CC BY
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УДК 316 DOI: 10.22394/2079-1690-2018-1-4-177-180
SOCIAL HEALTH OF YOUTH IN MILITARY AGE IN NATIONAL SECURITY OF THE RUSSIAN STATE FORMAT
Gafiatulina Candidate of sociological science, associate professor of chair of region Natalya sociology and modeling of social processes, Institute of sociology and regional Halilovna studies, Southern federal university (344006, Russian Federation, Rostov-on-Don, Pushkinskaya Str., 160). E-mail: gafiatulina@yandex.ru
Abstract
The article is devoted to the sociological analysis of the problem of a formation of social health of the Russian youth of military age. Social health of youth is considered to be a factor of national security and defense of the state, which requires an essential increase of social potential of the youth as the basic strategic resource of the society, because it determines the degree of its readiness for military service. The institutional risks in the field of national and military security are highlighted: lack of a clear strategy of youth policy in the field of social health, contributing to the solution of problems of personal self-determination and identity formation of young people; reduction in age limit of early nicotinism, alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse; early commercialization of the youth, determining the rate of violations in its social and moral development; personal and moral immaturity; inadequate coping strategies of the young people in the situation of social exclusion, deprivation. These risks have an impact on the formation of youth readiness for military service in the Armed Forces of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
Keywords: Russian youth, military age, social health, national security, defenses, readiness for military service, military service, social potential, Russian state.
For a long time problems of national security were equated with state armed forces, production and equipment of the army with modern weapons. However, the national security of our country cannot be reduced completely to strengthening of defense and ensuring effective functioning of special structures, keeping its state and social interests. No doubt that the foundation of this kind of security appears to be formation and keeping social health of the nation. Society in crisis periods of its existence has much to lose in terms of material and economic, but it does not lose its ability to revive until it retains its social potential.
Social potential of the Russian society and its national security correlates, primarily, with the social health of the younger generation [1, p. 134-140]. Social health of youth of military age is not only a property of individual character, but also gains much social and political significance because it is one of the most important factors of national security and keeping of high military readiness of the armed forces of the Russian Federation.
How can we define social health of the young people? Social health of the young people is an essential characteristic feature of an individual, group and public health. At the societal level, as N.M. Borscheva underlines, social health is an essential characteristic feature of society's vitality as a social organism, potential and real possibility of its harmonious development in spiritual, economic, political, military and other spheres, ability of the whole social group and its individual member in the particular conditions of life to exercise his/her own social and biological functions. Based on this definition, social health of youth is the most sensitive barometer reflecting the state of any society as a whole because it extrapolates present and future level and state of social health of society [2]. In addition, social health of youth can be considered to be the key indicator when assessing national security and defense capability of Russia, both in its present and in the near future.
Social health of the individual and social group L.S. Tovstonogov defines as a kind of an individual's ability to be the subjects of acquiring knowledge activity. We talk about the possibility of awareness of these actors their biological and social needs, the ability to combine their own interests with the interests of other people, ability to take into account objective conditions. In our opinion, this approach to the definition of social health of the young people can reflect it as a special factor of national and military security of the Russian Federation [2].
From what has been said above we can conclude that social health of the young people - is such its condition that is not confined to clinical manifestations of the body and is defined by its values and motivational attitudes regulating behavior of the young people in the society. In general, social health can be defined as some condition reflecting life potential of an individual young person and his/her attitude towards surrounding world and self. In the format of declining social health of the Russian youth it will be threatening to the society and its stable development, its potential of military and national security. Speaking about national security, it should be noted that it is the method of functioning of the social system ensuring keeping its social health, sustainability and vitality in the process of interaction of its structural components (subsystems: socioeconomic, political, informational, cultural, demographic, etc.; elements: social groups, institutions, individuals) among themselves and with the environment while existing and development of a society [3, p. 58-64].
Thus, danger as a way of existence of the social system becomes the basis for the destruction of social health, stability and viability of a society. The definition of "national security" includes a combination of different
factors: military-political, economic, intellectual, spiritual and social potential (in this context, the potential of social health).
Social health of the young people is not only some property of an individual, society and the state, but it is also the factor of socio-economic, political, national security and defensive potentialities of the state. Since the mid-1990s of the last century the problem of the correlation of social health of the young generation with the level of national and military security of the Russian state became the focus of attention of domestic scientists: sociologists and political scientists in connection with noticeable falling of the level of social health of the young nation. This interdependence is objectively predetermined the fact that caring for social health of the young people has become a priority direction of the state youth policy, one of the central priority tasks of which is "saving" of the young nation (population protection). As A.P. Savchenko underlined, population protection is the main objective criterion of the effectiveness of any social doctrine [4, p. 260-273].
The problem of population protection involves preservation of human potential, which, in turn, has a direct impact on a priority component of national security - military security. Since the world community has initiated not only great powers of creation, but also created serious means of destruction, destruction of the population, causing great harm to its social and physical health, the most important of such means are the means of military purpose. In order to resist this type of threat and damage society in the process of its development has formed special institutions, organizations, material and technical base.
