POLITICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PERCEPTION OF THE COUNTRY BY THE CITIZENS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AGED 18 TO 30 YEARS

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to identify the characteristics and problems of the political perception of Russian Federation by its own citizens.Methodology and Approach. This article is based on the results of opinion polls obtained during the study of the image of one’s own country among different generations of Russian citizens conducted by the Department of Sociology and Psychology of Politics of Moscow State University Lomonosov. Using qualitative and quantitative research methods, which included focused semi-standardized interviews, as well as a picture test and subsequent coding of the obtained data, the authors were able to identify the political image of the country, as it exists in the minds of citizens of the Russian Federation aged 18 to 30 years old.The Results. Studies have shown that the political image of the country within the mass consciousness of citizens contains mainly positive rather than negative or neutral characteristics. Moreover, this image appears to be holistic with slight differences at the rational and unconscious levels of perception.The theoretical implications of the article is in the scientific potential of the research results that can complement a specialized academic course in political psychology. Practical implications. These studies can also be used to assess the general state of political consciousness of Russian society.

Keywords

• country
• political image
• image of the country
• political perception
• generation
• youth