The Prevalence of the Ideas of Nationalism Among Young People (The Case of Young People of Yekaterinburg, Russia)

Abstract

The ideas of nationalism in the practical discourse of the media and the speeches of politicians are often negative; the ideas of the superiority of some nationalities over others and the spread of conflicts are emphasized. From the point of view of scientific discourse, nationalism is perceived both as a negative and as a positive phenomenon for maintaining the stability and the fundamental strength of the state. The importance of studying the prevalence of the ideas of nationalism is associated with working with young people who often act as a “risk group,” that is, those who, failing to understand the depth of the process, are prone to sympathize and even participate in nationalist events and organizations. To identify the prevalence of nationalist orientations, a sociological survey was conducted in the form of an enquiry (N = 638) among various categories of young people (students in schools, colleges, technical schools, and universities). It is shown that among the young people there is no adequate idea of nationalism, which is often disguised as patriotism. A university student can most adequately assess the existence of nationalist orientations in publications on social networks, in the media, in the speeches of political leaders, therefore, schoolchildren and students of secondary vocational education are most susceptible to the development and distribution of nationalist ideas. A special group — a risk group — includes students in a difficult financial situation.