Features of the value orientations of modern student youth (on the example of a sociological study in Barnaul)

Melehova Kseniya Aleksandrovna PhD in Art History Associate Professor; Institute of Humanities; Altai State University 656011, Russia, Altai Territory, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, office 212 kschut@mail.ru Akhmedova Angelina Rustamovna Assistant, Department of General Sociology and Conflictology, Altai State University 656049, Russia, Altai Krai, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, office 520 axmedovaangelina@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Gomonov Denis Ivanovich Student, Department of Sociology and Conflictology, Altai State University 656011, Russia, Altai Krai, Barnaul, Chervonnaya str., 5, sq. B123m1 nfs398@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Lyubarskaya Mariya Aleksandrovna Student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 656011, Russia, Altai Territory, Barnaul, Chervonnaya str., 5 maria20032301@gmail.com Other publications by this author     Prohorov Bogdan Aleksandrovich Student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 656011, Russia, Altai Territory, Barnaul, Chervonnaya str., 5, room 520 prohorovbogdan0806@mail.ru Other publications by this author

Cheremisina Mraiya Sergeevna Student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 656011, Russia, Altai Territory, Barnaul, Chervonnaya str., 5, room 520 cms.2003@yandex.ru

During periods of significant social change, when new values replace old ones, the study of personal value orientations becomes especially important. Throughout life, a person finds himself in various social environments, such as family, educational institutions, peer groups and employees. Each of which conveys its own values that influence the formation of individual values of a person.   

Value orientations are an important aspect in every person's life, defining their views, beliefs and goals. And since students occupy a special place in shaping the future of society, studying and understanding their value orientations will help scientists develop social programs and strategies to improve the quality of life. Also, the study of value orientations will help in understanding and forecasting sociocultural trends.  Values can influence decision-making, choice of actions, and relationships with others. In modern society, more and more people are thinking about their own values and principles that determine their life path. This is the reason for the relevance of the research work.  The following aspects are considered in this article: the essence of value orientations; various approaches to their study; foreign and domestic scientists engaged in research in this field; trends affecting the specifics of value orientations, as well as the importance of value orientations in modern society.

Initially, the concept of value orientations was introduced into social psychology, and in the 20s of the twentieth century it appeared in sociology. These concepts have been compared with the philosophical concept of a value system.  Philosophy attaches an important role to value orientations in the formation of personality stability and ensuring a certain way of behavior.  "Developed value orientations are a sign of a person's maturity, an indicator of the measure of his sociality, loyalty to certain principles and ideals, the ability to make strong–willed efforts in the name of these ideals and values...". In the sociological sciences, the concept of value orientations is characterized as "ideological, political, moral, aesthetic and other grounds for a subject's assessment of reality and orientation in it, as well as a way of differentiating objects by their significance" ^{[2, page 1.]}. Value orientations are formed due to the need for inclusion in the social environment and the presence of unifying social conditions the life activity of the individual, in particular, the peculiarities of the lifestyle in various spheres, including political, economic and cultural characteristics.  

V.A. Yadov in his work believes that the structural hierarchy of dispositional formations looks like this (from the lowest level to the highest): fixed attitudes (set) — social fixed attitudes (attitude) — orientation of personal interests — value orientations ^[5]. The system of value orientations is a set of value orientations, ordered by their degree of importance. 

Representatives of other approaches identify such a definition as value orientations - this is the evaluative attitude of a person (group) to a set of material and spiritual goods, which are considered as objects (or their properties), goals and means to meet the needs of a person (group). Orientations are beliefs and values that people adhere to, and which determine their life position, behavior in society, and personal development. They are the result of an individual's conscious choice regarding what is important and valuable to him in life. A system of values, including material and spiritual goods, underlies the formation and existence of these beliefs. 

In the study of value orientations, five approaches and theories corresponding to them can be distinguished. So, the first approach is naturalistic psychologism. Its representatives are: A. Meinong, R.B. Perry, J. Dewey and C.I. Lewis.  asserting that a person's values stem from his psychological and biological needs, which can be measured and recorded as objective facts ^[1].

