Value of education among Russian youth in the 21st century

Abstract

The scientific literature review makes it possible to state that values act as a core factor which determines almost all aspects of human existence — the nature of interpersonal and intergroup relations, social behavior and mentality. Values are considered an essential part of traditions. They serve as the most important criterion for people when choosing and justifying their actions, for evaluating other people, themselves and the events of their life. Values are indicators for tracking social and individual changes due to historical, social and personal events. The number of studies in various disciplines — philosophy, psychology, cultural studies, sociology and others — devoted to values is increasing every year. An interdisciplinary approach to the study of values clearly demonstrates the extent and depth of this phenomenon. The study of values in the context of intergenerational relations makes it possible to forecast societal changes, to develop social policy at the federal, regional and other levels. In a rapidly changing world with constant knowledge update, it becomes important to study the status of education in the value system of modern people. The article presents findings of the study on the value of education among young Russian people in the first third of the twenty-first century in the context of intergenerational relations. Residents of various regions of Russia took part in the research. The results revealed that the value of education has remained a priority among young people over the past two decades. This fact confirms the stability of their core values. The study established that the value of education decreases with age. At the same time, a decrease in the importance of the value of education among young Russian people was recorded in 2020s. Further studies of this phenomenon are required to determine whether this is a shortterm decline or a long-term trend. Family is not a top priority for young people compared to older generations.