The need for the formation of higher education students’ political culture: the challenges of today

Abstract

The article considers the conditions of forming political culture of students at higher educational
institutions of Ukraine. The difficulties connected with the formation of a developed, consolidated
democracy in Ukraine and explained by the insufficiently high level of political culture are considered. The
causes for the socio-political crisis in Ukraine are analyzed in detail, they are the lack of national unity,
political confrontation based on ideological and socio-economic differences; crisis of power, based on the
inconsistency of the political system with the real conditions of its application; lack of legal culture and legal
nihilism of its citizens; ethno-national and social problems in society. The main historical events that have
influenced the formation of statehood and political views of Ukrainians are described. The article considers
the national mentality and features of its formation on the territory of Eastern and Southern Ukraine. The
consequences of forming such a worldview are analyzed and it is noted that Ukrainians see the future of the
country differently. It is concluded that most political forces in Ukraine are not trying to create a common
vision of the future of Ukraine and that a significant number of political movements are not interested in the
unification of Ukraine as, on the contrary, they manipulate the consciousness of citizens and support the
schism under various political slogans and myths. Such manipulative actions are only possible if citizens’
political culture is not well-rounded. It is emphasized that most countries followed the same path during their
formation. The necessity of forming political culture of young people at higher education institutions is
substantiated, because they are the future economic and intellectual potential of the state. It is concluded that
in modern conditions, in order to ensure political stability in Ukraine, it is necessary to focus on the
formation of political culture among students while they are getting higher education, thus including young
people in the political life of the country. A well-developed political culture will allow understanding the
world political process, and will promote creation of a civil society