A. V. Sokolov, E. A. Isaeva, A. A. Frolov, E. D. Grebenko. Opportunities for Solidarity and Consolidation of Students on the Basis of University Student Associations in the Conditions of Modern Political Reality

UDК 321.1:378.1 http://regionsar.ru

doi: 10.15507/2413-1407.124.031.202303.459-476

Abstract

Introduction. The relevance of the research is mainly due to the need to consolidate and solidarize the modern Russian students in the interests of the state and society development, especially in the context of the current social, political and economic turbulence of the current time. The purpose of the article is to identify the potential of solidarity and consolidation of students through their involvement in the activities of student organizations and associations (using the example of universities of the consortium of universities “Upper Volga – the Territory of innovation”).

Materials and Methods. The research is based on two theoretical and methodological approaches: the theory of collective action and the theory of collective identity. The empirical basis of the research is the data arrays obtained during a series of 12 focus group interviews among university students of the consortium of universities “Upper Volga – the Territory of innovation” and interviews with experts who directly interact with students or study the problems of modern Russian students.

Results. The study has revealed a significant potential of student associations for consolidation and solidarity of students through extracurricular activities. However, it also has made it possible to identify a number of deficits that reduce their effectiveness in this direction, the overcoming of which seems relevant in the modern social and political situation.

Discussion and Conclusion. Student and youth associations are an important institution for the consolidation and solidarization of Russian students. They form not only value-orientational attitudes, which a significant part of young people can accept and include in the concept of their own worldview, but are also able to organize various forms of activity for the practical activities of Russian students. The results of the study will be useful for improving the effectiveness of the work of youth public associations with students, as well as student associations in universities, involving young people in the activities of youth public organizations and consolidating Russian students in the interests of the country’s development.

Keywords: students consolidation, students solidarization, students, youth, university, student associations, youth organizations

Conflict of interest. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Funding. The study was carried out with the financial support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation as part of the state task for the research of Yaroslavl State University under the project No. FENZ-2022-0001 “The potential of youth public organizations for the consolidation of Russian students in the interests of the country’s development”.

For citation: Sokolov A.V., Isaeva E.A., Frolov A.A., Grebenko E.D. Opportunities for Solidarity and Consolidation of Students on the Basis of University Student Associations in the Conditions of Modern Political Reality. Russian Journal of Regional Studies. 2023;31(3):459–476. https://doi.org/10.15507/2413-1407.124.031.202303.459-476

REFERENCES

1. Raufelder D., Bukowski W.M., Mohr S. Thick Description of the Teacher Student Relationship in the Educational Context of School: Results of an Ethnographic Field Study. Journal of Education and Training Studies. 2013:1(2):1–18. https://doi.org/10.11114/jets.v1i2.108

2. Igwe P.A., Ochinanwata C., Ochinanwata N., Adeyeye J.O., Ikpor I.M., Nwakpu S.E., et al. Solidarity and Social Behaviour: How did this Help Communities to Manage COVID-19 Pandemic? International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. 2020:40(9/10):1183–1200. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSSP-07-2020-0276

3. Buzek J., Surdej A. Paradigm Lost, Paradigm Rediscovered? Prospects for the Development of Solidarity-Oriented Economy in Post-Communist Poland. International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy. 2012:32(1/2):56–69. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443331211201761

4. Covi G. Europe’s Crisis: Reconsidering Solidarity with Leela Gandhi and Judith Butler. Synthesis: An Anglophone Journal of Comparative Literary Studies. 2016:(9):147–57. https://doi.org/10.12681/syn.16231

5. Okatov A.V. Problem of Social Solidarity in Classical Sociology. Tambov University Review. Series Social Sciences. 2017:3(1):57–65. Available at: http://journals.tsutmb.ru/a8/upload/upload--2017-12-12/pdf.dd27fd7a6ec88512d147b51013b11dde.pdf (accessed 05.01.2023). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

6. Rehg W. Solidarity and the Common Good: An Analytic Framework. Journal of Social Philosophy. 2007:38(1):7–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9833.2007.00363.x

7. Fotaki M. Solidarity in Crisis? Community Responses to Refugees and Forced Migrants in the Greek Islands. Organization. 2022:29(2):295–323. https://doi.org/10.1177/13505084211051048

8. Kuzmenko I.S. To a Question of Social Solidarity: General Review of a Problem. Vestnik Krasnodarskogo universiteta MVD Rossii. 2017;(2):223–226. Available at: http://libkrumvd.ru/museum/files/vestnik/v-2017-2-2.pdf (accessed 09.01.2023). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

9. Postmes T., Branscombe N.R., Spears R., Young H. Comparative Processes in Personal and Group Judgments: Resolving the Discrepancy. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1999:76(2):320–338. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.76.2.320

10. Gamson J. Messages of Exclusion: Gender, Movements, and Symbolic Boundaries. Gender and Society. 1997;11(2):178–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/089124397011002003

11. Chervjakov A.A. Solidarity Culture as Phenomenon of Global Culture. Science. Innovations. Technologies. 2007;(50):269–276. Available at: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/kultura-solidarnosti-kak-fenomen-globalnoy-kultury (accessed 09.01.2023). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.)

