Social Frustration As Factor Of Manifestation For Forms Of Young People Activity

Abstract

The article presents the results of the empirical study of social frustration as a factor of various forms of activity’s manifestation in modern young people. The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between characteristics of social frustration in young people and the level of manifestation of young people’s activity in different spheres of life. The study involved 326 people, mean age was M = 20.8; SD = 4.2. The methods used in the study included the following: a questionnaire containing scales for measuring the degree of manifestation for social activity forms (altruistic, leisure, recreational, cultural, family-household, environmental, socio-political, Internet network, Internet search, civic, socio-economic, professional, educational, spiritual, religious, protest, radical protest and subcultural) and the “The level of social frustration” technique by L.I. Wasserman modified by the author. We found out that social frustration significantly reduces family-household activity of young people and increases their protest, radical protest and subcultural activity. It has been shown that frustration in relationships with family and friends increases Internet-search and Internet-network activity. Dissatisfaction of young people with social status reduces civic, professional and educational forms of activity. Frustration in the sphere of life necessities (services sector, medical care, household safety) reduces recreational and cultural activity of young people, while dissatisfaction with their health and work efficiency blocks their leisure activity. The study revealed that altruistic activity, environmental, socio-political, socio-economic, spiritual and religious types of activity are not associated with social frustration in their manifestation.

Keywords: Young people, self-isolation, social frustration, activity, forms

Introduction

Modern conditions of social life are accompanied by the need to comply with a number of social restrictions associated with the spread of coronavirus infection and quarantine measures which are aimed at curbing morbidity growth. People must radically change their behaviour and usual forms of communication and life activities, as well as adjust them to the new social norms and rules that are not always clear and acceptable, but are nevertheless considered to be mandatory. The obvious consequence of such forced innovations, which significantly limit people’s freedom and social interaction, is frustration associated with the crisis of isolation and self-isolation. This situation turns out to be especially significant for young people, since it significantly limits the possibilities for manifesting social activity in various spheres of life, connected with self-affirmation and self-realization, which are expressed to the maximum degree precisely at this age.

Problem Statement

Social frustration is the subject of numerous theoretical and applied research; it is considered in all aspects of human life. It is defined as an individual and personal reaction that arises when blocking the manifestation of personally significant needs, motives and values under the influence of a combination of factors acting in areas of life that are significant to a person. This reaction is accompanied by a high level of dissatisfaction and a decrease in social adaptability (Dzhaneryan et al., 2015). Frustration that occurs when blocking purposeful activity is associated at the psycho-physiological level with the processes of cognitive assessment, control over impulses and regulation of emotions, and can perform the “recharge” function by transforming unsatisfied motivation into aggressive outbursts (Rongjun et al., 2014). At the same time, the long-term action of socially frustrating factors forms stress, which can cause mental maladjustment and personality deviance in case of ineffective strategies for overcoming it and lack of social support (Maysak & Yakovets, 2013).

Modern studies view causality of frustration reactions via various factors: intercultural differences (Chipea et al., 2012); group affiliation and sociometric status of an individual (Kunitsyna et al., 2019); gender characteristics and professional identity (Dzhaneryan & Gvozdeva, 2016); individual and personal regulatory characteristics (neuroticism and emotional state) (Zajenkowska et al., 2015). Moreover, researchers are focusing on the study of frustration factors in young students. It has been noted that students form their life plans with the focus on socio-economic prospects and their own individual psychological characteristics and capabilities, while being active and relatively independent subjects of their own life, striving to achieve self-actualization in different spheres of life (Bekhovykh & Bekhovykh, 2017). These factors can contribute to achievement of the desired goal and act as frustrating ones, especially under conditions of social constraints, even despite their expressed readiness for changes, which positively affect social activity (Grigoryeva, 2019). It should be noted that social frustration reduces students’ level of satisfaction of basic needs, experiences of happiness and satisfaction with life, limits manifestation of social activity in most spheres of social life and increases their activity in the form of protest self-expression (Shamionov, 2020).

