Abstract:

In the context of digitalization of education and reformation of all public life spheres at the beginning of the XXI century, the social and value meanings of a person’s life are rapidly changing both in Russia and abroad. Changing the value orientations of high school students is interesting for researchers of different sciences: political scientists, cultural scientists, sociologists, lawyers, and, of course, for teachers. I think that teachers of higher education in many countries will agree with the statement that even the most conservative social system, such as education, is constantly undergoing changes due to political and cultural processes, as well as technological progress. Higher education is the place where the formation and development of social and value orientations of students as the future generation of any country take place.

Monitoring studies of social and value orientations of higher school students are constantly conducted in Russia. We have applied the method of comparative analysis of the research results in this area. At the beginning of this century, in 2001-2003, the Institute for the Development of Professional Education (I. P. Smirnov, E. V. Tkachenko) conducted all-Russian sociological studies of professional education, which showed that a new generation of Russian citizens had appeared with behavior motives, moral values, guidelines and problems radically changed. The values developed among young people were mainly individual and personal, were associated with an increase in the role of the material factor and awareness of this circumstance. So, such values as one’s own health, readiness to engage in any business, as long as it is well paid for, etc. came out in the first place. Values of a social nature, civil, concerning the well-being of other people, the economic well-being of society, were not perceived at that time by young people as the dominant goals of their activities (V.I. Zagvyazinsky, T.U. Lomakina, G.G. Nikolaev, I.P. Smirnov, E.V. Tkachenko, T.M. Rezer). Professional values among young people entering colleges and universities at the beginning of this century were also not formed, which was confirmed by the data obtained – only about 10% of young people chose a profession based on any family tradition, mostly the choice of profession is carried out either independently (41.8%) or under the influence of parents (31.6%). This led to the conclusion that 20 years ago most students entering colleges and universities did not have a sufficient idea of their future profession.

At the Ural Federal University we have conducted a study of students’ socially significant values using the method of M. Rokeach among 363 students. The results showed that ranks from 1 to 5 are occupied by terminal values: “health”, “happy family life”, “love”, “financially secure life”, “interesting work”. In the group of instrumental values ranks 1-5 were values: “good manners”, “responsibility”, “honesty”, “high demands”, “intransigence to shortcomings in oneself and others”. As we can see, after 20 years young people in Russia have not changed the individual and personal orientation associated with an increase in the role of the material factor, which can be explained by a new emerging trend based on an increase in the role of individualism in social relations.

Keywords:

Students, higher school, development, value orientations.