The structure of youth representations about significant historical events of the twentieth century
- Authors: Mititsina E.A.1
-
Affiliations:
- Pskov State University
- Issue: Vol 16, No 5 (2025)
- Pages: 499-524
- Section: Psychological Studies
- Published: 31.10.2025
- URL: https://medbiosci.ru/2658-4034/article/view/363625
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.12731/2658-4034-2025-16-5-940
- EDN: https://elibrary.ru/TZNWPN
- ID: 363625
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Full Text
Abstract
Background. Historical memory is the foundation of national identity and an important part of political consciousness. This determines the increased attention to it recently, both ideologically and scientifically. The category of historical memory is a socio-psychological phenomenon; therefore it is sensitive to changes in socio-cultural conditions that are actively occurring at the moment. In connection with the tasks of its preservation, the study of the patterns of the formation of historical representations of an individual and the observation of their dynamics remains relevant.
Purpose. To specify the content of historical representations of modern youth, whose socialization takes place in constantly changing conditions.
Materials and methods. The main research method was a survey of 165 respondents (students of the humanities programs of the Pskov State University), in which they were asked to list 10 significant historical events of domestic or foreign history of the twentieth century. The respondents' answers were processed using content analysis, and they were classified into categories (socio-political, scientific, cultural, natural, economic, sports). Subsequent processing of the obtained results made it possible to identify the correlation of events across the spheres of public life and analyze them chronologically.
Results. It was found that students have quite extensive knowledge of world history of the 20th century, while in their picture of the past, events of national history prevail over foreign ones. Among them, wars and revolutions are most often mentioned. In addition to the Great Patriotic War, the First and Second World Wars, students include the first human spaceflight, the October Revolution and the collapse of the USSR among the epochal historical events. At the same time, ideas about these events can be considered poorly differentiated, since respondents rarely name specific facts or historical figures associated with them. A comparative analysis of the obtained results with the data of previous studies indicates the relative stability of the core of historical representations of young people over the past decades, which can be taken into account when developing technologies for the formation of historical consciousness and civic education.
About the authors
Elena A. Mititsina
Pskov State University
Author for correspondence.
Email: pskovprof@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9538-2819
SPIN-code: 1158-9941
ResearcherId: ABF-4202-2021
Ph.D. in Psychology, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Psychology and Child Development Support Chair
Russian Federation, 2, Lenin Sq., Pskov, 180000, Russian Federation
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