Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 The Kaleidoscope of Adolescence: Experiences of the World's Youth at the Beginning of the 21st Century
- 2 Demographic Trends Affecting Youth Around the World
- 3 Adolescence in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Image Constructed from Africa's Triple Inheritance
- 4 Adolescence in India: Street Urchins or Silicon Valley Millionaires?
- 5 Adolescence in China and Japan: Adapting to a Changing Environment
- 6 Youth in Southeast Asia: Living Within the Continuity of Tradition and the Turbulence of Change
- 7 Arab Adolescents Facing the Future: Enduring Ideals and Pressures to Change
- 8 Adolescents in Russia: Surviving the Turmoil and Creating a Brighter Future
- 9 Adolescents in Latin America: Facing the Future with Skepticism
- 10 Adolescents in Western Countries in the 21st Century: Vast Opportunities – for All?
- 11 Adolescence in Global Perspective: An Agenda for Social Policy
- Index
- References
8 - Adolescents in Russia: Surviving the Turmoil and Creating a Brighter Future
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Contributors
- Preface
- 1 The Kaleidoscope of Adolescence: Experiences of the World's Youth at the Beginning of the 21st Century
- 2 Demographic Trends Affecting Youth Around the World
- 3 Adolescence in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Image Constructed from Africa's Triple Inheritance
- 4 Adolescence in India: Street Urchins or Silicon Valley Millionaires?
- 5 Adolescence in China and Japan: Adapting to a Changing Environment
- 6 Youth in Southeast Asia: Living Within the Continuity of Tradition and the Turbulence of Change
- 7 Arab Adolescents Facing the Future: Enduring Ideals and Pressures to Change
- 8 Adolescents in Russia: Surviving the Turmoil and Creating a Brighter Future
- 9 Adolescents in Latin America: Facing the Future with Skepticism
- 10 Adolescents in Western Countries in the 21st Century: Vast Opportunities – for All?
- 11 Adolescence in Global Perspective: An Agenda for Social Policy
- Index
- References
Summary
Introduction
Adolescence is when young people, for the first time in their lives, must become truly social agents – free but also responsible to make choices and commitments that to a large extent define their “social destiny,” that is, their places and roles in society often for the rest of their lives. Hence, in order to understand adolescents, it is critically important to understand the socioeconomic and cultural-historical dimensions of the society that the young people are entering as they prepare to become its full members. However, the reverse is also true. The society itself is perhaps well understood only when we have an idea of who the young people populating it are, how these people are adapting to and participating in society's transforming structures, and what the trends are that specify the life course of its younger generations.
This certainly holds true for the Russian society. The education and development of the younger generation is a key factor in this country's future. Today's adolescents in Russia grew up in an unusually turbulent and dynamic sociocultural and political context. It is today's adolescents who have suffered most because of the worsening conditions in schools due to lack of funds for education. But it is also they who grew up in freedom and can now appreciate an unprecedented access to information and diverse education, can plan more varied career paths due to the emerging, more dynamic job market, and can generally enjoy advantages brought about by democracy.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The World's YouthAdolescence in Eight Regions of the Globe, pp. 243 - 275Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2002
References
- 7
- Cited by