CORRESPONDENCE Ekaterina Lutsenko Luce-ekaterina@yandex.ru
© 2016 Lutsenko et al. Open Access terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) apply. The license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, on the condition that users give exact credit to the original author(s) and the source,
provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if they made any changes.
Introduction
On the one hand, political and legal consciousness reflects the actual
situation in the country or region, it as if mirrors the political and legal system,
social existence. Meanwhile, it influences essentially the development of the
political and legal situation. The legal consciousness is a system of rules,
prohibitions and permissions learnt by the subject of social relations (Stuart &
Lido, 2011). A healthy legal consciousness and respect for laws not only regulate
the citizens' behavior but also adds stability to the state as a whole (Utami,
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION
2016, VOL. 11, NO. 16, 8981-8990
KEYWORDS
ARTICLE HISTORY
Political consciousness, legal consciousness, youth,
social movement, rights and liberties
Received 14 May 2016
Revised 12 July 2016
Accepted 29 July 2016
Political and Legal Consciousness of Young People in
the Region (a Case Study of Jewish Autonomous Region)
Ekaterina Lutsenko
a
, Yulia Tyurina
a
, Irina Korolyova
a
, Stanislav
Shishmakov
a
, Vladimir Shishmakov
a
and Natalia Nikolaeva
a
a
Sholom-Aleichem Priamursky State University, Birobidzhan, RUSSIA
ABSTRACT
The paper deals with particularities of political and legal consciousness of young people
in view of a region against the background of the general standpoint of the Russian
citizens and Russian youth in questions of the political and legal spheres. The opinion of
the young people and citizens of the country as a whole is evaluated based on the results
of authors' sociological questionnaire surveys conducted in Jewish autonomous region and
questionnaire surveys of the population of Russia conducted by Levada-Center and the
Public Opinion Foundation. The political and legal consciousness in a social relations
subject is formed under the effect of the entire complex of factors and is determined by
the historical, political, economical and other conditions of the subject's life activity. In
it, both the emotional and the rational, experience and traditions, moods and
stereotypes are interweaved. While performing a number of regulatory, communicative
etc. functions, the political consciousness is a kind of indicator that allows
understanding, estimating the place and role of this or that subject (population as a
whole, a social group, an individual) in politics. Legal consciousness is the most closely
associated with the political one. It reflects political and economical interests,
knowledge and evaluations of the laws, standards, social relations regulators accepted in
the society.
OPEN ACCESS
8982 E. LUTSENKO ET AL.
Bangun & Lantu, 2014; Rajwani & Liedong, 2015; By & By, 2008). In this sense,
it is essential that it is social subject who is the carrier of political and legal
consciousness. The political consciousness reflects the political existence, it is an
estimation of the opportunity to become a participant of political processes and
events and the potential ambition to take part in them (Ward, 2012). Here the
ideas about political rights and liberties, understanding of their being
guaranteed and of the opportunity to use them can also be referred (Singleton &
Straits, 2010). This is a view of the political system as a whole, unlike the legal
self-consciousness which is determined by the legal regulation of social
relationships (Peacock & Sherman, 2010). The political and legal consciousness
influences the regulation of social processes (Spence,1980) and promotes
consolidation of the society members on the basis of ideas and values prevailing
in the social consciousness.
From the viewpoint of social and demographic characteristics, the political
and legal consciousness is a unique phenomenon (Bryman, 2012). It begins to
form at a rather young age and is prone to change throughout the social subject's
life (Biguenet & Schulte, 2010). Certain demographic characteristics associated
with this process can hardly be identified, yet, nevertheless, it is youth that is a
special social and demographic group in this case. The political and legal
consciousness of this group is most actively being filled with images, values and
attitudes due to the age-related particularities (Baker, 2011). At this age, the
main task is the rise of identification, including the legal and political one.
Against the background of separation from the parental family and ambition to
be independent, the susceptibility to the ideological "noise" becomes
dramatically stronger. Actually, a young person just cannot but accept whatever
ideas – this is their critical need. The entire question lies in what sort of ideas
and to what actions they are going to push the youth (Finn & Zimmer, 2012). On
the other hand, the more passive and indifferent the modern youth will be to the
political processes in society, the fewer chances the society has for development
(Schilder, 1975). It is the young people that are the powerhouse of the future.
