THE STATE OF INTERETHNIC AND INTERRELIGIOUS RELATIONS AMONG YOUTH (THE CASE OF KABARDINOBALKARIA)

Objective of the study is to analyze the opinions of contemporary youth in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic regarding the state of interethnic and interfaith relations in the region, as well as to identify existing trends in the intergroup dynamics. The methodological basis of the study consists of the empirical data obtained through a survey among young people from Kabardino-Balkaria. The results of the study. The study identifies key trends in the formation of the republic youth opinions regarding the interethnic and the interreligious relations; the causes of religious and political extremism as well as the causes of value conflicts. Prospects of the study lie in searching the components of identity (local, ethnic, religious, civic) in its dynamic framework; in the identifying “bifurcation points” that lead to the mobilization of various types of identity during the collective actions.