Russian Civic Identity of Youth in the North Caucasus: The Main Challenges and Risks of Conflict

Based on the analysis of the results of the scientific research “Ethnopolitical processes in the Caucasus in the assessments and perceptions of modern youth” (grant RFBR and ANO EISR No. 19-011-31300), the content and features of the formation of an all-Russian civic identity among young people in the North Caucasus are reviewed. The purpose of the study is to identify the risk of conflict in the process of forming the all-Russian identity of youth in the North Caucasus. The objectives of the study: determination of the ratio of the all-Russian civic, regional, ethnic and religious identity in the portfolio of identities of the youth in the North Caucasus, the main actors in the formation of the foundations of the all-Russian identity, the importance of patriotism and civic engagement for young people, as well as assessing the role of the state in the process of forming the all-Russian identity. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study is made up of the main approaches and concepts of understanding the all-Russian civic identity. The empirical basis is sociological research consisting of assessments and views of young people in the North Caucasus. For the region, an extremely important task is the formation and development of an all-Russian civic identity, its integration with ethnic and regional identities in the minds of young people. Civic, regional, ethnic and religious identity in the minds of young people in the North Caucasus is in an unstable equilibrium state, which carries the risks of a conflict of identities. There is a demand among young people for active participation in the socio-political life of the region. The influence of the state, represented by the education system and state media, on the formation of the socio-political views of young people in the region is decreasing, and the role of the blogosphere and social networks is increasing. The state can become a leading actor in the formation of the all-Russian identity of the region, subject to the creation of a favorable social environment and the formation of functional feedback mechanisms between the authorities and the region’s youth.