The second approach is called transcendentalism, which was developed in the Baden school of neo-Kantianism (V. Windelband, G. Rickert) and is associated with the idea of value as an ideal being, related not to empirical, but to "pure" or transcendental consciousness. Being ideal, values do not depend on human needs. This raises the problem of the ontological nature of "normative consciousness". Ideal being, i.e. values, must somehow be connected with reality ^[4]. And here it is possible either to return to subjective empirical consciousness, an idealizing abstraction, from which pure normativity acts, or to take the position of pure spiritualism, postulating a superhuman "logos". 

The next approach is personalistic ontologism, of which M. Scheler was a prominent representative. He developed the second of the two possibilities mentioned above, related to the idea of the "logos". The reality of the value world, according to Scheler, is guaranteed by a "timeless axiological series in God", an imperfect representation of which is the structure of the human personality. The type of personality is determined by its inherent hierarchy of values, which forms the ontological basis of personality. N. Hartman tried to free axiology from religious premises, but this again put him in front of the problem of the independent existence of the sphere of values ^[5]. 

The penultimate approach is cultural and historical relativism, which was founded by V. Dilthey. He is characterized by the idea of axiological pluralism, that is, a plurality of equal value systems identified using the historical method ^[2]. Many of Dilthey's followers were characterized by an intuitionistic approach to the interpretation of the value meaning of cultures (for example, O. Spengler, A. Toynbee, P. Sorokin). 

And finally, the fifth approach is sociologism, which is associated with such names as M. Weber, F. Znanetsky, T. Parsons, etc. Thus, M. Weber, in his "understanding sociology", took from the neo-Kantians the idea of value as a norm, the way of being of which is significance for the subject, and applied it to the interpretation of social action and social knowledge ^[3]. In the future, F. Znanetsky and, especially in the T. Parsons school of structural and functional analysis, the concept of value has acquired a generalized methodological meaning as a means of identifying social connections and the functioning of social institutions.

After analyzing five approaches, we can conclude that the value orientations of different authors are presented as different fields of science, which help to consider our field of study in depth and in more detail.

Such researchers as S. Angelov, L. M. Arkhangelsky, V. Brozhik, V.A. Vasilenyu, V. Vichev, N. Genov, V.V. Grechany, M.V. Demin, O.G. Drobnitsky, M.S. Kagan, L.V. Parmin, V. Prodanov, L.N. Stolovich, I.I. Changli considered values as a phenomenon that reflects not only the positive spectrum of meanings, but also the negative, that is, the entire spectrum. This means that they can be divided into positive and negative ones ^[6]. 

The adoption of beliefs and behaviors, the development of a personal value system are important for creating identity and maintaining social order. Sociological research on how people evaluate things is very important and covers many aspects of how people are raised, what they do at work and how they interact with others." The study of the values of youth occupies a prominent place in Russian sociology, especially since its formation as a scientific field (research by I.S. Kon, V.T. Lisovsky, V.I. Chuprov, etc.). Various theories of youth often associate it with the characteristics of youth (for example, the social development of young people). Chuprova, the concept of youth in a risk society Yu.A. Zubka, thesaurus concept of youth V.A. Lukov, etc.) ^[4].

The value orientations of young people over the past two decades have been recorded in a number of monitoring studies by VTSIOM, ISPI RAS, Moscow State University, Moscow State University for the Humanities, St. Petersburg State University, research teams in Barnaul, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Ufa, Yakutsk, etc.

The history of the last decades in Russia has experienced a peculiar division into three phases. Each of these phases reflects changes in the economy, culture and social life, as well as the uniqueness of the value preferences of each generation.

The initial stage is marked by a focused attention to economic and social issues, ensuring stability.This happened between 1972 and 1979. "After that, the value of the existing values decreased." "The way society and government are organized has changed with the advent of perestroika and complex destabilization – this is typical of the period from 1984 to 1991." From 1995 to 2002, the ideology of consumption became noticeable, which led to a state of uncertainty in society.

The value orientations of the generations that have emerged in the last few decades differ not only in how they are organized, but also in what they stand for. The youth of Russia in the 1970s were formed according to the same rules and beliefs as all other members of society. Due to the strong state ideology, teenagers became passive recipients of education, adopting the social values and goals of the Soviet era.

