ТHE YOUTH IN THE CITY: ORIGINS, STATUS AND TRENDS
The article presents the analysis of the research project devoted to the role and place of the youth in the regional settlement structure. The factors influencing the status and system of values of this social group are explored. Special attention is given to the analysis of its essential characteristic which is marginality of a social status, and its impact on the social functions, defining this group within the urban society. The two major aspects, determining the youngsters’ social settings and lifestyle in the urban society are general-social and behavioral-evaluative ones. The role and the value of paternalism in the process of the youth strata formation and functioning are thoroughly analyzed, along with the infiltration in their axiological and behavioral system. The infrastructure of the youth community with its similarities and differences between certain substrates is deeply analyzed. In conclusion the authors put forward an idea of the existence of essential characteristics that are typical of all the subgroups, which makes it possible to put them into one youth meta-group. The authors stress the fact that among the top-priority values of the respondents, regardless of their activities, there are close-knit family, interesting job and decent, reliable friends, as well as good income, good standing and confidence in the future, which all contribute to the youth paternalistic manifestations conservation. In conclusion, a set of regional social policy reformation options is proposed, which is aimed at the youth personal potential actualization and at overcoming the paternalistic syndrome.