On the socio-political level, social health of youth acts as a factor of formation of political reflection, the consciousness of the young people, their aims, beliefs and views about certain issues relating to military service.
For formation of readiness of youth for military service it is important to consider not only needs and motivational sphere of a personality, his/her development level and physical health, but also peculiarities of his/her social health. Because, first, by means of social health of the called up it is possible to estimate fighting capacity, fighting professional potential of the young people, that allow supposed enemy to increase or reduce its forces and means for sufficient offensive or retaliatory blow. Second, by means of social health of the armed forces personnel it is possible to evaluate morally-psychological component of military readiness of the army and to calculate probable social and psychological losses.
It should be noted that the ongoing transformation of the Russian society and the Armed Forces, will inevitably lead to changes in the type of the young people called up for military service. In particular, according to the results of the empirical studies of K.V. Shevchenko, the consequence of many negative changes in the system of value orientations of the young people and lowering of the level of social health, its depatriotiza-tion, is a significant reduction in the degree of genuine and professional readiness of the young people to defend their Motherland not only in terms of military activity, but also in other socially significant spheres of life of the society [5].
According to military specialists' evaluations dealing with the problems of preparing the youth for military service, its moral and psychological conditions and social health at the present time: "dropped below the lower limit". This conclusion is based on very low quality of the Russian youth of called up age, which have worsened over the past two decades. So, the number of the young people who did not study or work anywhere (39%) before being called up for military service increased significantly. Sociologists give disappointing figures: about 10% of the recruits already have a diagnosis of drug-addiction, 12% regularly used alcohol, "...every fifth person before military service violated the law, each third has a serious psyche deviation, one in ten is inclined to suicide [6, p. 116]." This is a good illustration of the result of social unhealthiness of the youth. According to other sociological researches, the most important positive qualities necessary for service in the army, sufficiently formed only in the sixth part of recruiting young people. A large part (about 85%) demonstrates these qualities poorly, or do not show them at all. Of course, at such a low level of development of important social qualities in the young people of military age, one cannot talk about any complete realization of most called up young people their military and patriotic duty to defend the Motherland.
Due to the fact that the assessment of the condition of social health of the youth of military age, as well as its positive socially significant qualities becomes more objective after finding out and taking into account their activity, i.e. actually observed manifestations in specific conditions of military service, respondents were asked a corresponding question: "Which of the following qualities characteristic of social potential, in your opinion, have formed among the majority of the members of the collective team, where you are, and will be manifested by them in the conditions of military service?" The answers to the question showed that the level of formation of socially significant qualities, as an indicator of social health of the youth of military age in terms of their real demonstration, necessary for the fulfillment of the young people their military and patriotic duty is extremely low. And this is confirmed by the following specific positions: only 8% of respondents among recruiting youth is able to "strengthen the best traditions in the collective team and the family"; 10% can "act in accordance with the requirements, with high moral principles"; 11% " are ready to help, to protect the weak"; 14% "can combine their own interests with the interests of the others"; 17% are aware of their biological and social needs. Also very few, only 13% of the recruits are able to "persevere in achieving the goal, comparing it with the interests of society, collective", 19% "show constant interest in the problems of the society, collective,
others and, if possible, participate in their solution", while 22% "are responsible for some activity" and able to work conscientiously, with commitment, in the frames of the interests of the entire society [5, p. 64-66]. The obtained results show that most youngsters do not have an appropriate level of social health, as they are affected by institutional risks and, as a result of the influence of risk-forming factors, they have not formed the necessary qualities to perform military duty, to implement the functions of defense of the Fatherland, its strengthening and development in every sphere of our society.
Among institutional risks, manifested in the sphere of military security, and influencing the formation of readiness of the youth for military service, it is possible to distinguish the following:
- lack of a clear strategy of youth policy in the field of social health, contributing to the solution of problems of personal self-determination and identity formation of young people;
- reduction in age limit of early nicotinism, alcoholism, drug addiction and substance abuse;
- early commercialization of the youth, determining the rate of violations in its social and moral development;
- personal and moral immaturity;
- inadequate coping strategies of the young people in the situation of social exclusion, deprivation and, consequently, appearance and growth of social alienation and disintegration [7].
This raises the problem of formation of social health of the youth as a factor contributing to the development of its readiness for military service and, thus, to ensure national security. The starting point for the formation of readiness of the youth for military service, in our opinion, is the corresponding value basis - presence in the structure of life values of the called up those inclinations, which are responsible for the formation of motivation of the young people for military service.
We conducted a sociological survey of the students - interrogated 104 young men from Southern federal university in 2018 with the aim to find out their attitude to the military service and considering it as a future profession, etc.
