Cognitive representations of patriotism in relation to self-identification and national loyalty among Russian Students

About the authors:

Anna N. Tarasova, Cand. Sci. (Soc.), Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Technology of State and Municipal Management, Ural Federal University (Yekaterinburg); ORCID: 0000-0002-9448-2893, Scopus Author ID: 57201826388, WoS ResearcherID: B-1811-2017, SPIN: 1228-4836, a.n.tarasova@urfu.ru

Daria V. Gorodetskaya, Postgraduate Student, Assistant, Department of Sociology and Public Administration, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia; d.v.minchenko@urfu.ru

Ekaterina I. Pochatkova, Postgraduate Student, Assistant, Department of Sociology and Public Administration, Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia; e.i.pochatkova@urfu.ru

Abstract:

The relevance of the study is determined by the contradiction between the growing declared levels of patriotism and the high prevalence of emigration sentiment among youth. The scientific novelty of the article lies in its comprehensive approach, which links perceptions of patriotism with behavioral indicators — self-identification and plans for residing in Russia. The objective of the work is to determine the influence of different cognitive representations of patriotism on the likelihood of individuals identifying as patriots and on their intention to remain in the country. The empirical basis is data from the monitoring project “Student Attitudes towards the Great Patriotic War” (n = 19,232). The analysis employed the odds ratio calculation method. A disconnect was identified between declarative (82%), clearly expressed (41%), and “unconditional rooted patriotism” (33%), which combines unequivocal self-identification with a firm intention to live and work in Russia. A sense of responsibility for events in the country has the greatest positive impact on the formation of the latter. Understanding patriotism as a military duty, although unpopular among students, also greatly increases the likelihood of developing a sense of belonging and the intention to remain in Russia. The identification of groups — “unconditional rooted patriots”, “patriots without geographical attachment”, and individuals with low levels of patriotism — necessitates a shift from standardized patriotic education programs to differentiated strategies.

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