this concept, its indicators, and factors that affect the social well-being of students in the Russian region. The relevance of studying the social mood of the younger generation is determined by the need to ensure the positive social well-being of the youth, because the future development of our country depends on how the youth evaluates their present and what plans they have for the future. The research was to identify both factors that affect the social well-being of students and their relationship. The study combined quantitative (survey) and qualitative (focus groups) methods. The latter allowed to assess the priority of various factors for students. Based on the survey results, the authors developed a factor model of the social well-being of provincial students, which presents as the key factors employment opportunities, education, health and implementation of life strategies. The results of the qualitative study showed that students are worried by their chances in the labor market, possibilities of self-realization, and deviant practices among the youth. In general, there are anxious moods among university graduates. The authors believe that there should be a monitoring of the social well-being of the younger generation, which would allow to see changes in factors of the greatest impact on the social well-being and, thus, to prevent social tensions in the regional society.