This is why the authors turned to analyzing the political and legal consciousness
of youth within this study.
Literature Review
In such a rapidly changing political situation as that of the world level
(Wealthall, 2009), as well as directly in the Russian society, the political and
legal consciousness of youth as the most socially active part of the society
reflecting the entire range of evaluations, active or passive stance, the young
Russian citizens' participation in political processes is of special interest
(Levitskaya & Fitterman, 1976). All the more so as the results of the research
conducted by the Russian sociologists in the recent years showed that youth was
a politically passive group of population: the majority of the young people were
not members of political associations, political parties and trade unions, and
were little interested in politics.
The particularities of political and legal consciousness of the youth can be
revealed through their attitude to politics and perception of laws and norms of
society (Goetz, 2014), through the direct participation in political and legal
processes of the society – such as membership in party, youth and other
organizations influencing the political sphere or acting on it otherwise,
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION 8983
participation in elections, as well as through identification of the civic stance of
the young generation of the Russian citizens.
Political consciousness is known to have a concrete historical character
(Fuchs, 2006). This distinctive feature determines its changeable nature
(Betekhtina & Olukhov, 2012). With regard to this, it is not only the historical
stages that matter in this case but also the area of residence, which is directly
associated with the development of economy, social sphere, features of culture
and other regional particularities (Giddens,1995). This has determined an
additional aspect of this research.
The political and legal consciousness of youth in the regional section
(Mason, 2015) is of special interest against the background of the general
standpoint of the Russian citizens and Russian youth on political and legal
issues in the country, which seems to be possible to consider by turning to the
authors' sociological questionnaire surveys conducted in Jewish autonomous
region and to questionnaire surveys of the Russian population conducted by
Levada-Center and the Public Opinion Foundation.
Research Methods
Judging by the sociological questionnaire surveys of 2014, the major part of
the Russian citizens (85 %) as a whole shows nihilistic moods as for their
participation in politics. The question "Can such people as you influence the
state decision making?" was answered as "Rather no" by 38 % of the Russian
citizens, as "Definitely no" – 47 %. In particular, from the respondents
answering the question in the negative, it is only 19 % that are prepared to
personally take a more active part in politics. The answer "Definitely yes" was
opted for by 2 % of the respondents, and the "To some extent yes" option was
chosen by 17 % of the respondents.
According to the data of 2014 questionnaire survey, the Russian citizens'
unwillingness to participate in politics was first of all explained by the fact that
the Russian citizens do not consider themselves as an active subject of politics at
all. So, 32 % of those answering the question "Why do you not want to actively
participate in politics?" mentioned that "Politics is not for ordinary citizens,
politics is what the authorities are busy with". A part of the Russian citizens
when answering this question demonstrated disbelief in their opportunities of
influencing the politics again by choosing the answer (23 %) "Anyway you cannot
change anything…". For one fifth of the respondents, the cause of unwillingness
to participate in politics is lack of consciousness (20 % chose the answer "I am
busy with my daily affairs…"), and almost for the same quantity of the
questionnaire survey participants, the cause was lack of knowledge (18 % of
answers – "I do not understand anything in politics…") (see Table 1) (Bazhenova
& Lutsenko, 2016).
Russian youth also steps back from the political sphere. 37 % of the young
people are interested in politics while 62 % do not show any interest for it. The
most apolitical group is those aged 18 to 29. A comparatively high interest in
politics is shown by the young people having a higher education and financially
provided for, they discuss the political events with their peers more often.
Therefore, the high resources groups of youth perceive the political information
more frequently than the low resources ones, as well as they convey and
interpret it in their circles. There were no significant differences discovered
8984 E. LUTSENKO ET AL.
between the working and studying youth in their perception of politics, but both
categories are more included into the information space of politics as compared
to ones who neither work nor study.
Table 1. Distribution of answers to the question " Why do you not want to actively
participate in politics?" (in percent from the quantity of ones not willing to take part in
politics)
Answer options
Quantity of
answers, %
Politics is not for ordinary citizens, politics is what the authorities are
busy with.
32
Anyway you cannot change anything, "a whip cannot stand up to an axe".
23
I am busy with my daily affairs and I do not have time for politics.
