Dynamics of the model of patriotism in the minds of senior students in the regions of Siberia in the context of the changing geopolitical situation

Abstract

This article concerns the 9–11 grades students in the regions of the Siberian Federal District and analysis of their ideas of the image of a patriot and the relevant normative models of behavior. Based on a comparative analysis of the data of mass surveys conducted by the questionnaire method in the fall of 2020 and 2022, the authors conclude that the young people understand patriotism as love for the homeland most particularly, expressed through a complex of emotional and cognitive qualities. At the same time, the authors note that as a result of the significant government’s activation in patriotic education of the youth, as well as of the ongoing foreign policy confrontation, there has been an increase in the “blind” and “active” patriotism popularity among high school students. Meanwhile, the number of respondents who have not set their own understanding of a patriot image, is reducing. The students show a peculiar reaction to the formalist nature of a significant number of patriotic events: the authors observe the strengthening of students’ conviction in the individuality of the feeling of patriotism and the absence of the need for its centralized formation. The use of cluster analysis made it possible to divide the respondents into 5 clusters depending on their ideas of the image of a patriot: 1) supporters of the “blind contemplative patriot”, 2) “blind active patriot”, 3) “constructive contemplative patriot”, 4) “constructive active patriot” and 5) “undecided”. There is a predominance of clusters of “blind contemplative” and “constructive active”, and among them, the age delimitation have been established. In conclusion, the authors note a general increase in patriotic sentiments among high school students in the regions of the Siberian Federal District, however, they raise the question of the degree and factors of sustainability of this trend as a basis for further research.