Patriotic Education and Civic Culture of Youth in Russia: Sociological Perspective

Abstract High level of patriotic consciousness is supposed to be an important factor of civic consolidation and enhancement of competitive ability of Russia in geopolitical schedule. In the meantime, multinational character of Russian society, specifics of its territorial and administrative division, difference in political and socioeconomic situation of its regions challenge the existing system of patriotic education which no longer responses to modern social reality and doesn’t take into account peculiarities of mentality of modern youth. Today in Russian society there is an apparent need for development of ideas of active citizenship, initiative behavior and practical civic co-participation among youth.Evaluation of the patriotic education system was made in four border regions of Russia: Altaiskykrai, Krasnoyarskykrai, Omskaya oblast and Republic of Altai (n=2400, from 15 to 75 years). Indicators of evaluation included patriotic education definition, subjective perception of patriotic education efficiency, assessment of the role of different social institutions in patriotic education, obstacles and restrictions in youth policy. Our research showed that patriotic education in public conscience means not only evident inculcation of values such as love and respect for the country, but education in the whole, battle against drugs and alcohol, labor for the welfare of the state, care of people, military service, youth leisure organization. Besides the family as the main social institution responsible for youth socialization and upbringing, mass-media and Internet become the most important information resources, while political parties and civil society organizations don’t have a real weight, attributed them in governmental programs. The main causes, blocking patriotic feelings, are low standards of living, lack of institutional trust, social inequality and incertitude.