Social adaptation of the youth of Bashkortostan in modern socio-economic conditions (according to the results of a sociological survey)

Khaliulina Aigul Ilyasovna PhD in History Senior Scientific Associate, R. G. Kuzeev Institute for Ethnological Studies, Subdivision of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences 450054, Russia, respublika Bashkortostan, g. Ufa, ul. Karla Marksa, 6 aygul_kamila@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

Modern society in Russia can be largely associated with such transformations, which are more or less radical in social, political and economic terms. Socio-economic reality presupposes the existence of an economy based on market relations, which in turn dictates the development of new adaptation strategies by social groups. Youth is a special social group that, in the conditions of transformations taking place in society, most often turns out to be the most vulnerable from an economic and social point of view. In order to identify the level of social well-being among young people ^{[3, p. 439]}, adaptation to new socio-economic realities, social trust and tolerance towards politicians, religions, parties, peoples; the importance of civil, ethnic, linguistic and confessional identification; positions in relation to the study of state languages, interethnic marriages and interethnic relations in In the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Department of Ethnopolitology of the Institute of Ethnological Research named after R.G. Kuzeev of the UFIC RAS conducted an ethnosociological survey "Manifestation of ethnicity and adaptation of youth to new socio-economic realities in a multiethnic region" in November 2018. Our study involved 585 people aged 17 to 20 years, of which 195 Russians, 157 Bashkirs, 193 Tatars and 42 representatives of other nationalities.

Research methodology

Currently, there is a large number of studies of the phenomenon of social adaptation based on interdisciplinary approaches, as well as a variety of views in the definition of the concept of "social adaptation". However, the study of the problem of adaptation has historically been associated with the emergence and development of biology, since it was in this science that attempts to study the relationship of organisms with their environment were born.

A number of researchers, among whom it should be noted V.V. Vasnetsov, R. S. Karpinskaya, P. Medavar, A. N. Severtsev, J. Simpson, A.D. Slonim, A.M. Ugolev, who form the biological approach, lay the conceptual foundations for understanding the term "adaptation". In this case, the following designations become possible: the relationship of the organism and the environment; the usefulness of individual structures of the organism in specific environmental conditions; the process of creating such useful structures ^[1].

Similar approaches to determining the essence of the process of social adaptation are observed in psychology. For example, in the psychological dictionary edited by V.P. Zinchenko, B.G. Meshcheryakov, social adaptation is considered as follows: on the one hand, as a process of active adaptation of an individual to the conditions of the social environment, on the other – as a result of this process ^[12].

The sociological reference book gives the following definition of the concept of "social adaptation": "Active development by a person or group of a new social environment for her" ^[37].

It is important to note that the formation of sociology isolated the problems of interaction between the individual and the social environment in the general context of development, emphasized the sociality of the adaptation process (F. Znanetsky, G. Spencer, W.Thomas) ^[17].

The undoubted merit of F. Znanetsky's goal was to reveal the process of social adaptation through the assimilation of social experience by a person, its "social action" caused by the experience of social value by a person ^[13]. F. Znanetsky and W. Thomas showed that the process of adaptation of a person is always social ^[17].

In the proposed "theory of equilibrium" by G. Spencer, adaptation was understood as a stable balancing of the organism (personality) with the environment (society), as a result of which there is a complication of the social structure.

Of particular importance for the formation of sociological views on adaptation were the works of E. Durkheim ^{[10; 11]}, who showed how the interiorization of social norms by a person occurs in the process of adaptation; M. Weber ^{[5, p. 495]}, who justified the purposefulness of adaptation; T. Parsons ^[40], who understood adaptation as a mutual compromise between a person and society; R. Merton, who described adaptation in conditions of social disorganization ^[17]. The models of social adaptation proposed by R. Merton characterize the attitude of the individual to the current social norms and ways to achieve personal goals from the standpoint of society ^[23].

Thus, the main directions in sociology have shown sufficient interest in the problems of social adaptation, which emphasizes its importance as an object of social sciences research. In our opinion, the key to defining the content of the concept of "social adaptation" is the essence of the adaptation process itself, i.e. the problem of human survival through harmonious adaptation to changing environmental conditions. In turn, the study of the issue of social adaptation of youth in modern conditions within the framework of a given topic is an important area of youth sociology and is the subject of close study by many modern authors.

General methodological approaches to the study of youth are touched upon in his works by Abushaev A.N. Titma M.H., Saar E.A. ^{[2, p. 49]}.; Chuprov V.I., Zubok Yu.A., Williams K. ^{[39, p. 94]}; Lenshin V.P. et al. ^[19]. The works of Karpukhin O.I., Kovaleva A.I., Rubchevsky K.V. ^{[15; 16; 31]}; youth consciousness and mentality – Naumova T.V., Omelchenko E.A., Skutneva S.V. ^{[24; 27; 35]}; regional features are devoted to the study of the concept of socialization norm, features and trajectory model of socialization and self-determination of youth. management of the processes of adaptation of the youth of Latvian L.B., Sviridova N.A., etc. ^{[18; 34]}.

