(according to the results of an empirical study)
– Dr.Dilarom Demiralay –
The empirical study “The influence of gender differences on the formation of life strategies of young students” was conducted in the period — March-May 2015.
The questionnaire included 6 blocks of questions:
Block 1 — the respondents ‘ general ideas about the key concept of the study;
Block 2 — respondents ‘ life goals for the short-term (1-2 years), medium – term (3-10 years) and long-term (over 10 years) prospects;
Block 3 — is a list of life goals, each of which was evaluated by the respondents according to the degree of subjective importance (“1” is not important at all, “2” is not important, “3” is indifferent, “4” is important, ” 5 ” is very important);
Block 4— respondents ‘ views on the factors that influenced the formation of their life strategies;
Block 5— respondents ‘ views on the differences in the life strategies of modern girls and young people;
Block 6— objective socio-demographic characteristics of the surveyed audience (gender; age; marital status; occupation; financial position; higher educational institution where the respondent receives education).
The list of life goals provided to respondents for evaluation is based on the list of goals proposed by Candidate of Sociological Sciences S. A. Mi-tryushin as part of a dissertation research [1].
The analysis of life goals was carried out on the basis of the identification of the main spheres of the individual’s life activity:
1. Family and household;
2. Professional (labor);
3. Social;
4. Cultural and leisure activities;
5. Political.
The analysis of life strategies was carried out according to the following algorithm: it was assumed that the complexes of life goals for each sphere of a person’s life activity correspond to a certain life strategy.
Thus, the complex of 10 life goals of the family and household sphere of the individual’s life activity corresponds to the strategy of individual well-being: good health; family security; good housing conditions; material well-being of the family; happy family life; good upbringing and education of children; strong family ties; support of relatives; loyal friends; true love.
Thus, the strategy of individual well-being is aimed at obtaining material benefits and achieving family well-being, self-realization in the family.
A set of 10 life goals of the professional (labor) sphere of an individual’s life activity corresponds to the strategy of professional success: successful professional activity; material well – being; satisfaction from work; interesting work; higher education; leadership position; ability to earn money; work in a cohesive team; high social status; be an excellent specialist in your field.
Thus, the strategy of professional success is aimed at self-realization of the individual in the professional (labor) sphere of life.
A set of 10 life goals of the social sphere of an individual’s life activity corresponds to a sociocentric strategy: active citizenship; assistance to orphaned and disabled children; participation in volunteer movements; assistance to the homeless; cooperation with local municipalities, city councils; assistance to people living next to me; protection of public order; environmental protection; work in public organizations; to do something useful for society in life.
Thus, the sociocentric strategy is aimed at socially useful activities that are carried out for the benefit of society on a voluntary basis.
The complex of 10 life goals of the cultural and leisure sphere of the individual’s life activity corresponds to the recreational strategy: outdoor recreation; traveling around the world; meetings with friends; creative activities; recreation with family; visiting museums, galleries, exhibitions, etc.; visiting theaters, cinemas, concerts, etc.; communication and entertainment on the Internet; gambling; sports.
Thus, the recreational strategy is aimed at rest and recovery of the forces spent in the course of work.
A set of 10 life goals of the political sphere of an individual’s life activity corresponds to a political strategy: to be the head of state; to have power over people; to enter the political elite; participation in political movements; work in local authorities; work in legislative bodies; protection of individual freedoms and rights; leadership of one’s own political party; opposition political activity; participation in elections.
Thus, the political strategy is aimed at showing maximum activity in politics by a person, and politics is the main sphere of interests for her.
Further, depending on which goals the respondent noted as “important” and “very important”, and which ones as “indifferent”, “not important” and “not at all important”, and which strategies they corresponded to, the most and least priority life strategies for him were determined.
In addition to the questionnaire, the testing method was also used in the process of conducting the study.
This method was presented by two socio-psychological methods:
1. The method “Masculinity-femininity” (S. Boehm);
2. The methodology of SOE (Test ” Meaning-life orientations (D. A. Leontiev).
In relation to this study, the method “Masculinity-femininity” allowed us to measure the degree of masculinity, femininity and androgyny of the respondents.
