The Problem of Youth Self-Identification in Modern Dagestan Society

Introduction . The study of the problems of self-identity formation of Dagestan youth in a multi-ethnic confessional environment is relevant in modern conditions. The purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the problem of youth self-identification in the Republic of Dagestan through the prism of interaction of key social institutions, identifying the role of the institution of the family, the educational environment, the language situation and digital reality as key factors affecting the process of self-identification of modern youth. Materials and Methods . This study is based on the methodology of systematic analysis and synthesis of relevant scientific publications on this issue. Such general theoretical methods of scientific research as analogy, generalization and systematization were used. Results . Research shows that ethnic identity in Dagestan continues to be the core element of self-perception, but its content and formal markers are significantly transformed. Empirical evidence suggests the complex nature of the interaction between family attitudes and the values of a multinational environment. Along with ethnic, linguistic, cultural components in the formation of identity, religious identification remains one of the basic elements of the formation and development of the personality of a Dagestani. The identification environment in Dagestan is a system where traditions and innovations coexist. Discussion and Conclusion . The analysis suggests that the problem of youth self-identification in Dagestan is not reduced to a binary choice between tradition and modernization. What is meant here is the formation of a complex, multilevel and situationally determined hybrid identity that integrates various, sometimes contradictory, elements. A modern young Dagestani man or woman often combines several identities: local (clan, village), ethnic (Avar, Dargin, Lezgin, etc.), all-Dagestan (as a resident of a multi-ethnic republic), all-Russian civic and, increasingly, global (through digital environments and academic mobility). The contradiction between traditional and global values, being a creative conflict, acts as a catalyst for personal growth and the formation of multicultural competence.