20
I do not understand anything in politics, I do not know how the
authorities work.
18
Politics is a dirty business, one does not want to get sullied.
16
I do not want to stand out among others: most people are not interested
in politics.
7
I am scared of persecution on the part of the authorities, it is better to
keep away from politics.
3
Other causes
3
On the contrary, the young citizens of Jewish autonomous region (JAR)
show an interest for the political sphere. So, the question "To what extent are
you interested in politics?" was answered in the positive by 37,3 % of the
respondents. They are actively interested in the political problems and they
follow the development of the political situation. 14,6 % of the respondents
showed an interest in politics from time to time – they sometimes listen to the
information about politics on the TV and radio. 21,4 % of the respondents said
that politics was interesting for them and they think it possible in the future to
take part in elections as a candidate while 26,7 % of the respondents participate
in various level elections.
The opinion of the young citizens of JAR about politics as a whole is not so
positive. The greater part of the region youth (48,6 % men and 39,8 % women)
have a negative attitude to politics believing that politics is an activity of people
and groups for obtaining the access to the power. 38,8 % men and 39,8 % women
understand by politics a complex of measures and actions for achievement of
welfare of the entire society. 21,4 % of all the surveyed ones were not sure to
define the term "politics".
The direct participation of the Russian citizens in politics is clearly seen by
their party activity and expression of will in the electoral process. According to
2014 questionnaire survey of Levada-Center, as compared to 40 % of the
Russian citizens demonstrating an active interest for the political events, it is
only 2 % that take an active part in the activity of a political party or are keen to
support it (Table 2). In particular, when answering the question about the
opportunity to influence the authorities, the Russian citizens are skeptical about
the social activity on the whole as well as to participation in protest campaigns.
For instance, only 5 % of the respondents think that the citizens of Russia can
have their problems solved via their activity in parties, trade unions and other
public organizations, and only 4 % believe this can be achieved through
meetings, marches and strikes (Table 3).
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION 8985
Table 2. Distribution of answers to the question "Which of the following statements is most
up to your attitude to politics?"
Answer options
Quantity of
answers, %
I take an active part in the activity of a political party / group or I am keen
to support it.
2
I am interested in following the political events in Russia but I do not
participate in the activity of any political parties / groups.
40
I am rather indifferent to the political life in Russia, I care little about it.
30
I do not like politics and I am not going to worry about it.
23
I am not sure.
4
Table 3. Distribution of answers to the question "How can the citizens of Russia get their
problems solved in the quickest way today?"
Answer options
Quantity of
answers, %
By supporting during elections the political forces prepared to tackle their
problems
10
By active participation in the social activity (that of parties, trade unions
and other public organizations)
5
By participating in protest campaigns: meetings, marches, strikes
4
As for the Russian youth, judging by the questionnaire survey conducted by
POF, 12 % of the young people having taken part in the research do not exclude
for themselves a possibility to become activists of a party, while 81 % excluded
such a possibility and 7 % of the respondents were not sure to answer.
Meanwhile, just 3 % of the young people aged 18–30 were really members of a
party in the recent year or two (see Table 4). Although other age groups show a
low level of involvement into the party activity too, the index of participation of
3 % is yet the lowest one.
Table 4. Distribution of answers to the question "Please say if you have happened or not to
be a member of a political party in the recent year or two?"
Answer options
Groups of the respondents
Population as
a whole
aged 18–30
aged 31–45
aged 46–60
older than 60
I have
5
3
5
6
5
I have not
95
97
95
94
95
I am not sure
0
0
0
0
0
Judging by the results of the questionnaire survey, the regional youth is
more keen on the party activity. The data of the research conducted have shown
that some 23 % of all the surveyed ones are members of parties or movements.
The youth of JAR has got an interest for and need of being active in public
youth associations and they place high hopes on the associations (38,9 %). Yet at
the same time the young people are poorly informed about the public youth
associations and they do not see the results of their activity clearly enough. As
the questioned ones believe, the improvement of life of youth depends on: the
public youth associations – 38,9 %; the federal authorities – 36,0 %; the local
authorities – 25,8 %; the youth themselves – 22,4 %. Further, the opinions were
divided downwards: from the political parties down to business structures –