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Citizenship and Social Engagement of Youth in the Putin Era

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Youth in Putin's Russia

Abstract

The focus of this chapter is to explore the understanding of citizenship and the experience and interpretation of social inclusion in the everyday life of Russian urban youth in the era of Putin. Young people develop an idea of an ‘everyday caring citizenship’ that is based on non-indifference, personal responsibility, orientation towards others and activity in a space that is accessible to change. Young urbanites realize such visions primarily through community development and community work. The level of control in terms of accessing inclusion to a particular community, related to an individual’s biography, becomes a source of conflict within and between groups and causes common and consolidated strategies to be impossible. This new form of citizenship actualizes the present, but ‘shuts down’ the future.

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Acknowledgements

First, I would like to thank my former and current colleagues at the Centre for Youth Studies at the Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, with whom, under the leadership of Director Elena Omelchenko, we carried out projects in 2013 and 2016–2017, designed research, collected empirical material and discussed results. I am happy to be a part of this amazing team. Second, I would like to say a big thank you to my colleagues in the international project ‘PROMoting youth involvement and social engagement: opportunities and challenges for “conflicted” young people across Europe’, its project leader Jo Deakin and WP6 ‘From Conflict to Innovation: Ethnographic Case Studies’ and its project leader Hilary Pilkington for support, discussions, critique and advice. It has been a wonderful four years! And finally, but maybe most importantly, I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of our informants, young men and women, adult men and women and non-binary personalities. Thank you so much for agreeing to participate in our research and sharing your stories, experiences and thoughts. Thank you for sharing your pain and challenges, your hope and inspiration. Talking with you will always be an important part of my life.

Funding

‘Russian Youth Citizenship: Contemporary Meanings and Practices’ (HSE Research Foundation, 2013).

‘Promoting Youth Involvement and Social Inclusion: Opportunities and Challenges in the Context of Intergenerational Relations’ (HSE Research Foundation, 2016).

‘Promoting Youth Involvement and Social Inclusion: Analysis of Youth Activist Initiatives and Communities in St. Petersburg’ (HSE Research Foundation, 2017).

‘PROMoting Youth Involvement and Social Engagement: Opportunities and Challenges for “Conflicted” Young People across Europe’ (European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, Grant Agreement no. 693221, 2016–2019).

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  1. National Research University ‘Higher School of Economics’, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Nadya Nartova

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  1. Centre for Youth Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Elena Omelchenko

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Nartova, N. (2021). Citizenship and Social Engagement of Youth in the Putin Era. In: Omelchenko, E. (eds) Youth in Putin's Russia . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82954-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82954-4_4

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