In relation to this study, the SOE methodology allowed:
1) measure the indicator of the meaningfulness of the life of the respondents;
2) to identify the presence or absence of goals in the life of the interviewees, which give meaning, direction and time perspective to life;
3) to identify to what extent the respondents assess themselves as a strong person who has sufficient freedom of choice to build their life in accordance with their own goals and objectives and ideas about its meaning; to what extent the respondents are convinced that they are able to control their life, freely make decisions and implement them.
At the second stage of the study, a survey was conducted in the form of an online questionnaire through an Internet resource for creating questionnaires, surveys, tests and voting
“Webanketa”. In addition, as part of the empirical research, online testing was conducted through the Internet resources: “PSYTESTS. ORG: Psychological tests online” and “Laboratory of Psychotechnics: psychological tests online”.
At the third stage, the received data was processed in a special computer program for statistical data processing IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20.
The object of empirical research is the student youth. Students from 10 Russian cities took part in the main field study: Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kursk, Kemerovo, Cherepovets, Kaliningrad, Irkutsk, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Tyumen. The sample size was 130 people.
According to the results of the empirical study, the following conclusions were obtained:
1) The largest part of the student youth (80.8%) are not sure if they have a certain life strategy;
2) Women are more confident in having a certain life strategy compared to men;
3) Respondents who have a companion / life partner, unlike single respondents, are more confident in having a certain life strategy;
4) Non-working respondents are more likely than working respondents to answer the question “Do you think you have a certain life strategy?” they give close to negative and negative answers;
5) The priority goals of students in the short term (1-2 years) are: graduation from university (27%), employment (16.7%), continuing education (11.6%);
6) The dependence of the choice of short-term goals on gender is revealed. Thus, for men, the short-term goal “To continue education” is more important (14.62%) than for women (6.15%); for women, the short-term goal “To finish university” is more important (30%) than for men (18.4%); for women, the short-term goal “To get a job” is more important (21.54%) than for men (8.46%);
7) Priority goals of student youth for the medium term (3-10 years) are: start a family (19.2%), get your own housing (12.4%), find a job (12%), have children (9.2%), move up the career ladder (7.2%), continue education (6%), achieve financial independence (5.6%);
8) The dependence of the choice of medium-term goals on gender is revealed. Thus, for men, the medium – term goal “To get their own housing” is more important (16.92%) than for women (6.92%); for men, the medium – term goal “To achieve financial independence” is more important (8.46%) than for women (2.31%); for women, the medium-term goal “To create a family” is more important (23.85%) than for men (13.08%); for women, the medium-term goal “To find a job” (15.62%) is more important than for men (8.46%); for women, the medium-term goal of “Having children” is more important (11.54%) than for men (6.15%);
9) Priority goals of students for the long-term perspective (over 10 years) they are: self-realization in the family (18.8%), achieving financial independence (8.9%), buying an apartment/house (8.9%), starting a family, having children (7.9%), professional self-realization (7.9%), starting your own business (7.4%);
10) The dependence of the choice of long-term goals on gender was revealed. Thus, for men, the long-term goal “to open your own business” is more important (8.46%) than for women (3.08%); for men, the long-term goal “To achieve professional self-realization” is more important (8.46%) than for women (3.85%);
11) 48.46% of students have certain goals for the future, giving meaningfulness, direction and a temporary perspective to life; 32.31% of students have no meaningful goals for the future, they prefer to live today or yesterday; 19.23% of students characterize the presence of high purposefulness;
12) The dependence of the indicator “Goals in life” (the Method “Meaning-life orientations”) on gender was revealed. Thus, in women, the indicator “Goals in life” (14.62%) more often reaches the maximum values than in men (4.62%); in men more often (26.15%) than in women (22.31%), this indicator reaches the average values; in men (18.46%) more often than in women (13.85%), the indicator “Goals in life” reaches the minimum values;
13) 70% of modern students consider themselves a strong personality with sufficient freedom of choice to build their life in accordance with their goals and objectives, as well as ideas about its meaning; 30% of students do not believe that they can control the events of their own life;
