Abstract: The current environmental situation requires serious attention and active participation of every person. A special role in this process is played by the student youth – an active and promising part of society, capable of making a significant contribution to the development of ecological culture and changing environmental behavior. The ecological consciousness and behavior of students are becoming the object of more and more in-depth study by specialists in various fields of knowledge, including sociologists. To assess the level of formation of ecological consciousness and behavior in 2023, a sociological study was conducted using two methods: a questionnaire, the object of which was the student youth of Yekaterinburg and an expert interview. The study revealed the attitude of young people to the environment, as this is an indicator of the formation of ecological consciousness. Next, the key environmental problems that, according to the youth, are most acute were considered, as well as real practices that students implement while taking care of the environment were considered. In addition, the research revealed the role of the university as an actor influencing the formation of environmental consciousness and behavior. As a result, it was concluded that modern youth in general show interest and awareness in relation to environmental problems, but in reality their environmental behavior is often uneven and limited.

Abstract: Over the recent time, the quantitative assessment indicators of scientific performance play an increasingly important role. At the same time, the number of publications of the Russian authors and their citation are relatively lower compared to the Western colleagues. This necessitates determination of the causes and factors affecting publication activities and scientific performance overall. The author conducts a sociological study aimed at the analysis of involvement of the university’s academic staff into research work. The object of this publication became the academic staff of the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin (N-211), fourteen different sectors of the university; online survey was selected as a research method. The article demonstrates the results reflecting the incentives, barriers and motivation of the university staff members towards publication activities and engagement in the research work; as well as analyzes the goal and ways of cooperation of the academic staff of the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin with the scholars of other universities and organizations. The conclusion is made that the factors affecting the scientific performance of the academic staff of the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin can be divided into two groups: internal (based on inner motivation of a staff member) and external (based on the outside motivation). The author underlines that one of the most significant factors contributing to scientific activity and performance is the scientific collaboration.

Abstract: This article presents the analysis of body as the factor of spousal choice. Leaning on the conceptual ideas of the classics of sociological thought along with the modern perception and interpretation of corporeality, the author determines that the assessment of body and its attractiveness holds leading positions in the procedure of choosing a spouse. The object of the empirical sociological research is the representatives of two generations – youth in the age between 18 and 30 and representatives of parental generation. The goal of this work lied in identification of the impact of bodily attractiveness upon the spousal choice. The research results testify that the female physical attractiveness is an important resource that expands her marriageable circle. According to the women’s opinion, men’s body is attractive from the perspective of wellness and reproduction health. The results of this work can be valuable for the areas related to the development of family institution and matrimonial relations.