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1Journal of Sociology: Bulletin of Yerevan University 2024, Vol. 15, No. 1(39), June, 15-27 https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU:F/2024.15.1.0 15
THE STRUCTURE OF PATRIOTISM AS A UNIVERSAL VALUE IN THE SYSTEM OF VALUE ORIENTATIONS OF RUSSIAN STUDENTS AND ITS PRACTICAL PROJECTIONS*
Dmitry Chekmenev , ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9216-2557 Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor, Department of Creative and Innovative Management and Law, Pyatigorsk State University, Russia. Email: [email protected]
Ekaterina Efimova , ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3475-4412 Candidate of Economic Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Creative and Innovative Management and Law, Pyatigorsk State University, Russia. Email: [email protected]
Elena Davydova , ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2869-3959 Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Department of Creative and Innovative Management and Law, Pyatigorsk State University, Russia. Email: [email protected]
Abstract. The article delves into the structural aspects of patriotism as a universal value within the value system of Russian student youth. It aims to pinpoint and analyze practical manifestations of patriotism among this demographic. The relevance of this study is underscored by several factors: the presence of various external threats that necessitate a strong societal cohesion, with patriotism serving as a key factor in achieving this; and the ongoing efforts in contemporary Russia to reinforce traditional values, including patriotism, making it crucial to understand how these values are embraced by student youth. The authors of the article aim to analyze the ways in which patriotic values are expressed among Russian student youth. They utilize empirical data gathered from completed questionnaires by first-year students who participated in the competition "Facts of Russian Statehood." By examining these materials, the researchers seek to identify and generalize the specific features of how patriotism is manifested among this demographic. The authors highlight the features of the patriotic manifestation among students in the content aspect (patriotism is a broad category), associative (patriotism is a multi-level concept) and activity (patriotism has a clear practical content) ones.
Key words: social values, patriotism, value orientations, youth, structure, goals and types of patriotism
Received: 24.05.2024 Revised: 01.07.2024
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom- Accepted: 02.07.2024 mercial 4.0 International License. © The Author(s) 2024
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СТРУКТУРА ПАТРИОТИЗМА КАК УНИВЕРСАЛЬНОЙ ЦЕННОСТИ В
СИСТЕМЕ ЦЕННОСТНЫХ ОРИЕНТАЦИЙ РОССИЙСКОЙ СТУДЕНЧЕСКОЙ МОЛОДЕЖИ И ЕГО ПРАКТИЧЕСКИЕ ПРОЕКЦИИ
Дмитрий Чекменев, ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9216-2557 доктор политических наук, профессор кафедры креативно-инновационного управления и права ФГБОУ ВО «Пятигорский государственный университет».
Email: [email protected] Екатерина Ефимова, ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3475-4412 кандидат экономических наук, доцент кафедры креативно-инновационного управления и права, ФГБОУ ВО «Пятигорский государственный университет».
Email: [email protected] Елена Давыдова, ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2869-3959 кандидат педагогических наук, доцент кафедры креативно-инновационного управления и права, ФГБОУ ВО «Пятигорский государственный университет».
Email: elen.davidova2012 @y andex. ru
Аннотация. Статья посвящена конкретизации структурных особенностей патриотизма как универсальной ценности в системе ценностных ориентаций российской студенческой молодежи, а также выявлению и обобщению практических проекций проявления патриотизма в среде студенческой молодежи. Актуальность данной темы обусловлена следующими обстоятельствами: во-первых, появлением и мультиплицированием множества внешних угроз, дать эффективный ответ на которые возможно лишь в условиях высокого уровня общественной консолидации, одним из значимых инструментов обеспечения которой и является патриотизм; во-вторых, в современной России реализуется целенаправленная политика по укреплению традиционных ценностей, в число которых входит патриотизм, соответственно существенное значение имеет выявление особенностей его отражения в среде студенческой молодежи. Ключевой исследовательской задачей, поставленной авторами в статье, выступает выявление и обобщение особенностей проявления патриотических ценностей в среде студенческой молодежи. Непосредственными эмпирическими данными для настоящей статьи выступили материалы заполненных анкет студентами первого курса во время участия в конкурсе «Факты российской государственности». Авторами выделяются особенности проявления патриотизма у студенческой молодежи в содержательном (патриотизм - широкая категория), ассоциативном (патриотизм - многоуровневое понятие) и деятельностном (патриотизм имеет четкое практическое наполнение) планах.
