The future of social policy in assessment of the student youth: the experience of a socio-pedagogical research

Abstract

Introduction. Global crises connected with the epidemiological situation, negative tendencies in economics, and international conflicts in 21st century are accompanied by increased attention of population including the student youth to social support measures and functioning of the social system as a whole. Therefore there is a contradiction between the necessity of future social policy image creation in the view of the contemporary studying youth and insufficient detectability of symbolic constructions of higher school students. The research aim is to conduct a socio-pedagogical analysis and determine symbolic constructions representing images of future social policy in contemporary Russia and perspectives its future development in the view of the student youth. Materials and methods. The authors conducted their research found on studying international documents, Laws of Russian Federation, woks of leading scientists, practitioners in the sphere of political science, sociology, social pedagogy and other related disciplines. The problem is viewed in terms of two main paradigmatic solutions: paternalism and liberalism. The methodological basis of the study is based on the application of a systematic, integrated approach to research of perspectives and images of social policy in the assessment of the student youth. Sociological survey results were used as the main empirical base, the survey was conducted in January 2023 by the method of representative sociological survey (questionnaire) of students in Lipetsk region. 360 people from higher education students were interviewed as respondents. Research results. While analyzing goals of social policy, prioritized focus-groups and factors greatly influencing the perspective development of social protection sphere the authors identified preferable for the studying youth social policy and perspectives of Russian social situation development. Students considering the format of social policy prefer coherent targeted support of all categories of people (71,7%). Most students hold the state responsible for functioning of virtually all spheres of social life. Young people do not see the state leaving the sphere of social policy; do not support the transfer of social protection functions to citizens and business organizations, linking their positive expectation with health care (44,7%), quality of education (42,5%) and fertility (41,4%), support the lowering of the retirement age (73,3%), expansion of pension public funding (59,2%). Preferable image of social policy is closely connected with the image of Russia as a country surplus budget of which makes it possible to finance socially without direct borrowing from citizens (66,9%). Conclusions. The results obtained can be applied when making management decisions on the formation of social policy at all management levels and implementing social policy and priority national projects “Education” and “Demography”. Keywords: higher education, students, social policy, social support of citizens