The Future for Youth and Youth About the Future: The Experience of Sociological Research of Yekaterinburg

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the essential components of the image of the future of student youth — their social ideals, social expectations, moods and life planning. The authors based their conclusions on the results of an empirical study of third-year Yekaterinburg universities students enrolled in undergraduate programs (N = 2000). According to the results of the study, a reasonably close planning horizon was revealed among students. According to the students themselves, significant uncertainty and variability of the situation prevent them from planning their future for the long term. The authors see the main reasons for the student youth uncertainty in their future processes reflected in the respondents’ social phobias — economic risks — fears of becoming poor or unemployed, and political ones — feelings of insecurity from discrimination for political opinion, police violence and corruption of officials. The data revealed found that the image of the social future of Yekaterinburg students has a clearly expressed conflict character: the sharpest contradiction takes place between the social ideals of youth, including the achievement of a high standard of living, economic well-being, respect for human rights, a democratic society, equality and justice, and its social expectations, which are mostly negative — among them are rising prices, inflation, declining living standards, environmental degradation, political unrest and protests, conflicts, deterioration of relations with other countries. At the same time, despite the pessimism in assessments of the probable future of Russian society, the majority of the students surveyed believe that young people have opportunities to influence the development of society and achieve changes for the better.