Ключевые слова: социальные ценности, патриотизм, ценностные ориентации, студенческая молодежь, структура, цели и виды патриотизма
Introduction
In modern socio-political conditions, which are characterized by the emergence of many previously non-existent threats and challenges associated with the extreme aggravation of the international situation, fundamentally new tasks arise before Russian society. These tasks are significantly related to ensuring civil consolidation based on a new value paradigm. In this regard, in the introductory part to this article, we used, in addition to Russian, Western and Indonesian sources. The use of the latter is due to the intention to show the correlation of Russia's value range with countries, cooperation with which is one of the priorities of its contemporary foreign policy.
First of all, we note that patriotism as a universal social value occupies one of the
most important places in this system. So, Professor A.P. Gorbunov defines state patriotism as one of the factors of Russian civilizational identity, which determines the universal destiny (mission) of Russia (Gorbunov, 2023:19).
At the same time, we assume that the patriotic attitudes of contemporary Russian student youth may not fully correspond to the level assumed by the ongoing state policy, the content of which is determined, in particular, by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2022 No. 809 "On approval of the Fundamentals of State policies to preserve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values"1.
Thus, the problem of this article is to determine the level and structure of patriotism as a universal value in the system of value orientations of Russian students.
Patriotism is a multi-valued concept, in the definition of the content of which there are many points of view in the scientific literature and public discourse. In its most general form, it expresses the attitude towards the Motherland and Fatherland, the bearer of which is a person. This means that the objects of a personal value attitude are loyalty to the Fatherland and love for the Motherland (Matushkin, 2011: 196).
As T. R. Lykova notes in this regard, the modern understanding of patriotism as a phenomenon is characterized by the presence of the following meanings: patriotism as a feeling (for the Motherland, Small Homeland), as a social duty, as a comprehensive readiness to serve the Motherland, and also as a moral (individual, group, collective) principle (Lykova, 2013: 779-780).
In the context of the topic of this article, it should be noted that patriotism is a moral category that incorporates both individual and civic qualities of an individual. Thus, patriotism at the personal level acts as the most important characteristic of a person who realizes that the significance of his activities and his social role are institutionalized by the state and are developed precisely in the processes of social interaction. At the same time, at the macro level, patriotism is a significant part of public consciousness, which is manifested in public sentiments and assessments of one's people, their culture, history, state, and values.
Indonesian researcher M.A. Yusuf points out a remarkable practical manifestation of patriotism, illustrating the highlighted features of patriotism as a moral category. In his opinion, one of the forms of love for one's country is paying taxes, such behavior contains the spirit of patriotism2.
In terms of defining the key structural elements of patriotism as a phenomenon, we note that in general, the subjects of patriotism are:
- personality, specific citizen;
- a social group identified according to traditional characteristics (territorial, demographic, socio-economic, political, etc.);
- strata, layers, ethnic groups (various levels of development);
- citizens of the country (its people).
Analysis of scientific literature and public discourse indicates the existence of
1 Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of November 9, 2022 No. 809 "On approval of the Fundamentals of State Policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values". Spravochno-pravovaya sistema "Konsul'tant Plyus" (Reference and legal system "Consultant Plus"). Retrieved from https://www.consultant.ru/. (in Russ.).
2 Yusuf, M А. Pengertian Patriotisme: Tujuan Dan Jenis-Jenis Patriotisme (The concept of patriotism: goals and types of patriotism). Retrieved from https://www.gramedia.com/literasi/patriotisme/ (in Indonesian).
different points of view regarding the object of patriotism. The most obvious one is that the object of patriotism is the Motherland, the Fatherland. At the same time, we must clarify that these concepts have different levels from the macro level of the country to the Small Homeland, home and even family.
Based on the differentiation of various subjects and objects of patriotism, the following types of patriotism are distinguished:
- state (object - country) and regional (object - Small Homeland) patriotism;
- patriotism aimed at improving a certain area in one's Fatherland;
- patriotism of a cultural and historical type.