The values publicly stated by the young people were the same. They covered the goals and significance of Soviet society, including loyalty to the nation, cooperation, the value of work and learning, respect for the elderly, the purpose of life as service to society, an emphasis on social values over individual values, optimism about the future and faith in progress. Values that were hidden and personal usually did not correspond to the ideals of society or contradicted them and demonstrated other values of the younger generation.

The youth of the perestroika period (1980-1990) is characterized by rapid changes in values and worldview due to the severe socio-economic crisis. The influence of traditional socialization institutions is decreasing, which leads to a gap between generations. Passivity and aggression are becoming more common in society, and teenage subcultures actively promote deviant behavior and antisocial values. At the same time, socio-political transformations lead to an increase in the importance of freedom, democracy and pluralism. The loss of social security forces people to turn to their personal lives in search of stability.

The generation of the post-perestroika period, the late 1990s – early 2000s, or "generation zero", the period of relative stabilization of the new Russian society, is characterized by a predominant focus on personal values such as achievements and success, material well-being, family, communication and harmonious interpersonal relations ^[3].

The formation of value and life orientations of modern youth takes place in the context of the transition to a post-industrial, information society. The influence of media culture, Internet communities, and the information environment in general is increasing. Such features of modern society as the interpenetration of cultures, the coexistence of many ideological systems, the heterogeneity and intensity of information and communication flows, the virtualization of society and human consciousness, lead to a special phenomenon of the formation of the value-semantic sphere of personality – value "mosaic" and "plasticity". Values are not organized into a hierarchical system, are not defined as "significant" or "insignificant". Ideas about morality and the meaning of life are being blurred. Fundamentally different goals, aspirations, guidelines and ideals can take the same value for a teenager's personality, which is not perceived as an internal conflict. Various values are implemented for the situational resolution of certain life tasks, blurred and fuzzy guidelines, apparently, act as a special way of adapting to an internally contradictory, unstable and uncertain, rapidly changing social environment. 

Having studied the information and definitions of the value orientations of different representatives of the sciences, we have derived our own definition. Value orientations are a system of attitudes, beliefs, and principles that determine our preferences, goals, and behavior in life. They express our core values, which determine our attitude towards ourselves, other people, society and the world as a whole. Our value orientations may include concepts such as honesty, decency, justice, freedom, cooperation, tolerance and others that form our philosophy of life and guidelines for decision-making.

According to modern research, the changing values of modern youth reflect important trends in the development of society as a whole. The rapid development of technology, globalization, changes in the economy, politics and culture have a significant impact on the worldview and value orientations of the younger generation.

Thus, young people who grew up in the information age differ from previous generations in their worldviews, priorities and values. She strives for self-realization, independence, diversity of experience, social justice and environmental responsibility. At the same time, the fast pace of life and the abundance of information expose young people to stress, cause a sense of uncertainty and the need to find their place in society. She transforms values under the influence of changing realities, she adapts to modern challenges and seeks new ways of self-expression and development. Therefore, it is important to see in modern youth not only a problem, but also an important social resource. By supporting young people, offering them opportunities to realize their potentials, learning and self-development, society can increase its competitiveness and stability.

Based on this theory, a methodology has been developed for the sociological study of the value orientations of modern students. The sample consisted of students of various higher educational institutions of the city of Barnaul (n=390 people). The study involved students from Altai State University, Altai State Pedagogical Institute, Altai State Medical University, Altai State Agrarian University and Altai State Polytechnic University. The selection method was a quota sample with elements of spontaneous selection of respondents.

Let's move on to the main results. The first set of questions was aimed at studying family values. According to the survey data, it was revealed that the largest part of the respondents assesses family as an important value (84%). The proportion of those who do not put family first and assess it by average scores is small (11%). A very small part of the respondents (4%) consider family to be an unimportant value. In general, it can be concluded that for most students of Altai universities, family remains one of the most important values.

The chart below shows the distribution of respondents' responses to the question about the importance of family in their lives. The question of the importance of family is key to understanding people's values and priorities and can have a significant impact on personal and life decisions. The variety of responses received from respondents allows us to better understand how the family plays an important role in people's minds and hearts. Let's look at the data and analyze the results to expand our understanding of the importance of family relationships in modern society.

Figure 1. Distribution of respondents' answers to the question: "How important is family to you?" (in% of the number of respondents).

