Political moods of Russian youth: common state and distinctive features

• Main Author: A. Yu. Stanevich
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Publishing House of Lomonosov Moscow State University 2019-01-01
• Series: Vestnik Moskovskogo Universiteta: Seriâ 18, Sociologiâ i Politologiâ
• Subjects: political mood; social mood; public opinion; mass consciousness; youth; political activity; political attitudes
• Online Access: https://vestnik.socio.msu.ru/jour/article/view/484

The following article highlights the applied aspect of studying of political moods. The author gives definition of under investigation phenomena on the grounds of theoretical analysis of approaches of sociologists to studying of political moods. The applied aspect of given work is connected with analysis of results gathered during initiative all-Russian poll which was conducted on December 15–25 of 2017. The poll was executed among young people in the age of 18–30 years old. The survey was conducted online. According to the author’s definition, political moods include the following categories: political attitudes, political expectations and political behaviour. Given categories provide the basis for formation of indicator groups, on which the author’s survey is conducted. The following indicators express political attitudes: interest to politics, attitudes to democracy, interaction with the authority and their evaluation, evaluation of political atmosphere and attitudes towards opposition. Political expectations are understood as the set of the following indicators: expectations from authority and from presidential elections in March 2018. Politically directed behaviour is understood as intention to participate personally in politics and the forms of participation, readiness to vote and to participate in protest actions. The author offers to review the results of her survey, in which it is emphasized on demography features of political moods of Russian youth. By results of the survey, it was revealed that political moods of Russian youth are contradictory: on the one hand, young people give neutral-negative evaluations of political reality, on the other hand, they are set-up to stability and at the same time, they demonstrate low political activity.