We also note that patriotism is characterized by significant dynamics, which leads to the emergence of its new types and interpretations. So, for example, V.I. Lutovinov identifies such a relatively new direction of patriotism (appeared in the late 1990s) as "civil patriotism." Its most important elements are freedom, equality, civic morality, involvement in the problems of the state and society, pride in the region, city, home, sports team (Lutovinov, 2013).
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy identifies such new and relatively new and updated types of patriotism as: constitutional patriotism (loyalty to the Fatherland, understood as a constitution created and protected by citizens), contractual patriotism (commitment to a set of principles and an agreement to support and promote certain public obligations), patriotism of freedom (loyalty to general freedom, non-acceptance of the nation state)3.
Here we should note that in Western discourse the attitude towards patriotism is clearly contradictory. Indicative in this regard is an article published in the Washington Post by columnist E.J. Dionne "We shouldn't turn our backs on American patriotism", in which he states that he has no doubt about the merits of American patriotism as a constructive alternative to divisive and aggressive forms of nationalism, emphasizes that American patriotism is not based on strength and power, but on loyalty to equal rights of all to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is noteworthy that the article evoked active responses from readers, often completely polarizing. For example, the reader's opinion, which is completely opposite to the author's position, is indicative; he stated that he denies patriotism, and his relationship with his country is similar to his relationship with the electricity supplier: both are contractual in nature4.
At the same time, we note with confidence that patriotism in Russia at the present stage is a real value that has the highest consolidating significance.
In our opinion, patriotism includes a set of patriotic feelings, beliefs, ideas, as well as traditions and customs, and also acts as one of the significant social values that have a systemic impact on its subsystems. As one of the most important spiritual assets of a person (personality), patriotism characterizes his civic maturity and is manifested in its self-realization for the benefit of the Motherland (Fatherland).
It is important to note that manifestations of patriotism are found at various levels and spheres of socio-political and private life. Thus, Indonesian researcher A. M. Sari
3 Patriotism (First published Mon Jun 1, 2009; substantive revision Wed Dec 16, 2020). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/patriotism/
4 Dionne, E. J. Jr. (2019). We shouldn't turn our backs on American patriotism.The Washington Post, July 3. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/we-shouldnt-turn-our-backs-on-american-patriotism/2019/07/03/f2dc1b86-9ce8-11e9-b27f-ed2942f73d70_story.html
gives the following examples of manifestations of patriotism in everyday life:
- in family life: watching patriotic films; reading books on the history of the Fatherland; displaying the national flag on holidays;
- in school life: integration of patriotic content into educational materials;
- in public life: manifestation of social solidarity; maintaining harmony among fellow citizens by respecting differences and preserving unity;
- in political life: studying the Constitution as the basis of the state; support for government policies aimed at the progress and prosperity of the nation; development of productive business activities to support the country's economy.
Based on these examples, A.M. Sari concludes that by practicing patriotism in our everyday life we can contribute to the building and development of our country5. Looking ahead, we note that the conducted practical study of the characteristics of the manifestation of patriotism by Russian student youth confirms that in their perception, patriotism has a variety of manifestations, including those at the level of personal life.
Patriotism is a powerful factor and tool for mobilizing the broad masses to achieve socially significant goals. For example, M. A. Yusuf points out the importance of patriotism in a multinational state. He states that it is our collective responsibility to foster a sense of love for our country and our people, especially since the Indonesian people have different ethnic groups, races, cultures and religions. This attitude is important for maintaining national unity6. In the same vein, Indonesian researcher B. N. Pasla, characterizing the content of patriotism, emphasizes that it includes respect for ethnic, religious and cultural differences in countries7.
At the same time, a significant feature of patriotism is the possibility of its use by opposing forces of one country within the framework of internal socio-political confrontation. Thus, an article in the Washington Post by columnist G.F. Will, "Our notions of patriotism are mistaken" examines the differences in interpretations of patriotism by representatives of various political forces in the United States - supporters of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the BLM movement, etc. They put their own meanings into "their patriotism," which often completely contradict the meanings of their opponents8.
