Youth: concept, essence, specificity of social work with teenagers

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

In a broad sense, the concept of "youth" includes a social and age group, which is characterized by its status in society and age limits. During this period, young people undergo a qualitative transition from childhood to adolescence, which implies the emergence of civic responsibility. In this article, you will learn about this concept, its essence, and the specifics of social work with teenagers.

Definition

At the same time, some experts in the concept of "youth" put the idea of the totality of young people to whom the state gives the opportunity for social development. The surrounding world contributes to this by providing young people with certain benefits. But at the same time, they are limited in their ability to directly and actively participate in certain areas of public life.

In defining the concept of "youth" experts set different age limits. As a general rule, who counts as young people dependsfrom a particular country, the culture existing in it. Usually the lower age limit is set at the level of 14-16 years, and the upper - between 25-30 years. In some cases even later.

The essence of the concept of "youth"

It is worth recognizing that there is still no consensus on this issue. Some experts define the concept of "youth", highlighting it solely by age.

However, most researchers tend to believe that today there are significant difficulties in determining the age limits of young people. The fact is that there is no scientific framework for youth. Moreover, both from the content and from the functional point of view. At the same time, sociologists note that the substantial essence of the concept of "youth" has not yet been disclosed.

Most agree that this is a group of people that is characterized not only by their age, but also by their behavior. They no longer play the role of a child, but they also do not become adults and independent people. This state consists in preparing for the reproduction of the future society. Youth age becomes a process of accumulation of psychological neoplasms, characterized by adaptation to all kinds of relationships around, the development of social space. All this happens through the interaction of young people with others.

The main meaning of meaningful changes in this case lies in the process of socialization, which consists in the development of the properties and qualities thathuman nature.

As a result, the definition of the concept of "youth" as an independent and complex organism that becomes an integral part of society seems to be the most optimal. Objectively sets different goals and objectives in a relationship. Interacts with adults, striving to develop their own socially significant world.

The concept of youth in social studies

To thoroughly understand this concept, you should study what social scientists mean by the concept of "youth".

For representatives of this science, it is crucial that young people belong to a socio-demographic group. On the territory of the Russian Federation, it is customary to include citizens aged 14 to 30.

It is formed on the basis of a combination of social status, age characteristics, as well as quite specific psychological qualities.

For young people, it is of great importance to actively search for their place in life, the desire and desire to decide what they want to achieve in the future, what to devote their destiny to.

One of the most typical features of young people is the desire to unite in informal groups, which are characterized by mandatory behavior patterns for participants. They are aimed primarily at gaining security, self-affirmation, giving a certain social status, as well as obtaining a prestigious self-esteem.

Youth subculture

To understand the basic concepts of youth will help the works of modern scientists. The fundamental research belongs to Svetlana Igorevna Levikova, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Philosophy of the Moscow Pedagogical State University. In 2004, she released the textbook "Youth Subculture", which is currently the foundation for students majoring in cultural studies, sociology, ethics, social philosophy, history, pedagogy, social psychology and social work.

It was Levikova who famously said that youth is not only a biological concept. She will justify it in her book, coming to a certain conclusion.

Youth is not only a biological, age concept, but above all - a socio-historical one.

In her book, Levikova described the main conditions for the origin and emergence of youth subcultures, as well as the mechanisms for their change, due to specific cultural phenomena.

This manual also contains important and well-structured information on the problems of religious sectarianism and drug addiction, a useful educational and methodological material that is designed to facilitate the work of teachers.

In the manual "Youth Subculture" the author formulates the basic concepts of youth, their subculture, considers the reasons for their appearance, the background of the generational conflict, the everyday component.

The author pays important attention to the essential characteristics of youthsubcultures, considering them as ways of socialization and self-identification, represents important features of the modern approach to research in this area.

Sociological aspect

At the same time, the concept of "youth" is perceived as a social group. The most mobile, active and dynamic part of the population, free from prejudices and stereotypes inherent in many previous generations. At the same time, she has important psychological and social qualities.

Describing the concept of youth in sociology, it is noted that this group is characterized by such qualities as internal inconsistency, unstable mentality, low level of tolerance, the desire to differ from others, to stand out in the crowd. All this is characterized by the existence of specific youth subcultures.

