The Role of Values in the Commitment of Young People to Various Types of Social Activity

Abstract

Objective. To identify the role of values in commitment to various types of social activity.Background. The social activity of young people is the driver of the development of society. It contains very different initiatives – ranging from civil, political and economic to subcultural and radical protest. The most important task is to study the value factors of a person’s commitment to various forms of activity. Such scientific knowledge will allow us to establish the features of the value regulation of activity.Study design. The relationship between values and commitment to various forms of social activity. The presence and peculiarities of the relationship were recorded through correlation and regression analyses.Participants. 500 residents of Russia (average age M=21,6; 35,5% men, 64,5% women).Measurements. A questionnaire was applied, including 18 scale questions, meaningfully describing the forms of social activity (Shamionov R.M., & et al. ), followed by factorization of the data obtained, on the basis of which “new” variables of civil, protest, Internet-network and leisure activity were derived; “Portrait value questionnaire” Sh. Schwartz (PVQ-R2) with fixation of 19 basic values.Results. Various forms of social activity of young people form 4 enlarged groups (types) based on factor analysis: civil, protest, leisure and Internet network. The commitment of young people to leisure and Internet network activity is most pronounced. The interrelationships of types of activity and values cover all sectors of the circular motivational continuum of values. Schwartz. Values explain from 22% to 8% of the variance of different types of social activity.Conclusions. The most important prognostic values are the values of traditions and care for nature with low expression of the value of public safety (civic activity); universalism-care, power with low expression of the values of public safety and benevolence-care (protest activity); the value of stimulation, tradition and benevolence-care (leisure); values of independence-actions, power-resources with low expression of traditions (Internet-network).