In the context of the problems of this article, the public discourse of patriotism in university life seems interesting. In 2020, at the General Ahmad Yani University (Indonesia), as part of a set of patriotic events, an open lecture was held on the topic "The role of patriotism in the fourth industrial revolution", at which it was noted that the younger generation, which will become the successor to the nation in the industrial era of the fourth industrial revolution must "have a spirit of patriotism." Students facing the era of the fourth industrial revolution must have faith, enthusiasm, be vigilant, have a
5 Sari, A. M. (2023). Patriotisme: Pengertian, Ciri-ciri, Tujuan, dan Sikap dalamKehidupanSehari-hari (Patriotism: Definition, Characteristics, Goals and Attitudes in Everyday Life). Retrieved from https://fahum.umsu.ac.id/ patriotisme-pengertian-ciri-ciri-tujuan-dan-sikap-dalam-kehidupan-sehari-hari/ (in Indonesian).
6 Yusuf, M А. Pengertian Patriotisme: Tujuan Dan Jenis-Jenis Patriotisme (The concept of patriotism: goals and types of patriotism). Retrieved from https://www.gramedia.com/literasi/patriotisme/ (in Indonesian).
7 Pasla, B. N. (2023). Sikap Patriotisme: Pengertian dan Contoh (Patriotism: concept and examples). Retrieved from https://pasla.jambiprov.go.id/sikap-patriotisme-pengertian-dan-contoh/ (in Indonesian).
8 Will, G. F. (2021). Our notions of patriotism are mistaken. The Washington Post, April 16. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/patriotism-is-a-contested-concept-but-it-shouldnt-fade-to-something-only-dimly-remembered/2021/04/14/5a16dee4-9d32-11eb-9d05-ae06f4529ece_story.html
clear orientation and be useful to other people. In addition, they must also be adaptable and environmentally conscious, think clearly, be creative, innovative and disciplined9.
To summarize, we note that patriotism in Russian scientific discourse and the discourse of friendly countries is a significant value that has personal, civil and sociopolitical significance. At the same time, the public discourse of patriotism in Western countries is significantly different, demonstrating the virtual absence of any common position; moreover, their experience demonstrates the possibility of using patriotism by opposing political forces.
Research methods
In theoretical terms, this article is based on civilizational and value-oriented approaches. In terms of determining the actual structure of patriotism, we proceed from the fact that it includes the following components:
- knowledge is a set of knowledge of official symbols, history, factual information, social and political structure of the country;
- content is the direct essence of patriotism;
- associations are a set of connections between patriotism as a concept and concepts, facts, phenomena and processes of the surrounding reality;
- activity is a set of actual practices associated with patriotism.
The empirical research methods used have been questionnaires and interviews. To process the responses received, statistical methods have been applied, as well as content analysis. Content analysis (analysis of the semantic bases of a text) refers to quantitative research methods in sociological science; domestic researchers note that in modern research, when carrying out content analysis, it has shifted from describing the specific content of the text to identifying the hidden content context in the text being studied (Pashinyan: 2012) .
Research material
The immediate materials for the study have been, firstly, the materials of completed questionnaires by first-year students of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Pyatigorsk State University" during their participation in the competition "Facts of Russian Statehood", which was held at the university in the context of the Russian Statehood Day celebration. Secondly, when preparing the article, we used the data presented in the analytical report "Results of monitoring the value orientations of modern youth 2022"10.
Research results and their interpretation
The starting point of this study is the individual results of sociological research presented in the analytical report of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Institute for
9 Hadapi Revolusi Industri 4.0 Dan rindam IV Bekali Semangat Patriotisme (The role of patriotism in the fourth industrial revolution) (2020). Jenderal Achmad Yani University._ Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost. com/opinions/patriotism-is-a-contested-concept-but-it-shouldnt-fade-to-something- https://unjava.ac.id/hadapi-revolusi-industri-4-0-danrindam-iv-bekali-semangat-patriotisme
10 Analytical report "Results of monitoring the value orientations of modern youth 2022" (2023), Moscow: Institute for the Study of Childhood, Family and Education of the Russian Academy of Education. (in Russ.).
the Study of Childhood, Family and Education of the Russian Academy of Education"11. They reflect the attitude of young people towards the Motherland, the key findings among them for the issues of this article are the following:
1. According to teachers, young people (the categories of 15-18 years old and 19-20 years old were analyzed) do not show much interest in politics in general. Some cases of increased interest are episodic in nature and are the consequences of some high-profile events that directly affect the interests of young people. An illustrative example here is related to the events in Ukraine.
