Image Of Modern Youth As A Reflection Belonging To A Particular Subculture

Abstract

The article presents the results of an empirical study of students' attitude to the components of the image as a reflection of their belonging to a particular subculture. The study involved Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University students in the amount of 100 people (students of the departments of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science, Foreign Languages, Psychology, and Physical Culture). Image actions are considered as external (behavioral) characteristics due to internal psychological (ideological and axiological) attitudes. The subcultural context is represented by the peculiarity of verbal language and non-verbal communication channels, including gestures, fashion, rituals, etiquette, etc. The study used a questionnaire and free description technique “Who am I?”. It is suggested that integration and interpenetration of the symbolism of some youth subcultures into others takes place today, which leads to their confusion, loss of identity. Image preferences are identified, the causes and individual personality characteristics of the respondents that influence the formation of a specific image are studied. The importance of external and internal image components and etc. for self-identification of modern youth is shown. It is revealed that modern young people negatively relate to nationalism and violations of traffic rules; they do not see anything bad in careerism, they are indifferent to imitating the western way of life, consumerism, thingism, dependency. According to respondents, to be considered modern, a young person should be socially active, patriotic, tolerant.

Keywords: Imagesubculturestudent youthattitude

Introduction

The relevance of this topic is dictated by the current political, economic and socio-cultural situations in the Russian society. Young people now have freedom of expression, using a variety of ways and means, starting with the appearance and ending with the freedom of artistic creation. Young people are characterized by increased manifestation of social activity, as well as, due to age, have the greatest chance to realize their own interests. This age manifests itself by the following processes occurring with a young person: physiological maturity, final formation of personality, formation of a full member of all spheres of public life, including economics, politics and family relations (Erokhina, 2006).

Youth is a social and demographic social group distinguished basis on a set of characteristics, peculiarities of social status and determined by certain socio-psychological properties, which are specified by the level of socio-economic and cultural development, features of socialization in the society. Modern age limits are from 14–16 to 25–30 years (Kalinina, Dekina, & Romashina, 2012).

Problem Statement

The disclosure of psychological patterns of human perception and understanding, specifics of the first impression phenomenon formation, socio-psychological effects and mechanisms of interpersonal and intergroup perception, study of the content of social representations and stereotypes, mass communication processes have prepared the basis for meaningful appeal to image issues. The image is not isolated, it is initially included in a “package” of images, allowing it to realize its functions, especially the function of psychological protection (Shepel, 2002). The number of images depends on age (a critically large number of images falls on the age of socialization) and gender; it has a threshold saturation limit associated with worldview and power requirements.

At the present stage of Russian society evolution, the development of various subcultures takes place in the youth environment.

Youth subculture is a form of self-actualization of young people. Representatives of subcultures use their particular forms of culture coding and create semiotic diversity in it. It is in the youth subculture that not only a peculiar verbal language of communication is created, but also non-verbal communication channels, including gestures, fashion, rituals, etiquette and much more. Fashion is one of the regulators of social and economic relations in modern society (Lukov, 2002). Fashion is not only a means to demonstrate social status, but also a means for people to communicate, a form of mass communication. Fashion can function as intergroup communication and as intragroup one. Fashion is associated with the main social and psychological mechanisms of communication: suggestion, infection, persuasion, imitation (Turkatenko, 2007).

Currently, the concept of image is interpreted widely enough and includes a number of components. The image clearly shows not only the personality of the young person, their personality, but also professional affiliation. Consciously built image allows a person to gain the authority of others, to outline the path of career growth, self-design, personal development. To competently build your own image, it is important to exercise self-knowledge in order to reveal your strengths and weaknesses (to understand your Self you need to answer such questions as who I am; what I am; what my personality is; what my originality is; what confirmed achievements in the chosen field I have already had; what positive features are manifested in the most evident way; what my abilities are developed; and what can I rely on when building my own image); learn self-presentation (reflect on what impression I make on others; what emotional background I create around myself; what others feel next to me; whether they want to continue communication with me; and also to design what level I want to go to; what image I want to create; the carrier of what idea I am, in order to become interesting for others as a person and a professional). In general, it can be said that the image includes a stable set of associations that people have after contacting or mentioning a person; in other words - “aftertaste”.

The term "image" is legitimate to use in relation to a particular subculture. The external image of the youth subculture consists of various forms of verbal, visual, ethical, aesthetic expression and behavior, and the subjects are the people who come into direct or indirect contact with it (Shepel, 2002). The diversity of lifestyles in modern society generates a variety of image mass actions, openly expressing their interests and slogans, which are filled with a special meaning and are understood as a sign of protest or support for something that has a certain idea. Thus, it is possible to speak about image as a sign system, which is a complex of external symbols and behavioral (internal) attitudes of a particular person or group of persons. Image actions are a complex sign system that includes not only external symbols, but also internal characteristics of a particular social group, for example, a youth subculture. All this proves the importance of the image in the youth subculture (Erokhina, 2006).

As one of the assumptions of our study, we put forward the idea that at present many symbols of the youth subculture are erased; integration and interpenetration of the symbolism of some subcultures into others takes place. They are no longer of paramount importance and subcultures themselves often do not try to observe the longstanding traditions of their predecessors. As a rule, each emerging youth subculture is initially an individual manifesto, a challenge to society. Preservation and observance of group symbolism allows to show individualism and possibility of self-expression, both in appearance and in creativity.

Image actions are a complex sign system that includes not only external symbols, but also internal characteristics of a particular youth subculture (Erokhina, 2006). Therefore, we can talk about the importance of the image in the youth subculture as one of the main ways of self-expression. The image not only plays an important role in the lifestyle of the youth subculture, but also dictates its own rules and norms as interpersonal (intragroup) communication, and is a distinctive sign of social groups, thanks to which one subculture recognizes its members and recognizes people belonging to another subculture, which allows subcultures not to mix and lead a more or less peaceful coexistence. The image appears as a sign of identification as of young people and as of a protest symbol of modern society. For some youth subcultures, this protest turns into a political one; on the basis of such a manifesto, the subculture of punks, which symbolizes disagreement and disobeying social norms and laws of the state (Levikova, 2004), was born in its time.

Research Questions

Image actions are a complex sign system which includes both symbols of the appearance of youth subcultures and symbols of various forms of young people's artistic creativity and their spiritual experience. How do subcultures, as a social and cultural phenomenon, influence and shape certain attitudes, lifestyles and behavior among young people (Shepel, 2002).

Purpose of the Study

Research Methods

In order to study the students' attitude to the issue of image and to identify the motives, reasons forming one or another image within the framework of the organization of the activity of the student research laboratory 'Opinion' (Kalinina & Pazukhina, 2018), a monitoring study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire. The developed questionnaire consisted of 15 questions. The questionnaire used closed, open and semi-closed types of questions.

Findings

As a result of the survey on the studied issue, the following results were obtained.

Conclusion

Thus, the external image of the modern young people consists of various forms of verbal, visual, ethical, aesthetic expression and behavior, and the subjects are the people who come into direct or indirect contact with them. The diversity of life styles in modern society generates a variety of images of young people who openly express their interests and slogans, which are filled with a particular meaning and value in the subculture and can be understood in this community as a sign of protest or support for something that has a specific idea. The image of modern youth is a sign system, which is a complex of external symbols and behavioral (internal) attitudes of a particular person or group of people and reflects their belonging to a particular subculture.

References

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