Value orientations of school graduates: results of qualitative sociological research

Abstract

The study of values and value orientations is a core scientific interest of sociology. It is especially interesting to observe the value orientations of youth (student youth and school students). This study aims to investigate the value orientations of school graduates, in particular Volyn graduates in the framework of the projects “Volyn graduate 2018: values, attitudes, expectations” and “Volyn graduate 2019: values, attitudes, expectations”. The empirical basis of the study is the results of seven focus groups and about 100 in-depth interviews of Volyn graduate.The theoretical basis of the study are the concept of subjective conceptualization of values, in particular, based on the work of such researchers as T. Parsons, R. Inglhart, G. Klages, P. Abramson, S. Schwartz and the concept of “MacDonaldization” by J. Ritzer.Surveys of students showed that the highest values for them are their own health and the health of their relatives, good relations with friends, implementation of plans to enter the university, self-development, future professional growth.Appealing to the concepts of “success”, “successful person” we show that students understand them to reach certain heights regardless in any field and “successful person” to follow is not a distant “star”, but a real person with whom respondents are personally acquainted – cousin, university teacher and more.In general, post-materialist values prevail in the system of values of high school students. The grouping of such values made it possible to distinguish three main groups of values: “Self-development”, “Security”, “State development”. The first group is about self-development, career and careerism. The second group contains vital values such as health, family, well-being. The third group of values indicates the desire of young people to see Ukraine as a legal, economically and socially developed state. In the end, the profession of the two previous groups is seen by most high school students in Ukraine, with the support of its institutions, but with their own efforts to realize their dreams and plans.