To sum up shortly the results, we can say the following. 48% of respondents want to serve in the army explaining that by the wages paid to the officers, they also believe they have a duty to the nation, regardless of title or they grew up in military families. 49% after graduating from the military department will not go to serve because they have a good job and are going to go up the career ladder and create good conditions for the future family. 72% approve the service by contract because of the officers' rank, good position and salary. 4% found it hard to answer of that. The remaining 24% believe the service by contract to be meaningless, they do not intend to serve, as to serve for more than 15 years in the army for an apartment and for a small salary doesn't make any sense when they can achieve more not being in military service. What is the attitude of contemporary students to the upcoming service in the army? Young people learn about the details of military service from a variety of sources: from friends, media, acquaintances, relatives. Conventionally, opinions of the students can be divided into 2 groups: characterizing army positively and negatively. The positive side of the issue highlighted by them in the following words-amplifiers: "protection, power, nuclear power, power, patriotism, Fatherland, duty, education, medals, friendship, bravery, honor, discipline, endurance, virility". The second group with negatively-reinforced negative connotations: "bullying, bad food, hunger, soup, iron beds, peeling potatoes, take a shower together, routine, unfashionable haircut, pity, weariness, a sad face, insomnia, pain, wound, weeping mother, cruelty, delay, coercion, beating, oppression, risk, fear, desertion, stupid management, compulsory cleaning (of snow, toilets)". There are much more words in the second group. In general the terms-amplifiers of the second group are related to nutrition and life, appearance, characteristic events and phenomena relating to the army [8].
One of the hypotheses we have put forward: "recruits have a positive attitude towards the service by contract". This hypothesis was confirmed. The majority responded that today there is a lack of the contract bases.
Today much is said about the necessity of a professional army (the army on a contract basis). Obviously, this transition will happen sooner or later.
Students believe that in order to increase the willingness of recruits to serve, the state should pay more attention to discipline in the service, because "bullying, hazing" is one of the main causes of evasion. The government, in turn, should increase financing of the army, increase its equipment and training. The Respondents explained their negative attitude towards military service by the falling prestige of military service, bullying/hazing, waste of time. Here are some such statements: "I would like to serve, if it were safe", "I would serve if I'd been paid a good salary, well-fed and there was not bullying/hazing", "I don't want to go to the army because of the bullying/hazing" and the like. Young men, physically and psychologically ready for service in the army, can be divided into several groups. The first is with some awareness of the need "to serve". The second group with the inclination in any way to escape service in the army, seeking respite. Another group is united by the belief that their health will not allow them to serve in the armed forces. Readiness of the young recruits for military service is important for the subsequent work of the command of the army on developing military qualities of the soldier-citizen, corporate spirit in the military collective personnel. There is a tendency to evade military service. This is due to several reasons, including fear of health deterioration caused by the service,
desire to use the time required for the service to study, opinion about useless of military service in general and others. Among the reasons of positive attitudes towards the military service is the opportunity "to try personal strength", to become independent from the parents, etc.
Thus, it is evident that social health is a factor affecting all the processes occurring in society. The particular it influences the level of readiness of the young people for military service, since the condition of social health of the defender of the Fatherland depends on qualitative parameters of safe conditions of life of the individual, society and the state.
In this regard, defining a strategic objective of social health of the youth as a factor of ensuring national security and readiness of the young people for military service, it is important to develop carefully a system of measures aimed at formation, keeping and development of social health of the called up people. Military security can be formed only in a certain context as a part of national security, based on the ideals of keeping physical and social potential of the nation.
Bibliography
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СОЦИАЛЬНОЕ ЗДОРОВЬЕ МОЛОДЕЖИ ПРИЗЫВНОГО ВОЗРАСТА В ФОРМАТЕ НАЦИОНАЛЬНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ РОССИЙСКОГО ГОСУДАРСТВА
Гафиатулина Наталья Халиловна, кандидат социологических наук, доцент, докторант кафедры региональной социологии и моделирования социальных процессов, Институт социологии и регионо-ведения Южного федерального университета (344006, Россия, г. Ростов-на-Дону, ул. Пушкинская, 160). E-mail: gafiatulina@yandex.ru
Аннотация
В данной статье социологическому анализу подвергаются проблемы формирования социального здоровья российской молодежи призывного возраста. Социальное здоровье молодежи рассматривается как фактор национальной безопасности, обороноспособности российского государства, который нуждается в повышении социального потенциала молодежи как основного стратегического ресурса общества, поскольку определяет степень ее готовности к военной службе. Выделены институциональные риски в сфере национальной и военной безопасности: отсутствие четкой стратегии молодежной политики в сфере социального здравоохранения, способствующей решению задач личностного самоопределения и формирования идентичности молодежи; снижение возрастной границы раннего никотинизма, алкоголизма, распространение наркомании и токсикомании; ранняя коммерциализация молодежи, детерминирующая рост нарушений в ее социальном и морально-нравственном развитии; личностная и нравственная незрелость; неадекватность стратегии совладания молодежи с ситуацией социального исключения, депривации. Эти риски оказывают воздействие на формирование готовности молодежи к военной службе в Вооруженных Силах России.
Ключевые слова: российская молодежь, призывной возраст, социальное здоровье, национальная безопасность, обороноспособность, готовность к военной службе, военная служба, социальный потенциал, Российское государство.
