Native Languages Education as a Factor in the Formation of the Well-Being and Quality of Life of Children and Youth of the Indigenous Minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation

Abstract

The quality of life is determined by approaches to its assessment, including analysis of the effectiveness of measures to improve it. Russia has accumulated empirical data on socio-economic factors of well-being and quality of life of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East, however, there is a lack of knowledge about the degree of influence of educational policy in the field of preservation and development of national languages and culture on them. The purpose of the work is to assess the social situation related to the availability of education in the native language as a condition for the formation of well-being and quality of life of children and youth of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation. The study included 2 parts: analysis of macro-level indicators of the quality of life of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East based on data from ethnic statistics, general statistical indicators, educational statistics; a survey study in which young people of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation from 8 regions of the Russian Federation participated. The study obtained reliable and representative data on the learning conditions and factors of subjective well-being of the youth of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East living in different regions. The use of comparable indicators to assess the social situation in several subjects of the Russian Federation makes it possible to correctly compare the quality of life of the youth of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East with their peers living in the same territories of the Russian Federation, but not belonging to these ethnic groups. The results of the study made it possible to fill in the lack of data on the potential for the preservation and development of native languages and cultures of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East. Knowledge of the mechanisms of formation of attitudes and behavior of young people is important for Russian society, as it is associated with making decisions about potential risks for a special socially vulnerable and difficult-to-study part of the Russian population. The complex use of socio-psychological research and analysis of statistical data made it possible to triangulate various sources of information and identify significant factors of well-being and quality of life of the indigenous minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation.