Life Strategies of Young People: Sociological Research Experience
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SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DOI: 10.15838/esc.2016.4.46.6 UDC 316.6 (470+571):316.35, LBC 60.54 © Osipova L.B., Enveri L.A. Life Strategies of Young People: Sociological Research Experience Lyubov’ Borisovna OSIPOVA Industrial University of Tyumen 38, Volodarsky Street, Tyumen, 625000, Russian Federation [email protected] Liliya Akhmedullovna ENVERI Lyantor Oil Technical School (Local Branch) of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Professional Education Yugra State University 42, Microdistrict 10, Lyantor, Surgutsky District, Tyumen Oblast, 628449, Russian Federation [email protected] Abstract. Modern reality is the world of formation of various life prospects of a young person. The relevance of the topic depends, firstly, on insufficient sociological research into the mechanism of formation and realization of life strategies of modern youth; and, secondly, on the need to substantiate the sociological concept of youth life strategies in terms of professional self-determination with regard to its social and group characteristics. In this context, young people as the most active social group are of great interest to the authors who consider them a research target. Due to the transitivity of a social status and the incomplete processes of social maturity formation young people need a targeted design of their future. The sociological analysis of the issue involves a clarification of the concept of “life strategy” at the conceptual level (A.A. Volokitin, S.N. Ikonnikova, E.I. Golovakha, Yu.A. Zubok, For citation: Osipova L.B., Enveri L.A. Life strategies of young people: sociological research experience. Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast, 2016, no. 4, pp. 108-129. DOI: 10.15838/esc/2016.4.46.6 108 4 (46) 2016 Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Osipova L.B., Enveri L.A. V.T. Lisovsky, M.N. Rutkevich, G.V. Leonidova, K.A. Ustinova, etc.). The article presents the author’s definition of “life strategies”, which is a dynamic system of perspective individual orientation aimed at designing one’s life in the future. At the same time the results of the author’s sociological research are presented, including a standardized interview, questionnaires, which provide an opportunity to form an idea about the living choices of young people living in Yugra. The declining influence of social institutions and the emerging opportunities for developing their life prospects on their own challenges young people to select their life targets and ways of their implementation independently. The article justifies the necessity of intensified activation of new forms of young students’ management when planning their life trajectory. Life strategies disclose its content in specific life situations associated with choice. The key choice is the career choice of young people which directly depends on the socio- economic conditions of regional development, accumulating all the institutional contradictions in the spheres of education and labor and creating various social problems in the life of young people. Key words: young students, social group, social maturity, life strategy, life prospects. The modern world provides great global social changes the study of young opportunities for the formation of various people’s life prospects is becoming relevant life strategies of a person. On the one hand, due to a number of circumstances. there is a wide range of opportunities for First, due to the reduced role of traditional self-determination, individual freedom institutions of socialization and value in self-actualization, individual initiative modification. and creativity; on the other hand, there is Second, young people ensure the a growing problem of survival related to development of society, therefore the study the process of social differentiation of the of their life strategies becomes the most population, the loss of social guarantees, important indicator which helps predict the increase in social tensions and the further social processes and development decrease in the standard of living [2, p. 217]. trends. Significant shifts in young people’s public Third, there is a deformation of the age consciousness occur on the background of structure, which indicates the beginning of these transformation processes. Despite a depopulation process. relatively high level of young people’s social Finally, the process of social optimism, they express their dissatisfaction differentiation leads to the change in young with the declining quality of life which has people’s status in society, which is become more apparent in recent years; favor manifested in the growth of unemployment the reform of the improvement of the socio- among the youth and in reduced prospects economic wellbeing of the country and the in social growth and professional formation of civil society [5, p. 17]. Amid self-actualization. Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast 4 (46) 2016 109 Life Strategies of Young People: Sociological Research Experience The concept of “life strategy” holds a identity and the design of academic and special place in the conceptual framework professional plans. Our position resonates and is used in different contexts. Its primary well with the opinion of local researchers, purpose is to implement long-term T.E. Reznik and Yu.M. Reznik, who claim interrelated actions aimed at achieving the that life strategy is a dynamic system desired result. The content of life strategy characterized by a well-designed scheme of is a set of rules for decision-making used to value orientations, goals set on their basis, and determine activity directions. Unfortunately, the meaningfulness of behavioral attitudes. the majority of young students is not capable It is safe to say that the identification of a life of strategic rebuilding of their future and trajectory of a young person is a purposeful prefers to “go with the flow” and “live in process of the realization of the concept of the present”. life, the success of which primarily depends It is known that life strategy1 implies a on the level of a person’s social activity and high level of organization of the culture of responsibility acceptance. This is confirmed living. Life strategies are the research target by L. Hjelle, who also emphasizes that each of a wide range of scientific knowledge, in person’s development in this direction is particular philosophy, psychology, social unique [21, p. 307]. A similar position is studies, cultural anthropology, etc. Each expressed by E.I. Golovakha, who stresses of them examines a particular aspect of that “life prospects should be considered formation and implementation of personal as a holistic image of the future” [3, pp. life strategies. However, with all the diversity 266–267]. It is generally accepted that amid of scientific research, the problem of life the turbulent state of the society young prospects formation remains theoretically people are characterized by divergent life and empirically under-explored and the strategy realization vectors and lack of definition of the given scientific category life meaningfulness and clarity of attitude lacks logical precision and clarity (tab. 1). formation. According to the interpretations of the In order to study life prospects of young term presented in table, the formation of students in 2015 an author’s research was life prospects of young students is influenced conducted in three municipalities of the both by external factors, involving changes Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (Ugra), in the scope of their activity and internal including Surgut, Lyantor and the settlement factors, manifested in the change of value of Nizhnesortymskii. In order to conduct comparative analysis, analytical materials on 1 Life strategy – a system of perspective individual the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug have orientation aimed at conscious planning of one’s future life (author’s definition). been used, which are presented in the report 110 4 (46) 2016 Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT Osipova L.B., Enveri L.A. Table 1. Life strategy is … Representatives Essence Positions and approaches (authors) According to the concept, complex analysis of an K.A. Principal ability of an individual to link their personality individual life strategy implies the connection of the Abul’khanova- with the living conditions, to reproduce and develop, person’s individual, status and age capabilities with Slavskaya realized in various environments and circumstances [1]. public demands. In this case, life strategies are considered from the The formation of a person’s lifestyle which may be point of view of the adaptation approach. The author A. Adler considered as an integrated style of life adjustment and believes that a person’s lifestyle begins to form in the interaction [18]. childhood, acquiring integrated features for successful life adjustment and interaction. The definition indicates that young people do not An idealized reflection of the future life trajectory of Yu.A. Zubok always consider the uncertainty of possibilities of a young citizens entering employment [6]. good career start and self-actualization in the society. A person’s ability for self-development, creation of This definition reflects a profound meaning of an D.A. Leont’ev individual history, and reconsideration of their own individual’s self-actualization. essence [10]. From the point of view of socio-philosophic analysis, A rationalized, space-, time- and future-oriented the strategy implies