Keyword: «characteristics of student squads»

In modern Russian society, socially active young people are in dire need of legal channels for self-expression. Youth subcultures have historically served to satisfy these needs, contributing to the formation of identity and the search for like-minded people. Despite the rethinking of their role – from «social pathology» to a recognized part of sociocultural reality – there is insufficient theoretical development and justification of the status of student groups in educational organizations as a full-fledged and developing type of modern youth subculture. This limitation hinders the full realization of the pedagogical potential of student squads in the system of higher professional education. The aim of this article is to reveal and substantiate the essence of student squads in educational organizations as a developing type of modern youth subculture, offering pedagogical tools for their targeted use. To achieve this goal, an integrative approach and comparative methods were used as the main methodological tools of the study. A detailed analysis of the definitions of «subculture» and «youth subculture» in domestic and foreign scientific literature on sociology and pedagogy was carried out, which made it possible to identify a number of criteria for youth subculture: value, structural, functional, communicative, symbolic, degree of autonomy, and personal criteria. A comparative analysis was made by correlating the identified criteria with the essential characteristics of student squads. The Arkhangelsk region was chosen as the subject of empirical research due to its developed system of vocational education and powerful student squad movement (more than 30 squads, over 7,000 members). In addition, the developing characteristics of student squads were identified, manifested in the expansion of agency areas, adaptation to the digital environment, modernization of interaction forms, and updating of value orientations. The theoretical significance of the article lies in the original interpretation of the criteria for youth subculture through the prism of interdisciplinary terminological analysis and the justification of integrated autonomy as a unique feature of student squads, which enriches post-subcultural theory. The practical significance lies in the possibility of using the identified characteristics of student squads as a developing type of modern youth subculture for pedagogical purposes. The results of the study provide educators with tools for the targeted design of educational work in educational organizations, increasing student engagement, developing traditional values, social and professional competences, and promoting personal growth and self-realization of young people in modern society.