Of particular importance for the interpretation of the results of the study of the gender specifics of the life self-determination of modern Russian youth are the works of Skutneva S.V., Sergeychik S.I. ^{[35; 33]}, which allowed us to consider the indicators characterizing her social well-being, her preferences in the work and family spheres, the sphere of sexual relations, her life plans.

The problems of employment and social protection of youth are highlighted in the works of Antonova E.V., Vrazhnova M.O., Ilyasova E. ^{[4; 7; 14]}, which present some social programs and activities carried out in the regions by employment centers, as well as strategies for the life self-determination of youth in the labor sphere.

The fruitfulness of sociological research by Osilenker L., Omelchenko E.L., Rudenko G.G., Khaliulina A.I., Abramova S.R., Kuchumova I.V., Maksimenko A.S. and others is undeniable, whose works contain issues affecting the problems of employment of metropolitan and regional student youth. In addition, the data reflecting the attitudes of university graduates to issues of vocational guidance and employment, opportunities for professional self-realization are presented, the main factors influencing these processes are analyzed ^{[20; 28; 26; 32; 38]}.

As we can see, the modern social adaptation of young people is a dynamic process. The large-scale nature of deviant forms of adaptation makes the problem of social adaptation particularly relevant. The success of solving problems to overcome social pathologies and social tension in general is largely related to the optimal adaptation of young people to rapidly changing environmental conditions ^[6]. In this regard, there is an active growth of scientific interest in the problems of social adaptation. The scientific community studies this problem from different perspectives.

Within the framework of this article, we have attempted to analyze only some aspects of the social adaptation of the youth of Bashkortostan to new socio-economic realities based on the results of the 2018 survey.

Discussion

Social adaptation is considered by us as a process of spiritual changes of personality, as an active ability of adaptation of personality to new conditions of existence. This largely testifies to the significance of the designated process for the social, psychological and physical components of life ^[1].

Youth is a specific socio-age group, which, due to its age and mental characteristics, is in the process of active professional and social formation. At the same time, it should be noted that at the present stage of development of society, we can observe effective adaptation to the system of market relations, the ability to quickly integrate into it.

As it turned out during the ethnosociological survey, only about one third of young people, regardless of ethnicity (Russians – 30.7%, Bashkirs – 31.2%, Tatars – 40.1%, other nationalities – 32.5%), indicated their ability to work on a computer, which in our opinion is a fairly low indicator today, considering the computerization of the educational process. One of the important points when entering educational institutions, when applying for a job is the requirement of knowledge of foreign languages. Despite this, as the survey data show, the indicator of knowledge of a foreign language also requires a certain increase and improvement of its study (see Table 1).

Table 1. What modern work skills do you possess? in %

As for the ability to contact people, the result here rather directly depends on the psychological maturity or immaturity of the respondents, on their life baggage. At the same time, language communication plays an important role. For example, almost 20% of Russian youth are able to find a common language with people, while among people of other nationalities the indicator is 2.5 times lower (see table 1).

Table 2. Are you engaged in entrepreneurship and are you focused on entrepreneurial activity? %

The sociological survey showed that every second out of five young people surveyed, regardless of nationality (more than 40%) found it difficult to answer the question about entrepreneurship, which indirectly confirms the incomplete social and professional preparedness and maturity of this category of the population for this sphere. At the same time, as the results of the survey showed, only a little more than a fifth of respondents indicated that their main source of livelihood is entrepreneurial activity. This was indicated by 6.4% of Bashkirs, 5.6% of Russians, 4.1% of Tatars and 11% of young people of other nationalities. At the same time, every second of five Bashkir youth (42.7%), a third of respondents (35.2%) of Tatar and Russian (32.8%) and every fifth representative (21.4%) of another nationality expressed their willingness to do business, which indicates their desire and desire to adapt to the harsh conditions of the market economy (see Table. 2).

Undoubtedly, difficulties in adaptation are associated not only with the age period of personality development, but also with various events in a person's life. In general, depending on the causes of problems of social adaptation of new members of society, they can be divided into natural-physiological, psychological, cultural and financial. Despite the conditional division of categories of such causes, they are often interrelated and can occur both sequentially and simultaneously ^[9]. Probably the most serious and most common problem of social adaptation is the financial well-being of the population. This is especially "emotionally" perceived by young people who always want to get quick results.

