Dynamics of generation values and environmental ethics in the information space: case of a metropolis and regional centre

Abstract

The article presents the values of generations living in different regions of North-West Russia. The research identified changes in the values of generations over the period of 2009–2018. The first stage was conducted in 2009, the second one in 2018. The study involved 769 people (288 men and 481 women) aged 16-83 living in Arkhangelsk and Arkhangelsk region, St. Petersburg and Leningrad region. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study was a sociological approach to generations as well as socio-psychological interpretation of a generation as a large social group. We tested our hypothesis ether there are any differences in generational values and how they changed since 2009 in a Metropolis and Regional Centre. We studied values using the Russian version of Schwartz’s Value Survey adapted by V. Karandashev (Karandashev, 2004). Statistical analysis was carried out with the help of Statistica 10.0 software package. We calculated primary statistics and used the criteria analysis applying the Mann-Whitney criterion (Z). The results showed that: 1) values are a good indicator for monitoring the processes of social and individual change resulting from historical, social, and personal events; 2) value orientations of residents of a metropolis demonstrate relatively high stability; 3) values of older generations are more stable; 4) younger generations contribute most to the generational dynamics of values.