The Structure of Urban Identity of the Volgograd Youth

Abstract

The article presents the results of an empirical study of the structure of urban identity of young people. The relevance of the study is due to the fragmentary scientific knowledge of the concept of urban identity and the significant role of this phenomenon for the competent formation of the brand and image of the city. The practical implication of the study is mediated by the influence of the content and specificity of the formation of urban identity on the idea of a person's psychological and economic well-being within a certain place of residence, satisfaction with the quality of life, the level of tolerance and the characteristics of migration behavior. We based the empirical study on a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection revealing the semantic nature of the phenomenon of identity. The ratio and content of the main components of urban identity was measured with the help of questionnaires and psycho-semantic methods: the method "Who I am" by M. Kuhn and T. Mcpartland in the adaptation of T.V. Rumyantseva; method of writing compositions on the theme "My city"; a technique of unfinished sentences; questionnaire for collecting factual data, including the factors according to M. Lalli. The data obtained we processed through content analysis and descriptive statistics. As a result, the author described the main components of urban identity in the indigenous, living in Volgograd since birth, and nonindigenous residents of Volgograd – cognitive, emotional, motivational and behavioral. We also analyzed the content of the image of the city presented mainly in the minds of the Volgograd youth by the historical heritage of the city and its attractions; defined the attitude to the city, including feelings of different modality – from pride to resentment and anger; stated the features of migration behavior with contradictory content. The results can be taken into account both in the practice of social support of migrants, in the creation of programs of Patriotic education of young people, and in the process of creating a competent brand of Volgograd.