On the graph of the importance of family, you can see that the majority of respondents, namely 71%, noted the importance of family at level 5, which means that family is as important as possible for them. This indicates that for the majority of people in the sample surveyed, family relationships play a significant role in their lives.

11% chose level 3, which indicates a sense of the average importance of family for this group of respondents. Some people may see family as an important aspect of their lives, but they don't put it first.

The proportion of respondents who marked the family as level 4 is 13%. These people understand that family relationships are significant, but perhaps they have other aspects of life that they also value.

An exceptionally small proportion of respondents, namely 2% each, rated the importance of family at levels 1 and 2. For them, perhaps other areas of life have a higher priority than family relations.

It is safe to say that family plays an important role in the lives of most of the people in this sample.

For students, the family plays an extremely important role. At this age, when young people are striving for independence and building their future, family support and understanding can be decisive factors. Family relationships provide students with emotional support, help them overcome the stresses of study, and also contribute to the formation of values and the strengthening of personal identity.

 The family is a kind of anchor point in the life of students, helping them feel protected, loved and supported even outside the learning environment. Its importance lies not only in material support, but also in moral and emotional support, contributing to the successful adaptation and growth of a young person in society.

         In the modern world, the issue of justice is becoming more relevant and important for discussion. The concept of justice is often put at the center of discussions about social, economic and political issues.

In the modern world, students play a key role in shaping public opinion and developing social values. The study of their opinions on the policies of the current government is an important aspect for understanding their role in society and their perception of current problems.

Table one shows the distribution of respondents' responses to the question of agreement with the policy of the current government as a percentage of the total number of respondents.

Table 1. Distribution of respondents' answers to the question: "Do you agree with the policy of the current government?" (as a percentage of the number of respondents)

The table shows that the majority of respondents, 46%, fully agree with the government's policy, which may indicate a high degree of support and trust in the current authorities among students.  In addition, another 36% of respondents are more likely to agree with the policy, which indicates partial support and a positive attitude towards government initiatives. Thus, a total of 82% of students express at least some degree of agreement with the policy of the current government. 

However, it is worth noting that 12% of respondents rather disagree with the policy, which may indicate the presence of a critical attitude and discontent among some of the student youth.

 In addition, 7% of respondents completely disagree with the policy, which indicates a pronounced negative assessment of the government's actions.  In general, the study shows that the majority of students express support for the policies of the current government, but there is also a certain part of the respondents who express their disagreement.

The relationship between political consensus and value orientations among students can be quite complex and multifaceted. The student audience usually represents a variety of socio-cultural and educational foundations, which can influence their perception of political events and assessment of the policies of the current government. Students' orientations towards values such as freedom, equality, justice, tolerance and certain political beliefs can shape their political agreement or dissonance with current politics. For example, students who value freedom and democracy may support opposition movements, while those who value stability and authority more may side with the current government.

Let's look at the distribution of respondents' answers to the question: "Do you think it is necessary to strive for justice in the modern world?" expressed as a percentage of the number of respondents in order to better understand people's attitude to this important topic.

After analyzing the data, we will get an idea of how many respondents relate to the need to strive for justice in the modern world. The results can show the degree of importance and support for the idea of justice in society, as well as reflect differences in people's beliefs and values.

Figure 2. Distribution of respondents' answers to the question: "Do you think it is necessary to strive for justice in the modern world?" (as a percentage of the number of respondents)

Figure two shows a graph of the distribution of respondents' responses to the question: "Do you think it is necessary to strive for justice in the modern world?" The answers were divided into four categories: "definitely not", "probably not", "probably yes" and "definitely yes".

The graph clearly shows that the answer "unequivocally no" was chosen by respondents in only 1% of cases, which indicates an extremely low proportion of those who consider the pursuit of justice unnecessary.

At the same time, the "probably not" category gained 8%, which indicates a certain number of people who rather do not see the need for such an aspiration, although they do not completely deny its importance.

 However, the overwhelming majority of respondents expressed a positive attitude towards the need to strive for justice. Thus, the "rather yes" category received 42% of the votes, which indicates a significant number of people who believe that the pursuit of justice is an important, but not a prerequisite for the modern world.

