An Image of the Future and the Algorithms of Social Mobility of Young People in Modern Russia

This article examines the process of social mobility of Russian youth in relation to the changed social context of modern Russian society that is in the condition of transition to the information stage of development. Theoretical and methodological foundations of the study of social mobility, using the chronological, local and paradigmatic criteria are summarized and analyzed. The choice of life strategies of young people is investigated through the implementation of cluster analysis of the mass survey results. The youth’s perceptions about the main scenarios of sociocultural development of the Russian society have been studied empirically; the interrelation of value orientations of the respondents and their views, concerning basic social values, the perception and planning for the future forms in the context of the comparison of the obtained clusters have been determined. The algorithms’ typology of the new generation social mobility, taking into account the specifics of the Russian social reality is being developed. The study shows that the image of the personal future and the choice of the algorithm of its achievement by the youth in modern Russian reality is determined not only by the social status of the young person, but also imply the freedom of individual choice. This study contributes to the further development of the issue of correlation of social mobility and the temporality of human lif