Signs of informal groups

One of the main distinguishing features of the concept of "modern youth" is their desire to unite in informal groups. They are characterized by the following features:

• independence from official structures, the desire for self-organization;
• the emergence of spontaneous communication in a specific social situation;
• relatively stable hierarchy;
• a model of behavior aimed at the realization of vital needs that cannot be satisfied in ordinary life;
• expression of worldviews, value orientations, as well as stereotypes of behavior, which, in general, are not typical forsociety;
• attributes emphasizing belonging to a particular subculture.

Types of amateur performances

Another important distinguishing feature of young people is various amateur performances. Sociologists single out aggressive self-activity, which is based on primitive ideas about the hierarchy of values based on the cult of persons. This is the visibility of self-affirmation and primitivism. Very popular among young people and teenagers with a minimum level of cultural development and intelligence.

Outrageous amateur performances are based on a challenge to existing canons, norms and rules in spiritual and material forms of life. For example, hair, clothes, science or art.

Alternative self-activity is based on systemically contradictory patterns of behavior that become an end in itself for its participants.

Social initiative is aimed at solving very specific social problems. For example, the preservation of historical and cultural heritage or participation in environmental movements.

Finally, political initiative is characterized by the desire to participate in changing the political situation and building in accordance with the ideas of a particular group.

Sociology of youth

In modern social sciences, even such a concept as "sociology of youth" is used. It was defined by the German sociologist Karl Mannheim, who emphasized that youth is a kind of reserve that comes to the fore when the revival becomesnecessary for qualitatively new and rapidly changing circumstances of life.

Dynamic societies must be energized and organized through resources that in the traditional view are often suppressed rather than mobilized.

In his mind, youth is neither conservative nor progressive in nature. This is a potency that is initially ready for any undertaking. The youth was considered by the German scientist as a social and age group that perceives the values of culture in its own way, which at different times gives rise to epic forms of subculture or slang.

Features of social work

Given such factors that characterize youth and adolescents, work with them is built in a special way.

First of all, social work is aimed at protecting a certain level of life of the child, his right to self-realization, security, development of his own abilities and capabilities.

Much attention is traditionally paid to social work with a child in the family. In fact, it begins even before his birth. When a young mother undergoes medical and social counseling, medical supervision at all stages of pregnancy, she is provided with psychological assistance.

The system of medical-social and psychological-pedagogical support of the child is carried out in his environment. These can be psychological offices, career guidance centers, centers for medical, social and psychological support.

When a situation arises when a child is in a divorcingfamily, preventive work is carried out with parents. The situation is being taken under control by the school, guardianship authorities and social services.

In education

Work with teenagers in children's institutions is based on proven programs. In this case, the necessary elements are group activities, teaching children to communicate, preparing for school entry.

Social protection of preschool children is carried out in cooperation with pedagogical and medical workers. At the same time, the bodies of social protection of the population direct their activities towards providing those in need with preferential conditions for staying at summer playgrounds, in camps and sanatoriums. Undoubtedly, this is a very important point.

Youth welfare structure

The structure of social protection of youth necessarily includes centers for social services, assistance to families and children, social rehabilitation centers for minors.

Additionally, some municipalities organize emergency psychological assistance centers, psychological and pedagogical assistance centers, charity houses, rehabilitation centers for teenagers and young people with disabilities.

Main areas of work

It is worth noting that at present there are several key areas of work of the youth social service bodies. Among them are rehabilitation, educational and preventive, leisure, he alth, information and advisory.

Also carried outsocial support for the younger generation, employment promotion programs are being implemented.

Socio-economic situation

Assessing the socio-economic situation in which young people now find themselves, one should note a fairly high level of unemployment among representatives of this age category. Under the age of 24, about 6.5% of young people are not officially employed.

Moreover, since the 1990s, the practice has been cultivated among young people not to formalize marriage, while maintaining civil relations. This led to a significant increase in the number of illegitimate children, as well as an increase in single-parent families.

Perhaps the most acute problem facing Russian youth today is housing. Due to the underdevelopment of the rental housing market, rent for apartments is high. Mortgage interest rates remain out of reach for most citizens entering adulthood.