Perception of Social Maturity Criteria, Self-perception and Value Orientations among Russian Millennials

Abstract

The difference between generations is becoming increasingly apparent in the modern world. These days, one can observe over and over again how the intergenerational transmission of values is violated, and the differences between generations are becoming more and more noticeable. A number of studies are focused on the features that distinguish modern generations from each other, the values of generations as well as the perception of these values both by a particular generation and members of cohorts interacting with it. Some researchers note that the modern young generation (the so-called ‘Generation Y’, ‘Gen Y’ or ‘millennials’), in comparison with their parents (the so-called ‘Generation X’, ‘Gen X’), is characterised by a rejection of previously accepted criteria for social maturity (which can be understood as compliance with a number of social-psychological standards). However, there are practically no studies addressing this topic. The article describes a quantitative and qualitative study conducted in three stages, which involved 349, 25 and 100 subjects respectively. At the first stage, the data of the Russian longitudinal monitoring survey (RLMS) of households conducted by HSE University were used and analysed; at the second stage, a series of semi-structured interviews was conducted on the topic of perception of social maturity; at the third stage, the values of generational cohorts were investigated using the Rokeach Value Survey (RVS) and the author’s questionnaire, which makes it possible to assess the influence of the cultural context on the formation of values. Within the first (auxiliary) stage, the basic hypothesis was confirmed about the differences in the compliance with the social maturity criteria (age of marriage, presence of children in the family, financial independence) among the young (Y) and older (X) generations of modern Russians. As part of the second stage, the features of the perception of these differences were identified. And at the third stage, it was proposed to interpret the differences using the values identified in millennials and the features of the perception of these values by themselves and Gen Xers.

Responsibility as a criterion for determining personal maturity

“…In particular, the research of V.P. Pryadein showed that in the period of early adolescence and maturity, the predominance of such qualities as sociocentrism, awareness, results-oriented, internality, satanism, egotism in the structure of responsibility was noted [1,2]. Each of these qualities, which were noted to be related to the quality of responsibility, will be of great importance in the formation of maturity.…”

“…Each of these qualities, which were noted to be related to the quality of responsibility, will be of great importance in the formation of maturity. In particular, a person's tendency to evaluate his behavior from a social point of view (sociocentrism), to have a clear idea of the outcome based on conscious motives in each case (awareness, result-oriented), the tendency to search for the causes of events in his life (internality), the predominance of activity-stimulating emotions (satanism) is undoubtedly embodied as important signs of psychological maturity [1,4].…”

“…It is known that in the practice of psychodiagnostics widely used methods developed on the basis of the theory of locus control to check the level of development of a sense of responsibility. This approach is based on the idea that in the type of internal locus control, a person takes responsibility for the events that take place in his life, seeks the causes from him [1,2]. Indeed, even in specialized scientific research, it has been proven that people with a well-developed sense of responsibility tend to be more internalist in interpreting the behavior not only of themselves but also of others.…”

The influence of the pedagogical technology for motivation development on the value self-determination of students with a high level of creative thinking

“…Conversely, modern scientific and technological progress is characterized by continuous innovations and reaches such a level that requires a specialist to pursue continuous development, and, accordingly, continuous professional and personal growth. In turn, pedagogy currently provides opportunities for young people, using which they will be able to meet the requirements of modern society completely, although it is worth noting the diminishing humanitarian component of higher education, which can have a negative effect on the innovative component of the educational process (REZNICHENKO MERZLYAKOVA, GOLUBEVA & BIBARSOVA, 2020;RIKEL, 2020). Indeed, as noted by a group of scientists from High Point University (USA), choosing the right pedagogy is the first step towards the correct mastery of knowledge by a student (SAHAGUN ET AL., 2021).…”

(Non)adult Generation: A Model for Studying the Generational Relativity of Maturity Assessment

“…Представления о взрослении стабильно остаются камнем преткновения в вопросе конфликта поколений в силу очевидной значимости этой темы в русле взаимодействия между «отцами» и «детьми». Здесь играет роль не только фактор психологической сложности перехода во взрослое состояние у подростка и отображение этой сложности в семейных отношениях: масло в огонь «подливает» социальный контекст, формирующий различное представление о взрослости у разных поколений (Рикель, 2019;Rikel, 2020).…”