Value and worldview orientations of russian youth in a regional perspective: by the example of Orel region

Abstract

Background. The value and worldview orientations of young people influence not only individual behavioral strategies but also determine the reproduction and changes of society’s social structure, institutional norms, participation models, and social practices. The purpose of this study is to identify the structural features of the value and worldview orientations of student youth in Orel region and demonstrate how they relate to the devel-opment of life strategies in the context of sociocultural transformation. Materials and methods. The empirical basis consisted of data from the All-Russian Public Opinion Foun-dation (FOM) study “Traditional Values in Russian Societyˮ (August 9–11, 2024, n = 1,500, 53 constituent entities of the Russian Federation) and the results of the author's research in Orel region: an online survey of student youth (September–October 2024, n=500) and a qualitative study using the unfinished sentence method (n = 120; thematic blocks: purpose in life, family, homeland, education, future of the region). Comparison of quantitative distributions with qualitative semantic interpretations made it possible to iden-tify a stable “coreˮ of values, ideas, and attitudes that are subject to construction and transformation. Results. It was established that, among regional youth, basic values (family, homeland, education, work) remain highly significant, despite their semantic moderniza-tion. Family provides stability and support and is perceived as the most important institution in life. Identity is primarily associated with the small homeland and the country; Citizenship is understood as a combination of belonging, responsibility, and participation. Education and work are interpreted both instrumentally (as opportunities for social mobility and financial independence) and normatively constructively (as conditions for personal development and social significance). Conclusions. It has been proven that the regional sociocultural context influences not so much the composition of the core value system as the ways it is interpreted and implemented, forming a hybrid structure of orientations that combines traditionalism, individualism, and civic responsibility. The study’s uniqueness lies in its methodological integration of federal Public Opinion Foundation data and a regional mixed-methods study, which allows us to identify the mechanisms by which traditional values are adapted to a specific territorial context. The practical value of the results lies in their ability to substantiate targeted youth policy measures in Orel region aimed at supporting self-realization, strengthening social institutions, and enhancing the region’s innovative potential.