Co-Production in the Socio-Cultural Development of the Urban Environment: Theoretical Approaches and the Potential of Student Participation

The research of students as an actors of co-production in the socio-cultural development of the urban environment is the most actual problem. Co-production interpreted as involvement of citizens and other social actors in the process of creating a public good for a real contribution, share knowledge, experience, and shearing of resources in order to improve the efficiency of public services provided in urban space. This leads to create a richer and more diverse socio-cultural environment.

The purpose of this article is to analyze the potential of the student youth in the Sverdlovsk region as an actors of co-production in the socio-cultural development of cities. Organizational conditions in the specific cases are consider in this research.

Material and methods. The empirical basis of the article is the research of the students social participation by some sociological methods: 1) a questionnaire survey of the youth in the Sverdlovsk region (2020; N =1105, sample type — quota); 2) an online survey of the student youth from universities in regional cities of Russia, Armenia, Poland, Romania (2020; N = 1276, sample type — target); 3) a case study of the organizational conditions for the social participation of the youth in the socio-cultural development of cities of the Sverdlovsk region.

Results and scientific novelty. The analysis of the research materials proved that the participation of students for co-production in sphere of socio-cultural services for an urban environment is ineffective. This conclusion is based on an assessment of youth participation in socio-cultural projects, the availability of individual and collective initiatives, and readiness for informed cooperation with urban communities, public organizations, cultural institutions, and officials. The municipal authorities, NGOs, and leaders of youth organizations underestimate the concept of the сo-production for solving of the socio-cultural problems in the city. They are not ready to manage the sphere of culture according to principles of co-productiveness. The study of cases of student participation in the logic of ideas of co-production highlights new management tasks in the implementation of youth policy in municipalities.

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