Student self-governance: An attempt at a comparative socio-historical analysis

Abstract

This article analyzes the development of student self-governance in Soviet and Russian universities in 1987–2007. The author suggests dividing this development into three stages: the Komsomol stage (1987–1991), the trade union stage (1990–2006), and the diversifi ed stage (since 2005). This article is the fi rst to publish data from an opinion poll carried out among St. Petersburg students in December, 2007. The poll concerned the social activity, development of student governance, and student participation in the management of universities. Information from this poll is compared to data obtained in opinion surveys of students carried out in 1987. The results of this analysis allow the author to draw conclusions about crucial diff erences in the motivation to participate in self-governance among the generation of the 1980s and among modern students.