Value Orientations of Young Cossacks (Using the Example of the Cossack Hundred at SRSPU (NPI))

Abstract

This article investigates the spiritual and moral values, cultural and domestic traditions of youth who join Cossack organisations during their university education. The study focuses on students who are members of the Platov Cossack Hundred, established at the Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI). The data analysed in this research were obtained through standardised interviews with members of the Platov Cossack Hundred. The aim of the study is to identify the value orientations, values, and their hierarchy in the minds of student Cossacks. The values of Cossack youth are examined from the perspective of a system rooted in "collective representations" (É.Durkheim). The theory of masculinity is employed to explore the role of the Cossack man in the culture of everyday family life and interaction practices.
 The article provides a brief overview of the scientific literature devoted to describing and analysing the historical development of the River Don Cossacks, the peculiarities of their military activities, everyday life, culture, values, and traditions. It demonstrates the matrix of values of Cossack youth, the core of which consists of justice and family. Empirical data lead to the conclusion that traditional stereotypes of "a man as a warrior" and "a man as a protector" are being formed, along with patriarchal ideas of "the man as the head of the family", religious beliefs, and ethnic identity, as "an Orthodox person with a unique culture, traditions, and customs".
 In everyday life, family relationships are characterised by a desire for egalitarianism and parity in decision-making and child-rearing. The article notes that the foundation of the respondents' value matrix is the cultural-historical basis of militarised masculinity, based on the idea of "serving and defending one's Homeland". The primary motivation for joining the Platov Cossack Hundred is the desire for participation and identification with Cossack culture and traditions.
 The authors emphasise the importance not only of the institution of the family but also of higher education in the actualisation and reproduction of the cultural distinctiveness of regional youth. It is concluded that young people with a strong ethnocultural component prioritise traditional values (patriotism, service to the Homeland, justice, strong families) that shape not only regional (ethno-social) identity but also a pan-Russian civic identity.