14) The dependence of the indicator “Locus of control — I” (the method “Meaning-life orientations”) on gender was revealed. Thus, in women, the indicator “Locus of control-I” (14.62%) more often reaches the maximum values than in men (1.54%); in men, the indicator, The “locus of control-I” (20%) more often reaches the minimum values than in women (10%);
15) 80.77% of students are convinced that a person can control his life, freely make decisions and implement them; 19.23% of students are convinced that life is not subject to conscious control, that freedom of choice is illusory and it is pointless to plan anything for the future;
16) The dependence of the indicator “Locus of control – life” (the Method “Meaning — of – life orientations”) on gender was revealed. In women, the indicator “Locus of control-life” (12.31%) often reaches the maximum level than in men (6.15%);
17) The life of 13.8% of students is characterized by high meaningfulness; 53.85% of students have an average meaning; 19.23% have a life that is not sufficiently meaningful;
18) The dependence of the indicator “General indicator of the meaningfulness of life” (the Method “Meaning-life orientations”) on gender was revealed. In women ,the “General indicator of the meaningfulness of life” (12.31%) more often reaches the maximum values than in men (1.54%); in men ,the “General indicator of the meaningfulness of life” more often reaches the minimum values (20%) than in women (12.31%);
19) In the family and household sphere of life, it is very important for students to achieve the following goals: family security (81.5%); true love (80%); good upbringing and education of children (80%); happy family life (79.2%); good health (78.5%); loyal friends (74.6%); material well-being of the family (73.8%); good housing conditions (68.5%); support for relatives (67.7%); strong family ties (42.3%);
20) In the professional (labor) sphere of life activity, it is very important for students to achieve the following goals: interesting work (70%); be an excellent specialist in their field (67.7%); successful professional activity (56.2%); the ability to earn money (55.4%); good education (55.4%); satisfaction from work (53.1%); material well-being (49.2%);
21) In the professional (labor) sphere of life activity, it is important for students to achieve the following goals: work in a cohesive team (46.9%); a managerial position (33.1%);
22) In the professional (labor) sphere of life, it is indifferent for students to achieve the following goal — a high social position (30%);
23) In the social sphere of life, it is very important for students to achieve the following goals: to do something useful for society in life (47.7%); to help people living next to me (32.3%); to help orphans and disabled children (25.4%);
24) In the social sphere of life, it is important for students to achieve the following goals: environmental protection (36.9%); active citizenship (29.2%);
25) In the social sphere of life, it is indifferent for students to achieve the following goals: work in public organizations (35.4%); participation in volunteer movements (32.3%); assistance to the homeless (30.8%);
26) In the leisure sphere of life, it is very important for students to achieve the following goals: traveling around the world (56.2%); meeting friends (54.6%); creative activities (44.6%); visiting theaters, cinemas, concerts, etc. (40.8%); sports (40.8%);
27) In the leisure sphere of life, it is important for students to achieve the following goals: family recreation (39.2%); outdoor recreation (36.2%); visiting museums, exhibitions, galleries, etc. (35.4%);
28)In the leisure sphere of life, it is indifferent for students to achieve the following goal — communication and entertainment on the Internet (31.5%);
29) In the leisure sphere of life, it is absolutely unimportant for students to achieve the following goal — gambling (80%);
30) In the political sphere of life, it is important for students to achieve the following goal —
the protection of individual rights and freedoms (33.1%);
31) In the political sphere of life, it is indifferent for students to achieve the following goal — to have power over people (29.2%);
32) In the political sphere of life, it is absolutely unimportant for students to achieve the following goals — to be the head of state (75.4%); to lead their own political party (73.1%); to join the political elite (67.7%); opposition political activity (61.5%); work in legislative authorities (60%); work in local authorities (59.2%); participation in political movements (59.2%); participation in elections (40%);
33) In the youth student environment, the strategy of individual well-being (average = 46.5) and the strategy of professional success (average = 42.1) are currently priorities; other life strategies in the youth student environment are less priority — recreational (average = 36.5), sociocentric (average = 29.5), political( average = 19.9); the additional hypothesis of the study was confirmed;
34) Women (average = 47.4) are more focused on the strategy of individual well-being than men (average = 45.6), that is, they are aimed at obtaining material benefits and achieving family well-being, self-realization in the family. Men (average
= 43.8) are more focused on the strategy of professional success than women (average = 41.5), that is, they are aimed at self-realization in the professional sphere of life; the main hypothesis of the study was confirmed;
