KBSU Assistant Olesya Shereuzheva Defended Her Dissertation on Youth Culture

A significant academic event took place at the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov. Olesya Khusenovna Shereuzheva, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theory and Technology of Social Work at the Institute of Social and Humanitarian Sciences, successfully defended her dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Sciences in Philosophy. Her research topic, «Youth Culture and Subculture in the System of Generally Accepted Societal Culture: A Socio-Philosophical Analysis,» is particularly relevant in the era of rapid social and digital transformation.

Olesya Khusenovna graduated from Kabardino-Balkarian State University in 2011. After receiving her qualification as a social worker, she continued her career at her alma mater, where she currently combines teaching with research.

The dissertation, supervised by Bashir Bilyalovich Khubiev, a Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, and Honored Scientist of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, focuses on the interaction of three cultural layers: mainstream culture, youth culture, and subcultures. The author demonstrates that informal youth associations are not a rebellion against elders, but a vital mechanism for societal development.

«In simple terms, the main focus of the work is on the interaction of all types of cultures. Just as mainstream culture influences youth, so too do young people influence it. This process is commonly referred to in science as ‘sociocultural reproduction.’ Youth and youth culture constitute a source of enrichment for the mainstream culture of modern society,» explains the candidate of philosophical sciences.
The results of a sociological survey of youth in Kabardino-Balkaria, conducted as part of the study, were revealing. Despite the influence of global trends and the abundance of Western subcultures, which scientists call «scattered events,» strong family traditions remain in the republic.

«According to our survey, the importance of the parental family remains unchanged. The overwhelming majority of respondents cite their parents as role models. The role of family and its values—fatherhood, motherhood, childhood—cannot be overstated in young people’s social adaptation,» the researcher emphasizes.
At the same time, Shereuzheva draws attention to the serious risks posed by the modern digital environment.

«Today, the internet has become the fulcrum that has revolutionized the cultural world. As Jean Baudrillard noted, life is becoming like a menu from which individuals simply choose what they like. Therefore, the main risks facing Russian youth today are the destruction of their personal integrity and the loss of stable value systems,» warns Olesya Khusenovna.
She believes that it is precisely society’s inattention, the spontaneity, and the lack of control over cultural processes that are leading to the formation of asocial and destructive groups among young people. The line between a «special style» and destructive behavior is drawn where the threat to sociocultural unity begins.

«It’s important to remember the core values: reading, live communication, honor, conscience, and moral duty to loved ones and the Fatherland,» she advises KBSU students.
The results of the socio-philosophical analysis are already being integrated into the KBSU curriculum and will be used in teaching specialized courses in the «Organization of Work with Youth» and «Theory and Technology of Social Work» programs.

Olesya Khusenovna plans to further explore the value system of modern youth and examine subcultures as self-organizing systems. This will allow her to understand the internal laws of development of youth associations and build more effective work with them.

The path to defending her dissertation was the result of hard work: the researcher managed to combine her research with her work at the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and teaching at her alma mater, the Social and Humanitarian Institute.

The author of this dissertation expresses special gratitude to her supervisor, Bashir Bilyalovich Khubiev, for his support, attention, and high professionalism, as well as to her department colleagues, Zarema Alikhanovna Atabieva and Zarema Muayedovna Batsueva, and her parents, who have been her main supporters along the way.

The KBSU team congratulates Olesya Shereuzheva on her successful defense and wishes her continued scientific achievements!