2. It seems significant that a significant amount of young people report the absence of sources of information that would inspire confidence in these sources. At the same time, there are also groups that trust various Internet sources, as well as those who trust official media.
Next, we will directly examine the features of the patriotic value attitudes manifestation, and in a broader context - the attitude towards the Motherland.
1. Patriotic events in Russian educational institutions are held on a regular basis. They are mostly dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. According to statements from teaching staff, this issue is of significant interest to young people. At the same time, and this is fundamentally important, teachers emphasize that patriotic education activities of a different kind (thematic focus) ensure the formation of patriotic values with significantly lower efficiency, and in some cases cause a negative reaction.
2. Most young people consider themselves patriots. At the same time, there are statements related to the differentiation of the country and power. However, teaching staff point out the significant fact that the overwhelming majority of young people call themselves patriots, but they (teachers) cannot clearly call their students patriots.
Here we can assume that there is a certain gap between the declared position and the implemented everyday practices and their assessment by the social environment.
3. According to teachers, young people do not have a complete understanding of patriotism, which is replaced by its fragmented abstract representation. In this form, patriotism is identified with love for the Motherland, respect for the historical heritage, in which the Great Patriotic War plays a decisive role. It is important that, as the study in question has shown, the Small Homeland is poorly projected in the patriotic attitudes of contemporary youth.
At the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Pyatigorsk State University" since September 2023, the discipline "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" has been included in the educational process, within the framework of which, at the end of September 2023, the competition "Facts of Russian Statehood" was held, dedicated to the Day of the Origin of Russian Statehood (September 21 ).
The purpose of the competition was to assess the level of knowledge of first-year students in the field of history of the Russian state and statehood, identify the development level and projection of manifestation of the values of patriotism and citizenship among students.
Implicitly, by holding this competition, the formation of a cultural, spiritual and moral foundation of a developed personality among students was intended to ensure. Also in this regard, it was intended to provide systematically the opportunities for the
11 Ibid, pp. 22-30.
involvement of first-year students in the social and scientific life of the university.
The competition task consisted of three parts.
1) the test part, which included 20 multiple-choice questions;
2) the creative part 1, which included 4open-ended tasks;
3) the creative part 2, which included ltask.
A total of 465 1st year students took part in the competition.
The analysis of the results of students completing the test, creative parts of the competition task allows us to conclude that the participants demonstrated:
- knowledge of official symbols of Russia and their history;
- creative skills;
- the presence of personal event experiences associated with the practical implementation of patriotic values.
Thus, the answers of first-year students obviously indicate that they share the value of patriotism and the real presence of its knowledge, content, associative and activity components. This shows that the value of patriotism for first-year students is not an abstract concept.
Next, we will look at the substantive aspects of the answers to the questions of the second and third parts, which included the following five questions:
1) an explanation of what the Motherland means;
2) associations that the Motherland evokes (the answer was proposed to be given in poetic form);
3) specification of the qualities that characterize a patriotic citizen of Russia;
4) description of personal experience associated with manifestations of patriotism;
5) choosing one of the following questions to answer it:
- Which military and patriotic holidays are celebrated in Russia every year, what do they mean to you?
- How do you think the concepts of "patriotism" and "Motherland" are connected?
- Does patriotism always manifest itself during military operations or global conflicts?
- At which moments do you feel proud of your country?
- "As soon as I hear the word Motherland, it immediately comes to mind..."
- What does it mean to be a patriot in modern Russia?
1. Explanation of what Motherland means. In this part, we deal with the rational component.
Content analysis of the answers given by students allows us to identify the following prevailing semantic areas which they associate with the meaning of the Motherland:
- one's own country, region, city, village (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "This is my country, my land", "Favorite city", "Native expanses, the Caucasus mountains", "The small cozy village in which you were born and spent the happiest moments of your life");
- one's own family, people (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "Family and close people", "The place in which the cultural environment of your family or the entire people was formed");
- personal emotional attachment (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "My soul and heart", "Memories from childhood and school years");
- symbols of Russia.
