Conflictogenic topics in everyday communication among youth (based on materials from an interdisciplinary study in Barnaul)

Kolegaeva Elizaveta Aleksandrovna Student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 656049, Russia, Altai Territory, Barnaul, Dimitrova str., 66, room 520 liza.lizochka03@mail.ru Other publications by this author     Zheldakova Arina Vladimirovna Graduate student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 66 Dimitrova str., Barnaul, Altai Territory, 656049, Russia arina.zheldakova@gmail.com Perin Sergei Aleksandrovich Graduate student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 66 Dimitrova str., Barnaul, Altai Territory, 656049, Russia Ssaynirov@mail.ru Maslov Vladislav Sergeevich Graduate student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 66 Dimitrova str., Barnaul, Altai Territory, 656049, Russia agutsyarutsrfao@mail.ru Zamyatin Ivan Denisovich Student; Department of Economics and Management; National Research University 'Higher School of Economics' 194100, Russia, St. Petersburg, Vyborg district, Kantemirovskaya str., 3 room 1 letter A vanechka.zamiatin@yandex.ru

Grigor'ev Danil Igorevich Graduate student; Department of Sociology and Conflictology; Altai State University 66 Dimitrova str., Barnaul, Altai Territory, 656049, Russia danil45.05@mail.ru

Introduction.

The problem of studying conflictogens as precursors of conflict lies, first of all, in the difference in the participants' perception of the interaction of certain conflictogens. Despite the fact that specific types of conflictogens have been identified, which most often serve as the basis of conflict, in a practical sense they remain an unpredictable factor in the communication process, since their perception is influenced by many components, ranging from age and mood to the environment and status of the interlocutor. In addition, the peculiarity of conflictogens, manifested in their potential nature in relation to the conflict itself, also makes it difficult to predict the latter.

The relevance of this work lies in the insufficient study of the phenomenon of conflictogenicity, including the specifics of the concept itself, which has a similar meaning to the concepts of conflict potential, social tension, protest mood, as pre-conflict states of society. The multiplicity of interpretations of all these concepts and the lack of their systematization in the framework of conflictological or other social sciences arouse research interest and demand for further elaboration of the presented terms.

Conflictogenicity should also be studied due to the fact that by identifying conflict-provoking factors at the stage of increasing contradictions, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a conflict situation. Taking into account the events taking place all over the world and, in particular, in Russia in recent years, the diagnosis of conflictogenicity in order to regulate social tension in society becomes important.

Youth, as a strategically important social group for the development of the country, is more susceptible to the disadvantages of the surrounding reality. Being in search of justice and having high expectations, she often finds herself "in the epicenter" of social contradictions and conflicts. In this regard, it becomes necessary to determine the specifics of the conflict among youth through the prism of everyday communication, a more relaxed and frank form of communication.

Scientific sophistication

The interdisciplinarity of the concepts of conflictogens and conflictogenicity implies their use in various sciences: conflictology, sociology, psychology, political science, linguistics, etc. Conflict in the modern scientific paradigm is recognized as an inevitable and obligatory element of society, in the long run, bringing, in addition to tangible negative emotions and the risk of disruption of human relationships, the possibility of improving the skills of conflict communication and resolving a contradictory situation with the least losses for both sides. Sometimes, under certain conditions, the method of deliberate provocation of a conflict situation is considered effective in order to clarify the situation, relieve accumulated tension in the existing system of relations, and further their qualitative change and development.

The main object of research in conflictology is social conflict, which is understood as an open confrontation, a clash of two or more subjects and participants in social interaction, the causes of which are conscious incompatible needs, interests and values. A conflict situation precedes a direct confrontation between the parties and forms the determinants of conflict, provoking social and psychological tension ^[1].

Any actions or omissions, words, ideas, called conflictogens, can lead to a conflict situation. The term "conflictogen", literally as "conflict-generating", was introduced into Russian scientific practice in the late 90s of the twentieth century by psychologist and conflictologist A.P. Egides as an opposition to syntone, an action in communication that promotes the creation of a comfortable microclimate ^[2]. Conflictogens are a provocative factor that causes a negative reaction. They can be considered as an "incentive" (provoking a conflictogen) and as a "reaction" (responding conflictogen), thereby contributing not only to the emergence of conflict, but also to further development ^[3].

Later, the concept was found in the works of other scientists involved in the study of conflict. A.Ya. Antsupov and A.I. Shipilov understand a conflictogen as "any object, idea, view, element of behavior that reveals a difference in the assessments of conflicting parties" ^[4]. M.M. Kashapov argues that a conflictogen is "an action that generates precisely a destructive form of conflict" ^[5], in other words, reduces the chances of a satisfactory outcome for the opponents. So, everyone's interpretation of the conflictogen boils down to the fact that it can be any word or action that reveals a difference in the assessments of the parties and can lead to conflict.

Conflictogenicity, on the other hand, is a social phenomenon characterized by the accumulation of conflicting interests of various social actors, intergroup or intra-group disunity, and increased tension in significant areas of public life. The accumulation of conflictogens contributes to the increase of social tension, forming the conflictogenicity of society. Unlike conflict, which implies the ultimate case of aggravation of contradictions, conflictogenicity in society is a set of tensions that are concentrated in some situations, which is expressed in the form of anxiety about unmet needs ^[6].