International research carried out in relation to study of factors of self-isolation’s psychological influence on an individual confirm the position that social activity during the quarantine period is being transformed and acquires new ways of expression (Chew et al., 2020). Significant forms of manifestation of social activity are the need to provide assistance and support to others; this form of social activity is at the same time a type of coping behaviour for a person in a state of social frustration. Social isolation reorganizes not only social activity, but, above all, the sphere of individual needs, highlighting the increasing basic needs for safety, which, as a result, leads to an increase in the frustrating influence on an individual (Cerbara et al., 2020). Many researchers emphasize the importance and necessity of studying the consequences of the pandemic’s impact on individual’s psychological health (Browning et al., 2021), as well as to importance of developing recommendations to reduce this negative impact (Sundarasen et al., 2020).

Analysis of modern research shows that there is a contradiction between the degree of study of frustration reactions of an individual in various situations of uncertainty. This also includes different aspects of social activity of young people, on the one hand, and lack of research that could make it possible to clarify how the levels of implementation of young people’s social activity correlate with social frustration.

Research Questions

The study of the relationship between characteristics of social frustration and level of young people’s activity in different spheres of life requires the solution of several problems.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between characteristics of social frustration in young people and level of young people’s activity manifestation in different spheres of life.

Research Methods

The study involved 326 people with the mean age of M = 20.8; SD = 4.2. The sample consisted of young people with secondary (school) education (52.7%), secondary vocational education (23.3%) and higher education (24.0%), 86.9% of the sample were young students (students of vocational schools, colleges and universities) and 13.1% were working young people. All study participants were aware of its purpose, participated in it voluntarily and free of charge. Confidentiality was ensured through anonymous participation. Survey methods were submitted through Google Forms and filled in autonomously. To identify socio-demographic characteristics of the sample and to study young people’s activities in different spheres of life, we used a questionnaire containing scales for measuring manifestation of the following forms of social activity: altruistic, leisure, socio-political, Internet-network, civic, socio-economic, educational, spiritual, religious, protest, radical protest, subcultural (Bocharova, 2018; Shamionov, 2020) and recreational, cultural, family, environmental, Internet search and professional forms of activity. All scales have a good level of reliability: α Cronbach = 0.815; Spearman-Brown stepped-up reliability coefficient α_st = 0,815; r_inter-item= 0,200. The study of social frustration characteristics was carried out using the “The level of social frustration” technique by L.I. Wasserman modified by the author of the article. This included a list of 20 items for assessing the level of frustration according to 6 parameters: relationships with relatives, immediate social circle; social status; socio-economic situation; health and work efficiency; living conditions, and general level of social frustration (which was defined as the arithmetic mean for all items) (Wasserman et al., 2004). Indicators of the level of reliability of the method are high: α Cronbach = 0.949; Spearman-Brown stepped-up reliability coefficient α_st = 0,949; r_inter-item= 0,491. We used the IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 software for statistical calculations.

Findings

We checked the sample for normal distribution according to the indicator “General level of social frustration” (M = 2.52; SD = 0.89) by calculating the statistical Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (Z = 1.774; p = 0.004) and found out that there were no significant differences between empirical and theoretical normal distribution. Frequency analysis showed that the sample was divided into three groups according to the indicator of general social frustration. A low level was noted in 29.8% of respondents; a moderate level was noted in 39.6% of respondents; a high level was noted in 30.7% of respondents. Comparative analysis of the manifestation of social activity forms was carried out in groups of young people with low and high levels of social frustration according to the Student's t-criterion (Table 1).

