Abstract:

Parents can become one of the drivers of the development of civil society in Russia. Their activity is determined the process of inclusion of children in the practice of civil society. This happens in the course of joint activities of children and parents. Parents being agents of primary socialization involve children in the practices of social, civil and political activity. The activity of parents is manifested both in local practices of participation in the school life of their children, and in the social participation in public life of the megapolis.

The purpose of our research was to study the social activity practices of schoolchildren' parents and their children in Yekaterinburg.

The objectives of the study were:
1. The research of school public practices in which parents are involved.
2. The study of individual and joint practices of social participation of parents and their children in the public life of the megapolis.
3. The analysis of the influence of socio-demographic characteristics of parents on their involvement in school life and joint social participation practices with children.

The empirical basis of the paper is the results of the mass survey of the Yekaterinburg schoolchildren’ parents (2019). The simple of parents was 7281 people.

The article reveals the following results:
1. Parents are involved in 70 % of school practices offered by teachers. First of all the teachers involve parents in internal, formal school practices (activities of the Parents' Committee, organization of school competitions and other). Parents are reluctant to participate in the public administration of the school. However, they are more active than teachers include children in the cultural life and educational events of the city. This parents' activity is the basis for the involvement of schoolchildren in the social life of the megapolis.
2. Parents implement such individual practices of social participation as elections, free training of strangers, assistance to non-profit organizations, etc. Together with children, they attend cultural and educational events, participate in sports and ecological projects, help kindergartens, schools, leisure organizations, improve the city. First of all the parents participate in those social practices that create enabling environment for the socialization of their children. These practices are informal, non-institutional. They serve as a basis for the development of local communities.
3. It was found that the educational characteristics of parents are a significant factor influencing their social participation. Parents with a high level of education are more likely to be involved in the school life and joint social participation practices with children. Such socio-demographic characteristics of parents as gender, age, social and financial status do not have any impact on inclusion parents of schoolchildren in the social activity practice.
4. The involvement of schoolchildren in social activities allows their parents to solve tactical tasks related to children: to prevent computer addiction and deviant behavior, to include in the educational and cultural space of the city, to satisfy the need for communication, to instill a work culture. These practices also solve the strategic task: they contribute to the formation of a new generation of parents and children through the cultivation their attitudes and norms of social activity, behavior model of the «active citizen».

Keywords:

Parents, schoolchildren, school, social participation practices, socialization of children, civil society.