Table 3. How do you assess your financial situation? in %

According to the data obtained, 37.3% of Russian, 32.9% Bashkir, 44.0% Tatar and 39.5% of young people of other nationalities have an income equal to or slightly lower than desired. At the same time, an average of 20% of respondents, regardless of ethnicity, can provide for their families without the help of the state. If every second out of five Tatar youth surveyed had the opportunity to make any or almost any purchases, then this indicator for representatives of other nationalities exceeded a little more than 10% of respondents. In other words, the survey data indicate the existing social differentiation in the context of ethnic groups in the republic. A striking confirmation of this thesis is that 13.5% of Bashkir youth respondents believe that they "have the opportunity to become rich," while only 7.9% of the surveyed youth of "other" nationalities saw themselves in this category in the wealth scale (see Table 3).

Analyzing the obtained sociological data on the financial situation of the youth of Bashkortostan, it should be noted that they have adapted to the new market conditions with some differentiation.

Table 4. With what mood do you look to the future? in %

Depending on the financial security of young people and their families, there is a choice of behavioral models in society and general personal development ^[9]. For example, more than 50% of young people look to the future with hope and optimism. More than 10.2% of Bashkir, 9.2% of Russian, 3.6% of Tatar youth point to the indicator of anxiety and uncertainty. At the same time, 7.1% of representatives of other nationalities said they were constantly afraid and desperate for the next day.

The feeling of confidence largely ensures the successful acquisition of new economic and social experience ^{[22, p. 174]}. However, this is not yet evidence of successful social adaptation of modern youth, as this is largely evidenced by the internal heterogeneity of this socio-age group, determined by the degree of possession of socio-psychological resources. In addition, it should be noted the presence of social segregation of modern society, which determines the possibilities of implementing these resources ^[1].

Conclusion

Thus, the social adaptation of young people is an important process in the formation of an independent personality. Depending on the success of such adaptation in the process of studying at school, in secondary specialized, higher educational institutions, in the future in the development of practical skills in professional activity, as well as in the ability to arrange a personal life, a further picture of attitudes and behavioral patterns of the individual develops. In order to prevent possible unfavorable variants of personality development, it is necessary to take measures to prevent them at the initial stages of a person's independent life in society. For this purpose, socio-psychological centers were created and are successfully functioning today in the cities and districts of Bashkortostan (for example, in Ufa – "Family", "Satoris", "Zhuravushka", "Development", "Indigo") ^[36], Educational centers for student assistance ^[25], a Regional assistance Center employment of graduates (RCSTV BASHGU) ^[30], etc. It is also important to note the activities of the Union "Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia) ^[29]" – the official operator of the international non-profit movement WorldSkills International, the purpose of which is to increase the standards of personnel training in accordance with international standards and the needs of new high–tech industries. In addition to organizing championships, the Union "Young Professionals (WorldSkills Russia)" is engaged in the implementation of world standards in the national system of secondary special and higher education. For example, in 2017, about 14 thousand graduates of colleges and technical schools in 26 regions of Russia for the first time passed a demonstration exam according to WorldSkills Russia standards, as a result of which students received Skills passports, and employers received clearly structured information about the professional level of young specialists ^[29].

In general, the analysis showed that the main determinant determining the social adaptation of young people is, first of all, income, and they, in turn, are "set" by the place of residence (in this case, the metropolis, Ufa, the capital of the region), education, skills and abilities (computer literacy, driving, knowledge foreign languages), competencies (language communication, willingness to engage in entrepreneurial activity) of young people.

According to the survey, 32.1% of Russian, 52.8% Bashkir, 45.6% Tatar, and 42.2% of young people of other nationalities assess their financial situation as prosperous, putting into the concept of financial well-being such semantic loads as "I have the opportunity to be rich", "I can provide for a family without the help of the state", "I have the opportunity to do any or almost any acquisitions." At the same time, almost every fifth Russian and a representative of another nationality, a sixth of the Bashkirs surveyed, and every ninth Tatar managed to achieve any important life achievements over the past three years. However, assessing their financial situation, 44.0% of Tatars noted that they are experiencing some financial difficulties, having an income below the desired. Among other respondents, the answers to this question were distributed as follows: every second of the five respondents of a different nationality, slightly more than one third of Russians and a third of Bashkirs are less prosperous in their self-esteem. But this does not mean that their standard of living is lower or higher than that of the Tatars. Obviously, each respondent identifies himself with one or another income stratum when answering this question.

Based on the above, it can be assumed that it is through the integration of young people in society and their provision with the necessary modern labor skills (see Table 1), resource capabilities (abilities for creative activity, cognitive activity, maximum efficiency) and material benefits that it is possible to reduce the risks of social deviation, as well as to reduce the number of young respondents who present fear and despair, anxiety and uncertainty about their future (see table 4).

It is quite obvious that the problem of social adaptation is not limited to the issues presented in the work. This suggests that it is necessary to continue research in this direction.