Young people’s citizenship activity in times of change: Case of Russia

Abstract

The Russian Federation is the historical successor to previous forms of statehood, which has more than a 1000 years of history. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to fundamental changes in the sociopolitical sphere, in the economy, and in the social structure of the country. Civic education in Russia in times of change also undergoes some changes, but at the same time retains many of the traditions established by predecessors. The article presents the results of a study of civic engagement of young Russians. The study was conducted in 2014 using a questionnaire by Zalewska and Krzywosz-Rynkiewicz to study the civic activity of schoolchildren. The participants of the study (n=433) live in one of the Russian regional centres and in the small settlements of this area. Overall, 234 girls and 199 boys aged 11−18 took part in the study. This empirical study has revealed that age is the most important factor that determines the differences in the civic activity of young people. To some extent the indicators of civic activity depend on the gender and place of residence of the respondents. Semi-active and passive citizenship of young people is most pronounced, whereas active citizenship has lower indicators. The authors argue that development of civic consciousness and cultivation of historical memory for understanding the past and building the future with regard to spiritual values of their own people are essential for the development of civic activity in the youth.