CIVILIZATIONAL IDENTITY OF STUDENT YOUTH OF THE NORTH CAUCASUS

Objective of the study is to describe the state and specifics of the civilizational identity of the student youth of the North Caucasus. The methodological basis of the study is the analysis of existing approaches to the definition of civilizational identity. The empirical basis is an online survey conducted in 2023. The sample size is 499 people. The results of the study. The study reveals that there is a spiritual "rift" among the youth of the region due to the ambiguity of worldview positions regarding their civilizational affiliation. There are groups of students who consider themselves part of Western civilization, Eurasian civilization and Islamic civilization. Among the representatives of the indigenous peoples of the North Caucasus, there remains an imbalance between the all-Russian and ethnic identity, in favor of the latter. The researches show that the imbalance has been increasing in recent years. The student community of the region identifies several basic concepts (freedom, justice, human rights) in their discussions about the all-Russian symbols and meanings that should underlie modern Russian politics and express the inner spiritual content of the civilizational space. Prospects of the study. The results will be useful in the improving federal and regional youth policy programs.