Characteristics of Young People’s Social Activity in Adaptive Situations

Author Name(s): Grigoryeva Marina V.
Author Email: grigoryevamv@mail.ru

Abstract

The urgency of the topic is conditioned by the necessity to define which characteristics of young people’s social activity are expressed to a greater and to a lesser extent in adaptive situations. The purpose of the study is to identify characteristics of young people’s social activity in situations of psychological adaptation. The sample consisted of 200 people, mean age 22,7±4,2, 47% male. The authors of the study developed a unique technique for analysing characteristics of personal and group social activity in adaptive situations based on the criteria of direction, range and content (Cronbach α from 0,8 to 0,86 on various scales, which is significant at р<0,01). It has been found out that the direction of young people’s social activity in adaptive situations is related to organization of social interaction, self-cognition and self-changes. In adaptive situations young people more often implement their activity at the interpersonal and small group level. According to the content of social activity in adaptive situations, young people are mainly focused on constructive and productive attitudes, while protest and opposition to change attitudes are opposite in their modality, but nevertheless very well expressed.

Introduction

The phenomenon of individual social activity has attracted the attention of many researchers. In psychology the subjects of the study are psychological and socio-psychological characteristics and indicators that affect the result and the process of individual’s functioning in the society. Young people are a social group that is at the stage of integration into social, business, and professional relations. The development of society as a whole depends on the direction and content of activity that young people will implement. Researchers recognize the significant role of young people’s social activity in the development of society as a whole, however, young people themselves assess their social activity as moderate one, but higher than social activity in older generations [1], [2], [3]. Scientific sources point out that young people are prone to altruistic social activity in situations and events organized by other people, while their initiative and independence remain at a low level [4]. Among the most influential factors of young people’s social activity are the family and career factors, at that the first factor is characteristic of the province, while the second factor is typical of central large cities [5]. Description of young people’s social activity is presented mainly through certain forms of social activity, among which educational and leisure activities are the most significant ones [6; 7]. The phenomena of young people’s socio-economic and political activity have been recently discussed as well [8]. Under dynamic conditions of the modern society, young people need to adapt to new conditions of life and integrate into social relations quickly and successfully. Since life and activity conditions are constantly transformed, the problem of social activity implementation in adaptive situations arises, due to the fact that these conditions are subjectively new for a person and sometimes difficult to understand and problematic, as the old ways and means of activity cannot be used. There are very few studies on young people’s social activity in psychology in connection with psychological adaptation. In order to understand how a person copes with difficulties in new situations, which allows him/her to be more or less active, it is necessary to determine which characteristics of young people’s social activity are the most and the least expressed ones in adaptive situations. The aim of the study is to identify the characteristics of young people’s social activity in situations of psychological adaptation.

Conclusion

Thus, we have analysed activity characteristics based on the criteria of direction, range and content, which brings us to the following conclusions: 1. The direction of young people’s social activity in adaptation situations is primarily associated with the organization of social interaction, as well as self-knowledge and self-changes, which determine the importance of personal potential and social interaction in psychological adaptation and coping with difficulties. 2. Transition to a different social environment for young people in adaptation situations is preferable to attempts to qualitatively change social environment, which indicates, on the one hand, the maladaptation result of coping with specific difficult situations, on the other hand, can be a sign of young people’s social courage. 3. In adaptive situations young people implement their activity mainly at the interpersonal and small group level, at that interpersonal relationships play the most significant role for young people in adaptation and overcoming difficulties. The wider social environment of social institutions and the society as a whole attract young people to implement social activity in the event of adaptation situations to a lesser extent, which indicates a low transformational potential of young people at the social level as a whole. 4. According to the content of social activity in situations requiring adaptation or overcoming difficulties, young people are mainly focused on creative and productive attitudes. At the same time, the opposing attitudes of protest and opposition to change are significantly expressed. In adaptive situations, young people are focused on activity related to entertainment, creativity, collective sports and professions to a much lesser extent

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