The obtained data indicates that social frustration in young people most of all affects such forms of social activity as leisure, family, recreational, environmental, Internet-network and Internet-search, professional and spiritual ones. At the same time, young people with a low level of social frustration, i.e. characterized by satisfaction with their life in general, are more active in the manifestation of social activity, especially in such spheres of life as leisure (associated with rest and spending free time), recreational (reflects the orientation of young people towards a healthy lifestyle), cultural (manifested in cooperative intellectual and entertainment activities). This also includes family (interacting and spending time with family and relatives), environmental (aimed at preserving nature and using biological resources), civic (manifested through activities to transform society, expressing solidarity with other people, etc.) and educational (associated with education, with personal development and acquisition of new skills). Young people with a high level of social frustration demonstrate great subcultural activity (they emphasize their belonging to a specific youth subculture and openly express its positions in behaviour and activities).

We carried out Pearson's correlation analysis to identify the relationship between forms of implementation of social activity by modern young people and characteristics of social frustration (Table 2).

According to obtained data, social frustration significantly reduces the level of family activity in young people: the higher their dissatisfaction with relationships with family and immediate social environment, the more frustrating factors affect their socio-economic status, health, work efficiency and living conditions, the less young people are active in activities related to solving family problems. At the same time, social frustration is positively correlated with the implementation of protest, radical protest and subcultural forms of activity by young people. Moreover, protest activity increases with the increase in dissatisfaction with relationships with relatives, and such characteristics of social frustration as dissatisfaction with relationships with relatives and close social environment, as well as their social status, acquire significance in relation to radical protest activity. And if these characteristics are added to young people’s dissatisfaction with their socio-economic status, health and work efficiency, an increase in subcultural activity takes place.

With regard to other forms of social activity, single characteristics of social frustration have a significant impact on their implementation. Thus, an increase in the Internet-search activity in young people is associated with frustration with their relationships with relatives and friends; Internet-network activity also increases with the dissatisfaction with relationships with relatives. Young people’s dissatisfaction with their social status reduces their civic, professional and educational forms of activity. Frustration in the sphere of life necessities (services sector, medical care, safety of residence) reduces recreational and cultural activities of young people, while dissatisfaction with their health and work efficiency blocks their leisure activity. In general, in relation to the presented forms of social activity of young people, the most effective characteristics of social frustration are:

• dissatisfaction with their social status – education or level of professional training, content of work or study, life prospects and career (7 significant correlations);
• dissatisfaction with relationships with relatives – with a spouse or civil partner, with parents and other relatives (6 significant correlations);
• dissatisfaction with relationships with the immediate social environment – with friends and acquaintances, with the opposite sex, with classmates at school or colleagues at work (5 significant correlations).

In other cases, activity (altruistic, environmental, socio-political, socio-economic, spiritual and religious) is not associated with social frustration.

Conclusion

The study has shown that social frustration caused by forced self-isolation is a factor that determines manifestation of young people’s social activity in its different forms. Regardless of the level of social frustration, modern young people tend to be active on the Internet, as well as in the field of professional and spiritual development. Young people with a low level of manifestation of frustration reactions to the conditions of social restrictions are also active in leisure, recreational, cultural, family, environmental, civic and educational spheres of life. An increase in the level of social frustration stimulates young people’s subcultural activity.

The most manifested characteristics of social frustration, which influence manifestation of social activity in young people, are their dissatisfaction with social status, relationships with relatives, and relationships with the immediate social environment. Under the influence of personal social frustration in different spheres of life, young people tend to decrease family activity and to increase the level of subcultural activity’s manifestation. In addition, frustration regarding relationships with relatives and friends increases the Internet-search and Internet-network, protest and radical-protest activities of young people, while in the field of life necessities it reduces recreational and cultural activities. Young people’s dissatisfaction with their social status reduces civic, professional and educational forms of activity, while dissatisfaction with health and work efficiency blocks leisure activity.

Thus, the study revealed a correlation between social activity of young people and characteristics of their social frustration. It has showed that the specificity of implementation of various social activity forms is correlated with the level of personal frustration in various spheres of life.

Acknowledgments

The study was funded by the grant of the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 18-18-00298).

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