Based on these data, it seems possible to draw the following conclusions: firstly, the concept "Motherland" as an object of patriotism has a fairly broad meaning among students - in addition to the country itself with the corresponding state attributes, it is also a small Homeland and even a native locality. Secondly, the concept "Motherland" is linked inextricably with family and people, that is, it has conceptually obvious social projections. Thirdly, the concept "Motherland" also has significant emotional projections among students based on an inextricable personal connection with it.
2. Associations with the concept "Motherland". Students were asked to give answers in poetic form. In this part, we deal with the emotional component.
Content analysis of the answers given by the students allows us to identify the following prevailing semantic areas which they link to associations with the concept of the Motherland:
- a great, beautiful country (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "Great, mighty power", "Admire all your beauty and kindness of soul", "And give your life for us"):
- native land (the most illustrative example of answers is: "A native song of green and yellow villages");
- emotional characteristics (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "Kind", "Tender, affectionate");
- serving (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "Our goal is to protect you, preserve and multiply your gifts", "You are our home and we are proud of it", "preserve, love, protect", "And in moments of pain I am ready to defeat anyone with love for the Motherland");
- protection (the most illustrative example of answers is: "You won't know war").
These provisions indicate that the concept "Motherland" has an obvious emotional
content among students; it is absolutely not reducible to the knowledge component; on the contrary, it evokes a clear emotional and personal response. It is important that this feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
3. Specification of the qualities that characterize a patriotic citizen of Russia. In this part, we deal with the description of personal qualities (their breadth and depth), which, according to students, are inherent in a patriotic citizen.
Content analysis of the answers given by students allows us to identify the following prevailing semantic components, which they associate with the qualities that characterize a patriotic citizen:
- knowing history (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "He respects, honors and remembers the history of his country", "He knows the history of his people");
- not being indifferent to the future of the country (the most illustrative example of answers is: "He worries about the future of his country");
- acting in the interests of the common good (the most illustrative example of answers is: "He acts for the common good, for the people");
- providing protection (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "He protects his family, relatives and friends, home and the Motherland").
These data make it possible to identify the set of qualities and characteristics that students endow with a patriotic citizen: he knows and respects the history of the country, his Small Homeland, he is not indifferent to the future of the country, he acts in the name of the common good (common - from the level of the country to the level of his loved ones), ready to defend his family, home, Motherland.
We can conclude that for students, patriotism manifests itself at all social levels; it has both an intellectual component and a specifically active one.
4. Personal experience related to manifestations of patriotism. Here we deal more with practical projections of patriotism.
Content analysis of the answers given by students allows us to identify the following prevailing semantic components that they associate with such personal experience:
- pride for the country (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "I carried an honorary vigil of memory at the "Flame of Eternal Glory" memorial in full dress uniform," "Participated in the parade on the May 9 holiday," "I witnesses transformations in all spheres");
- activity (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "I picked up garbage on Mashuk (a local mountain, local public recreation place) with my family", "I saved a kitten from being torn apart by dogs", "I represented my Motherland in an international competition");
- pride for the people (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "At the initiation of 1st year students, when they showed us Caucasian folk dances", "I am incredibly proud that we have so many talented young people", "I saw what goals my compatriots had achieved ");
- observance of customs (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "They baked pancakes on Maslenitsa (unofficial holiday in Russia)", "I attend church with my brothers and grandmother", "On Easter we exchanged Easter sweets");
- defending the honor of the Motherland (the most illustrative examples of answers are: "Represented Russia at a school event", "I performed at city, regional and international competitions, defending the honor of my city/region/country", "Participated in an intercity competition").
The data presented indicate evidently that students see clearly the practical projections of patriotism; moreover, in the overwhelming majority of qualitative responses, there is a description of personal experience associated with the practices of implementing patriotism. This indicates that patriotism is not just an abstract value for students.
