«YOUTH IS A WREATH OF WILDFLOWERS ON THE HEAD»: REFERENCE POINTS AND CONSTRUCTS OF SOVIET YOUTH

In this article the issue of the construction of youth by the
informants from different generations in the Soviet society is viewed,
reference points and constructs of Soviet youth are determined on
the basis of analysis of texts of biographical interviews.
As methodological basis of this work we used constructivist direction
by P. Berger and T. Luckmann, as well as ideas of social time by
A. Giddens and V.Ilyin that allow to define the mechanism of
construction of youth in terms of its points of reference. Brightly
expressed in the texts of interviews such reference points as the
awareness of responsibility and independence, family creation,
death of a relative, beginning of working career and first independent
earnings, relocations. As reference points of youth was called also
the acquisition of a kitchen garden, getting category, significant
dates for the informant. Reference points which are the «elixir» of
youth are identified. Contraction or expansion of borders of youth
on the «points» displays on certain constructions of youth. Constructs
of «missing», «limited», «continuing», «returning» youth, youth as
a period of «solution», as the «Golden time», as an activity in
sport, pioneers, Komsomol, building brigades, and however, youth
as «razvizdyaistvo», as «sex, drugs, rock and roll» were allocated