CIVIL AND REGIONAL IDENTITY OF CHUVASHIA STUDENTS: ETHNIC ASPECTS

Abstract

The relevance of the research is determined by the importance of strengthening the general civil Russian identity in new historical conditions. The purpose of the study is to examine the features of general civil and regional identity of Chuvashia students depending on their ethnicity, to identify common and special in the choice of the Chuvash, the Russians and people with complex ethnic identity. Materials and methods. The authors rely on the method of studying identity developed in relation to the Russian practice by V.A. Tishkov, L.M. Drobizheva, M.K. Gorshkov, M.N. Guboglo and other researchers. The study is based on the constructivist approach. The empirical material is composed by data from a survey involving 517 students of the Chuvash State University, the Chuvash State Pedagogical University and the Chuvash State Agrarian University conducted in March 2023. The processing was carried out using the SPSS Statistics program. Study results. The data obtained indicate a significant commitment of the student youth to the all-Russian self-determination, which is typical for respondents of different nationalities. At the same time, differences were recorded, for example, the Russians more often choose general civil identity, and the Chuvash – the regional one. The position of students with a complex ethnic identity occupies the place between the Chuvash and the Russians. Conclusions. It should be noted that an important element of the student youth’s self-consciousness is a high level of commitment to the general civil Russian identity. The difference between representatives of different nationalities is determined not by ideological positions, but by the peculiarities of ethno-cultural development. At this, it should be borne in mind that identities are characterized by active dynamics, they are not contradictory, but complementary to each other.