12. Wilde L. The Concept of Solidarity: Emerging from the Theoretical Shadows? The British Journal of Politics and International Relations. 2007;9(1):171–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856x.2007.00275.x

13. Bianchi F., Flache A., Squazzoni F. Solidarity in Collaboration Networks when Everyone Competes for the Strongest Partner: A Stochastic Actor-Based Simulation Model. The Journal of Mathematical Sociology. 2020;44(4):249–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022250X.2019.1704284

14. Adair S. Status and Solidarity: A Reformulation of Early Durkheimian Theory. Sociological Enquiry. 2008;78(1):97–120. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2008.00223.x

15. Leap B., Thompson D. Social Solidarity, Collective Identity, Resilient Communities: Two Case Studies from the Rural U.S. and Uruguay. Social Sciences. 2018;7(12):250. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci7120250

16. Messer C.M., Shriver T.E., Adams A.E. Collective Identity and Memory: A Comparative Analysis of Community Response to Environmental Hazards. Rural Sociology. 2015;80(3):314–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/ruso.12069

17. Reynolds L., Sariola S. The Ethics and Politics of Community Engagement in Global Health Research. Critical Public Health. 2018;28(3):257–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2018.1449598

18. Bayram Özdemir S., Stattin H., Özdemir M. Youth’s Initiations of Civic and Political Discussions in Class: Do Youth’s Perceptions of Teachers’ Behaviors Matter and Why? Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 2016;45(11):2233–2245. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-016-0525-z

19. Boucher M.L. More than an Ally: A Successful White Teacher Who Builds Solidarity with His African American Students. Urban Education. 2016;51(1):82–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085914542982

20. Crisp G., Baker V.L., Griffin K.A., Lunsford L.G., Pifer M.J. Mentoring Undergraduate Students. ASHE Higher Education Report. 2017;43(1):7–103. https://doi.org/10.1002/aehe.20117

21. Mufatakhah L., Rejekiningsih T., Triyanto. Improving Student’s Social Solidarity Value Awareness through Learning Community-Based Mentoring. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology (IJEAT). 2019;8(5C):373–378. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijeat.E1053.0585C19

22. Cate R., Russ-Eft D. Expanding Circles of Solidarity: A Comparative Analysis of Latin American Community Social Justice Project Narratives. Power and Education. 2020;12(1):55–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757743819871320

23. Barber C., Torney-Purta J., Wilkenfeld B., Ross J. Immigrant and Native-Born Adolescents’ Civic Knowledge and Attitudes in Sweden and the United States: Emergent Citizenship within Developmental Niches. Research in Comparative and International Education. 2015;10(1):23–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745499914567818

24. Pasek J., Feldman L., Romer D., Jamieson K.H. Schools as Incubators of Democratic Participation: Building Long-Term Political Efficacy with Civic Education. Applied Development Science. 2008:12(1):26–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888690801910526

Submitted 09.01.2023; revised 13.03.2023; accepted 22.03.2023.

About the authors:

Alexander V. Sokolov, Dr. Sci. (Polit.), Head of Department, Department of Social and Political Theories, P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University (14 Sovetskaya St., Yaroslavl 150003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7325-8374, alex8119@mail.ru

Elena A. Isaeva, Cand. Sci. (Law), Associate Professor, Department of Social and Family Legislation of the Faculty of Law, P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University (14 Sovetskaya St., Yaroslavl 150003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7001-6161, elenia2000@mail.ru

Alexander A. Frolov, Cand. Sci. (Polit.), Associate Professor, Department of Social and Political Theories, P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University (14 Sovetskaya St., Yaroslavl 150003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8775-016X, a.a.froloff@gmail.com

Egor D. Grebenko, Assistant, Department of Social and Political Theories, P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University (14 Sovetskaya St., Yaroslavl 150003, Russian Federation), ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9978-077X, grebenkoegor76@gmail.com

Contribution of the authors:

A. V. Sokolov – formulation of the paper’s problem; creation of a theoretical concept; analysis of the literature on the research problem; critical analysis and revision of the paper’s text; formulation of conclusions and research results.

E. A. Isaeva – analysis of the literature on the research problem; revision of the text of the article; formulation of conclusions.

A. A. Frolov – creation of the main concept of the article; analysis of the literature on the research problem; revision of the paper’s text; formulation of conclusions.

E. D. Grebenko – data processing; preparation of the paper’s text, graphic results of the study; formulation of conclusions.

The authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.