The Formation of the Social Behavior of Young People in the Sphere of Education: The individual, education, and "external" factors

Abstract

Over the past few years, sociological studies of social processes have been carried out vigorously in the field of education, and especially the social behavior of young people [1-4]. The importance of this topic is due to the fact that, first of all, it touches directly upon questions of democracy and inequality relating to the institution of education in view of the functions that it is supposed to carry out. The discrepancy that researchers have found between the equality of rights to obtain an education, on the one hand, and the differentiation in the exercising of these rights by young people from different social groups, on the other, constitutes a concrete expression of this aspect of the problem. In the second place, this subject matter is also important for any assessment of society's exploitation of its intellectual potential. Education's attractiveness for young people, their educational aspirations, and education's accessibility to people from different social groups largely determine tomorrow's level of education among the population, the numbers and quality of qualified workers, and the magnitude of the potential of scientists and specialists for science-intensive branches. In addition, the study of the social behavior of young people in the sphere of education is also of topical concern in connection with the formation of the labor market, specifically with respect to problems of employment for young people. Especially important is the correlation between the national economy's requirements for workers with particular qualifications in particular occupations, young people's choice of career, and the structure of education.