Seliverstova N.A., Zubok Y.A. Young People’s Ideas about the “Optimum State” for Russia: Representations and Predictors. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes. 2025. No. 3. P. 243–269. https: ...

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: https://monitoringjournal.ru/index.php/monitoring/article/view/2742 (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 14.07.2025)

Abstract

The article analyzes the relationships between sociodemographic indicatorsand the prevalence of youth ideas about theoptimum state structure for Russia. The authors identify predictors of such ideas fromseveral elements of the sociocultural mechanism of selfregulation of life. The ideas aboutthe optimum state structure are measuredthrough indicators of democratic and authoritarian types of government. Based on onedimensional, twodimensional and multivariatedata analysis (binary logistic regression), theauthors show that young people in large cities more often see a democratic state structure as the optimal, while young residents ofregional centers and villages prefer an authoritarian one. Age, gender, and type of employment form hybrid relationships. The sociocultural foundations of preferences for the type ofstate structure in Russia reflect the complexmultilevel structure of political consciousnessof the youth. al culture (archetypes of the rightness of powerand fate, the mental trait of of “suspicion towards foreigners”) and modern culture (stereotype of "“one’s own”: disregard for accepted norms, outrage; habitus of individualism).Such hybridity is a feature of the consciousness of modern youth. Conscious acceptanceof authoritarianism is supported by loyal meanings. Among the supporters of an authoritarian state, there is a group of young people whovividly represent their generation, includingthrough hedonism, denial of moral norms, asense of being chosen, a desire to be in thecenter of attention and shock, protest againstofficialdom, escape from reality, freedom without restrictions, including sexual freedom.The idea of a democratic state as the optimalfor Russia is reproduced through the stereotype of a person who disregards acceptednorms, presents oneself as an “outsider”, partly through the habitus of selflessness, whichis a modern feature of the national character “openness to all things foreign”. The conscious acceptance of the democratic structureof Russia is based on predominantly nonloyalmeanings. Democracy is chosen by young people who to a small extent represent their generation, and through some features, such asdenial of moral norms, selfperception of being chosen, the desire to be in the center of attention and shock, etc., significantly separatethemselves from it.The semantic unities “loyalty to power — authoritarianism” and “disloyalty to power — democracy” reflect both the structured politicalconsciousness of young people in the conjugation of meanings and types of state structure,and the attitude of young people to the currentgovernment, the nature of expectations in thepolitical sphere.