35) In the youth student environment, the androgynous personality type dominates 72.3%; 18.5% of respondents included in the sample are carriers of pronounced femininity, 6.9% are carriers of pronounced masculinity, 2.3% are carriers of pronounced masculinity;
36) The dependence of indicators of femininity and masculinity on gender was revealed. Compared to men (4.62%), female types are more common among women (13.85%); compared to women (1.54%), masculine types are more common among men (5.38%); pronounced masculine type occurs exclusively among men (2.31%);
37) Students believe that the influence on the formation of their life plans was exerted by: parents/ relatives (45.5%); nobody/nothing (22.45); literature (8.4%); friends(6.3%);
38) 50.8% of students believe that the life strategies of modern girls and young people are different, 49.2% – that they do not differ (more men (26.92%) than women (22.31%) believe that the life strategies of modern girls and young people are different);
39) To the question “How exactly do the life strategies of modern girls and young people differ?” 27.7% believe that “In terms of implementing life plans, men are more independent”; 21.21% believe that “Girls are focused on creating a family at an earlier age, they have a higher need for marriage, young people are less focused on creating a family compared to girls”; 18.18% believe that “girls are focused on creating a family and raising children, and young people are focused on building a career, professional self-realization, achieving material benefits”;
40) The dependence of the answers to the question: “How exactly do the life strategies of modern girls and young people differ?” on gender is revealed. The following answers to the question “How exactly do the life strategies of modern girls and young people differ?” were given exclusively by men: “In terms of implementing life plans, young people are more independent, girls hope to find a decent person” (27.27%); “More young people are focused on building a career” (6.06%); “Young people form goals more clearly, achieve their goals more effectively, girls do not have a strategy as such, since they cannot clearly formulate goals.” The following answers to the question “How exactly do the life strategies of modern girls and young people differ?” were given exclusively by women: “Girls are focused on creating a strong family, procreation, and young people are focused on social development, try to take high positions in society, strive for power” (6.06%); “Girls are focused on professional development, achieving material well-being, and young people do not have any strategies” (6.06 %); “Girls are more serious about life plans” (9.09 %). Women more often (12.12%) than men (6.06%) gave the following answer to this question: “Girls are focused on creating a family and raising children, and young people are focused on building a career, professional self – realization, achieving material benefits.” Women more often (15.15%) than men (6.06%) gave the following answers to this question: “Girls are focused on starting a family at an earlier age, girls have a higher need for marriage, young people are less focused on family”.
Based on the conducted empirical
research, the author of the work made the following practical recommendations:
1. It is necessary to develop the orientation of girls to continue their education (including at the university level), since according to the results of an empirical study in the short term (1-
2 years), this goal is expressed rather weakly (6.15%) compared to young people (14.62%);
2. It is necessary to develop the orientation of young people to create a family, since according to the results of an empirical study in the medium term (3-10 years), this goal is expressed rather weakly (13.08%) compared to girls (23.85%);
3. It is necessary to develop the orientation of student youth towards a sociocentric strategy within the framework of cultural competencies, i.e. at the university level to attract young people to work in public organizations, participate in volunteer movements, etc. (to develop a focus on socially useful activities that are carried out voluntarily);
4. It is necessary to develop the orientation of student youth towards political strategy, to attract young people to participate in elections at the university level;
First of all, these recommendations are due to the fact that every person should develop harmoniously,be included in all spheres of society’s life.
The process of forming priority life strategies is fundamentally manageable. This process occurs through the transmission of certain information through so-called social agents (media, family, university, reference groups, etc.). But, according to the results of an empirical study, it is most effective to influence the formation of life strategies through such reference groups as: family, relatives and friends, since it was them that the respondents named as factors influencing the formation of their plans for life.
Literature:1. Mitryushin, S. A. Life goals of student youth as a regulator of social behavior: dis. candidate of Social Sciences, Moscow, 2008.