5. Selecting and answering one out of five questions. Here we have selected answers that have a high frequency of repetition, and also, to a certain extent, diverge from the conclusions of the study that we presented above.
- What military-patriotic holidays are celebrated in Russia every year, what do they mean to you? The most illustrative examples of answers are: "February 23 is the Defender of the Motherland Day." "May 9 is Victory Day." "June 12 is Russia Day." "We celebrate May 9 with the whole family. We remember relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War", "Day of Logistics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation", "Day of Railway Troops", "Day of Airborne Troops".
Content analysis of the responses received indicates, firstly, the significance of Victory Day on May 9 for young people; secondly, and more significantly, Victory Day is clearly associated with the personal experience of celebration, the memory of relatives who fought at the front; thirdly, there are answers indicating family involvement, family significance, family traditions of celebrating military and patriotic holidays.
- How do you think the concepts of "patriotism" and "Motherland" are connected? The most illustrative example of answers is: "Patriotism is love for the Motherland." We
do not find any other noteworthy points on this issue; patriotism is clearly identified by students as love for the Motherland.
- Does patriotism always manifest itself during military operations or global conflicts? The most illustrative examples of answers are: "No, not always", "Patriotism is also manifested in helping the Motherland, not necessarily in a military form."
Content analysis of the responses received merely confirms the circumstance that we have already noted above: students perceive patriotism as a broad category that, of course, has a "military component" in various options, but it also has an obvious humanistic, general social component.
- At what moments do you feel proud of your country? The most illustrative example of answers is: "When I see what heights it has achieved."
Content analysis of the responses received indicates that they see real reasons to be proud of their country and feel a sense of belonging to them.
- When I hear the word Motherland, it immediately comes to mind... The most illustrative examples of answers are: "When I hear the word Motherland, my native Stavropol region and its open spaces, the streets of Pyatigorsk come immediately to mind," "Mashuk, where I like to walk with my mother, at any time of the year it is beautiful and it is very pleasant to be there," "Home, family, fragments from childhood."
Content analysis of the responses received confirms that in their perception, the Motherland is both a country, a Small Homeland, and a native locality, and there is a clear connection with personal experience (always positive) and personal emotions.
- What does it mean to be a patriot in modern Russia? The most illustrative example of answers is: "I believe that the important qualities are compassion, courage and bravery."
Content analysis of the responses received confirms again that for students, the set of qualities that characterize a patriot includes qualities of general social and humanistic nature, which we have already noted in this article.
Conclusions
1. Under modern social and political conditions, which are characterized by the emergence of many new threats and challenges associated with the extreme aggravation of the international situation, fundamentally new tasks arise for the Russian society. Solving these problems is largely related to the intensification of cooperation with "friendly" countries. A brief analysis of the scientific and public discourse of patriotism in one of these countries, Indonesia, shows that it has a clear direct correlation with the Russian value system.
2. Having the Motherland (Fatherland) as the key object, patriotism is a multifaceted, complex phenomenon. As one of the significant social values, it combines political, social, cultural, spiritual, moral and historical components. Patriotism is also one of the most important principles and motives of any social activity of the individual, state and society.
3. In the structure of patriotism, as a universal value in the system of value orientations of Russian student youth, four components are distinguished: knowledge-based, content-based, associative and action-based.
4. The results of the study indicate a fairly high level of knowledge of student youth in key issues of state symbols of Russia, its history, as well as key facts of its social and political structure.
5. In terms of content, patriotism seems to be a fairly broad category, including the levels of both the Small Homeland and even one's own family and personality. The component of the Small Homeland plays the most significant role. No less important is the fact that patriotism has a significant humanistic content along with a clearly fixed traditional readiness to uphold and defend the interests of the Motherland.
6. The associative range of patriotism seems to be as broad as its content: it is multilevel (from the country to one's own personality); along with the obvious rational component, it has developed emotional manifestations, which indicates the presence of personal involvement and refutes possible fears of its formalization and "officialization."
7. In terms of activity, the value of patriotism among students has a specific practical content from their own experience, which is a consequence of its structural features outlined above.
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Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no ethical issues or conflicts of interest in this research. Ethical Standards
The authors affirm this research did not involve human subjects.
