Students’ Participation In The Socio-Cultural Development Of The City: Socio-Cultural Agency Issues (International Research Perspectives)

Abstract

The article tackles the issue of youth agency, understood as the desire and ability of young people to engage in the socio-cultural development of their cities of choice for pursuing higher education. This contribution tries to clarify factors to be considered in analyzing youth agency in an international perspective. It is based on an internationally conducted survey, in 2020, among students in regional centers from Russia, Armenia, Poland and Romania (target sample No =1272). Across their different socio-cultural backgrounds and context of living and studying, young people share similarities regarding their readiness to get involved in projects of territorial development but also display significant distinctive features to be considered in international comparisons. The cross-countrycomparison highlighted the existence of four models of agency. Russian youth is characterized mainlyby an "escapist" model of agency, with a low level of readiness for social participation and a lack of experience in such activities. Two models dominate in Armenia: "active" with a high level of readinessand real involvement, as well as the model of "potential development". In Poland, the level of socialparticipation among students is much higher than in other countries, but it is predominantly passive. Romanian students demonstrate an actualized "active" model of socio-cultural agency. At the same time, the potential for its development is low. These findings help explain the variations in students’ readiness to participate in urban socio-cultural development projects.