Youth in transition countries – innovative potential, new context, new challenges and new problems
Youth in transition countries – innovative potential, new context, new challenges and new problems
The project’s main objective is to analyze the situation of young generation in the countries of a communist past. Our idea refers to a classical concept of young generation as the important factor of social change, the generation whose natural innovatory potential appears to be especially important when any society faces historical challenges connected with deep and thorough reforms. This concept, repeatedly verified in western countries, seems to be promising with reference to post-communist societies. All of them, while experiencing painful social trauma, leave behind former system solutions and, to more or less extent, imitate the western patterns. It happens when these solutions are wearing out and when there is an urgent need for some alternative. Simultaneously, while following this new trajectory of development, post-communist countries clash with two powerful forces: globalization processes and the local specificity. The question is what direction the changes will take if they are determined both by innovatory potential of young generation, that is their competences, aspirations and life ambitions, and by their life opportunities? Even though there are a number of ways to predict and describe social change, broadly understood young generation’s perspective seems a very promising one. As a result of its place within a society and within life cycle, young generation is considered a sensitive detector of new trends and an early-warning system. Yet, diversification of living conditions and life opportunities of the young who live in poorer countries which transform more slowly, present lower aspirations, and as a consequence do not experience frustrations so intensively and they become both the source of changes and some problems. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the pressures of youth on the system is likely to intensify, but their intensity will differ from country to country.
RESEARCH TEAMS
Module 1: Socio-cultural background and transformation processes in postcommunist/transition countries as the context of socialization processes
Poland: Jarosław Domalewski (coordinator)
Bulgaria: Lachezar Nyagolov
China: Zhu Xin
Germany: Karin Kurz
Hungary: Zoltán Berényi
Latvia: Zenija Kruzmetra, Parsla Eglite
Romania: Sorin Mitulescu
Russia: Alexander Gasparishvili
Vietnam: Nguyen Quang Thuan
Module 2: Socialization processes and their results: life orientations, values, youth strategies of life
Poland: Krystyna Szafraniec (coordinator)
Bulgaria: Kristina Petkova
China: Su Linqin
Germany: Bernadette Jonda
Hungary: Istvan Muranyi
Latvia: Lana Janmere, Dina Bite
Romania: Oana Iftode
Russia: Ekaterina Popova
Vietnam: Nguyen Hong Tuan
Module 3: Education and its role in positioning and recomposition of social structure
Poland: Krzysztof Wasielewski, Jarosław Domalewski (coordinators)
Bulgaria: Petia Ilieva-Trichkova
China: Su Linqin
Germany: Karin Kurz
Hungary: Zoltán Berényi
Latvia: Lana Janmere, Dina Bite
Romania: Bogdan Florian
Russia: David Konstantinovskiy
Vietnam: Tran Phuong Hoa
Module 4: Entering the adulthood (jobs, family and private life, consumption, leisure time)
Poland: Adam Mordzon (coordinator)
Bulgaria: Rumiana Stoilova
China: Duan Suju
Germany: Karin Kurz
Hungary: Flórián Sipos
Latvia: Ligita Bite, Helma Jirgena, Dina Bite
Romania: Ana Maria Dalu
Russia: Galina Cherednichenko
Vietnam: Do Ta Khanh
Module 5: The presence in public sphere
Poland: Krystyna Szafraniec, Marcin Wernerowicz (coordinators)
Bulgaria: Nadezhda Krandeva
China: Zhang Ruifang
Germany: Bernadette Jonda
Hungary: Istvan Muranyi
Latvia: Dina Bite, Lana Janmere
Romania: Ancuta Plaesu
Russia: Igor Pimenov
Vietnam: Nguyen Duc Minh
Module 6: Lines of division and threats of social cohesion – towards the question on the role of youth in transition processes and social changes
Poland: Krystyna Szafraniec (coordinator)
Bulgaria: Pepka Boyadjieva
China: Zhu Xin
Germany: Bernadette Jonda
Hungary: Domonkos Sik
Latvia: Dina Bite, Lana Janmere
Romania: Sonia Catrina
Russia: Galina Cherednichenko
Vietnam: Nguyen An Ha