The highest score, "unequivocally yes", received 49% of the votes, which is the largest percentage of answers to this question. This result suggests that almost half of the respondents are convinced of the absolute necessity of striving for justice in the modern world.

In general, the graph shows that the vast majority of respondents, 91%, express a positive attitude towards the need to strive for justice, and almost half of them consider this desire to be unequivocally necessary. Only a small minority of 9% do not see such a need or doubt it.

Understanding one's own country, its history, culture, political system, and economic development plays a significant role in shaping the personality and civic position of each person. Knowing your own country helps not only to better understand yourself and your surroundings, but also to make informed decisions in the political, social, and economic spheres. In this regard, it is important to study and know your country for each individual becomes particularly important.

Based on the data from the respondents' response table, in order to emphasize the diversity of points of view on the importance of studying and knowing their country and identify the main trends in this issue.

Table 2. Distribution of respondents' answers to the question: "In your opinion, assess the importance of studying and knowing the history of your country" (as a percentage of the number of respondents)

In the study of students' value orientations, a question was asked about the importance of understanding one's own country for the formation of personality and citizenship.

The results from table two show the following distribution of responses.

A significant proportion of students, 34%, consider understanding their country to be extremely important for the formation of their personality and civic position. This suggests that for many students, a sense of belonging to their country, knowledge of its history, culture and values is of paramount importance.

Another 28% of students attach great importance to studying their country. This confirms the widespread recognition of the value of knowledge about one's own country among the student audience.

Some 26% of students consider studying their country to be of average importance. This may mean that for them the significance of this aspect may be less pronounced, but they still recognize its importance.

A small number of students, 7%, consider understanding their own country not very important. This may indicate that other aspects of personality formation and citizenship are more important to them.

The smallest percentage of students, 6%, consider understanding their own country unimportant. This response may be due to various factors, for example, a lack of interest in the history and culture of their country or a feeling of alienation from national identity.

These tables demonstrate the diversity of views on the importance of understanding one's own country among students. While most students recognize the importance of this aspect, some may attach less importance to it or even consider it unimportant.

Based on all the above tables and diagrams, it can be concluded that students from universities in the Altai Territory are characterized by a general tendency to preserve traditional values. Since the prevailing proportion of respondents attaches high importance to family and family relations in their lives.

The majority of respondents fully agree with the government's policy, which may indicate a high degree of support and trust in the current authorities among students. 

Almost half of the respondents are convinced of the absolute necessity of striving for justice in the modern world.

A significant part of the student youth attaches great importance to knowledge of the history of their country and understanding of their cultural roots. 

Conclusion

The conducted sociological research in Barnaul opens up to us a fascinating look at the value orientations of modern student youth.

The data obtained from the respondents make it possible to understand that the formation of personality and citizenship among modern students takes place in the context of complex and dynamic processes reflecting changes in society and in the world as a whole. 

The study showed that the family remains the most important factor in the formation of values for students. The majority of respondents emphasized the huge role of family in their lives, considering it a pillar and a source of support. Family values are based on traditional norms and moral principles, which play an important role in shaping the character and views of the younger generation.

 The answers to the question of agreement with the policy of the current government demonstrate a variety of opinions. Students are aware of the complexity of political processes and are critical of the political system, but they do not refuse to participate in political life. Understanding their rights and opportunities to participate in shaping public life becomes an important factor in their value orientations.

The pursuit of justice is one of the most important value orientations of modern students. They are aware of the imperfection of the world and strive to create a more just and humane society. Understanding justice as the basis of harmonious relations between people and society creates in them a sense of responsibility to society. 

Most students consider the study of the history of their country to be an important factor in the formation of personality and citizenship. They understand that knowing the past helps to better understand the present and make more informed decisions in the future. In studying history, they see the key to understanding their roots, identity and place in the world. 

The study demonstrates that the modern student youth in Barnaul is a dynamic generation that strives for self-realization, conscious choice of path and participation in shaping the future. The values of family, justice and knowledge of their country remain the basis of their worldview. Their critical view of politics and social processes indicates a high level of self-awareness and readiness for dialogue and change. It is important to create conditions for their development, ensure access to quality education, stimulate civic engagement and contribute to the formation of a responsible and conscious citizen.

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