The foundations of national unity in the assessments of the North Caucasus youth: Russian civilizational community and ethno-confessional variability

Annotation

The relevance of the study is related to the growing confrontation between Russia and the West, which is of a value-based and ideological nature. The consolidation of the multi-ethnic and multi-confessional people of Russia presupposes reliance on Russian civilizational heritage, reproduction of the unique value foundations of Russian identity in a multi-ethnic youth environment. In the domestic scientific and political community, an understanding of patriotism has formed as the desired national idea that unites the multinational Russian people. It is based on socio-political, sensory-emotional and social components, readiness for socially significant activities, protection of the country, its culture, history and the Russian language. The empirical basis was the data of a 2024 sociological study aimed at determining the unifying potential of Russian civilizational foundations in the assessments of multiethnic youth of the North Caucasus. The sample population consisted of university students from the multiethnic North Caucasian republics and the Stavropol region ( N = 1 500). Quotas by nationality and religion were allocated to compare the value profiles of various subgroups selected by ethnic and religious self-identification. The results of the study suggest persistent differences in the formation of Russian civilizational foundations between religious (Orthodox and Muslim) and non-religious young people. Presumably this is due to the high degree of individualism of non-religious young people. For them, patriotic principles that are collectivist in nature, associated with the defense of the country, culture, language and national consolidation are less significant. Variability in assessments of Russian civilizational foundations is largely determined by religious affiliation. In general, we can talk about a high level of formation of the Russian civilizational foundations of national unity in the minds of young people. The variability in their assessments is largely determined by their religious affiliation.

Keywords

• youth
• north Caucasus
• religion
• nationality
• national unity
• Russian Civilization
• patriotism
• sovereignty
• defense of the country
• ethno-confessional specifics
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Contribution of the authors

Avdeev E. A. – development and conceptualization of the article, one-factor ANOVA of empirical data, generation of tables and diagrams, analysis of secondary data, drawing conclusions and recommendations; Erohin A. M. – conceptualization of the article, qualitative analysis of the results of empirical research, formation of the relevance of the research problem; Vorobev S. M. – development and conceptualization of the article, description of the results of empirical research, drawing conclusions and recommendations.

Acknowledgments

the study was carried out within the framework of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation “Civilizational foundations of the Russian identity of the North Caucasus youth: national unity and ethno-confessional specificity” (FSRN-2024-0019).

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