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PECULIARITIES OF ETHNIC IDENTITY OF ADOLESCENTS OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES

A. Lukina, I. Peterson

Abstract

This article discusses the formation of Russian young generation personal and civil identity problems. The basis of identity includes the common culture with the common values, history, myths, and life standards. Obviously, the most important mentality forming function, in the conditions of radical social changes, is performed by the education method based on the activity approach and students’ involvement into the real socially-reformative activity. The article analyzes the sociological poll results of 300 students of different nationalities from 8 schools of Krasnoyarsk. We carried out a sociological study, which was attended by about 300 pupils of the senior classes of 8 schools in the city of Krasnoyarsk, located in different parts of the city. The goal was to assess the level of ethnic identity development and its peculiarities among Krasnoyarsk secondary school students. 70% of respondents were Russians, 15% - representatives of Central Asia, 8% - representatives of the Caucasus, the remaining were from other nationalities of Russia. Girls accounted for 59%, boys – 41. We observed the most dramatic contradiction between officially declared culture, and the real, everyday population culture. The analysis of the cultural universals of teenagers, representatives of different nationalities, showed that the image of Russia was associated with negative stereotypes for most of the respondents. We consider that the major educational function is mentality and socializing formation, possibility of choice and freedom, and the person social identity formation. The education can play the main role in the Russian middle class formation, in maintenance of social stability through the formation of “the general person” and outlook of generation; in the decision of various social conflicts and migrant integration into the Russian society. But these functions can be carried out in the condition of “an excess principle” of education relating to momentary inquiries of labor markets and employment.

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