The conflictogenicity of society can have different severity, intensity of manifestation over time and in different regions of the country. The level of conflictogenicity is determined based on specific information about the behavior of social groups and is characterized by a system of indicators of conflictogenicity ^[7]. The system of indicators of conflict includes quantitative characteristics that reflect the dynamics of the objective (indicators of crime, drug addiction, corruption in the country, etc.) and the subjective (public opinion about the activities of government authorities, the president, assessment of the degree of satisfaction of urgent needs, expectations, respect for human rights and personal safety, the state of interethnic relations, protest sentiments and so on).

If there is a need to study the conflictogenicity of a particular social group, then it is worth paying attention to the process that has a significant impact on behavior, worldview, and the formation of group members as individuals, namely, communication. People's social relations are realized mainly in the process of communication, which serves as a determining factor in organizing people's joint activities ^[8].

A characteristic feature of everyday communication is the ability of all communicants to freely navigate the situation under discussion ^[9]. In everyday communication, colloquial speech with elements of vernacular, dialects and jargons is usually used. However, this style can also be seen in modern writing, especially since social networks and instant messengers have become an integral part of everyday life.

Conflict implies a clash of motives, needs, intentions, etc. Considering the problem of conflictogenicity of communication, it can be argued that communication is always conflictogenic. L.R. Komalova considers violation of communicative norms as a conflictogenic factor ^[10]. Other conflict-causing factors include differences in the perception of the world and culturally determined differences between communicants, the ambiguous nature of linguistic elements and manifestations of speech aggression. The main conflict-causing actions can be reduced to the following types: striving for superiority, aggression, selfishness, violation of rules and an unfavorable set of circumstances. These conflictogens can manifest themselves in combination and have their own dynamics.

Communication on conflict-related topics shows the prevailing subjective image of people in unfavorable circumstances for them. A conflictogenic topic in everyday communication is understood as the subject of conversation reflecting the negative reaction (discontent, irritation, or aggression) of the interlocutors to objective signs and the state of the conflictogenic environment. It can be said that it is an indirect conflict response, because a person reacts to the subject of provocation not directly, but through discussing his actions with others, as a result of developing a certain common opinion with the group with which he identifies himself. However, a conflict-causing topic can also become a provoking conflict if the opinions of the interlocutors initially or during the conversation diverge, and a conflict situation is likely to arise. In a virtual environment, the conscious attitude of content authors to discuss a particular topic (by publishing a post, article, video, comment) already gives it a conflictual character. As a result, a conflict response in the form of posting a topic about an exciting situation (assessment of political or economic reforms, work of social services, behavior of local residents, new social phenomena, personal problems, etc.) can potentially cause disputes between supporters and opponents of the author, bypassing the original subject of provocation. And there is a range of problems in the youth environment that makes it possible to classify its members as a group with increased conflict potential.

Thus, the level of conflict among young people is characterized as an extremely unstable and contradictory state associated with socio-economic, socio-political and socio-psychological factors. Assessing the level of conflict among young people will make it possible to take measures in certain areas of life in order to regulate the conflict in this group and prevent the spread of radical views that have a destabilizing effect on the situation in the country as a whole.

The selection of participants took place using the quota method based on the gender and age characteristics of Barnaul youth, because such a sample seems to be more representative for the study.

Methodology and research methods

Based on the understanding of conflictogenic topics in everyday communication as an indicator of the conflictogenicity of a specific youth social group, a methodology was developed and a sociological study was conducted among the youth of Barnaul, the purpose of which was to analyze conflictogenic topics in the daily communication of young people. The research was carried out through quantitative and qualitative methods of information collection – a survey in the form of questionnaires and in-depth interviews.

The general population of the study was the youth of Barnaul aged 18-35 years. The selection of participants took place using the quota method based on the gender and age characteristics of Barnaul youth, because such a sample seems to be more representative for the study. The sample totals 342 respondents. The sample size was determined by the capabilities of the researchers. The sample type is non–random. 16 representatives of Barnaul youth took part in the in-depth interview.

From the point of view of socio-demographic characteristics, the interviewed youth are heterogeneous. This is reflected in different levels of education and financial status, differences in marital status, professional activities, and sources of income, which will allow us to explore the research topic more thoroughly.

The results of the study

As a rule, various conflict-related topics appear in everyday communication, which can sometimes be discussed spontaneously and unconsciously. Therefore, if you ask an open question about which of these topics has been discussed recently, the person is likely to give a superficial, limited answer. In this regard, at the beginning of the survey, respondents were offered the main categories of conflict-related topics that they could choose based on their communication experience, which allowed them to identify social, economic and political factors that could cause tension. Table 1 shows the results obtained.

More than half of the respondents (58.7%) chose "behavior" as the most conflict-prone topic. The following topics were "the quality of social services" (48.1%), "domestic policy" (36.4%), "foreign policy" (33.8%), "military issues" and "the state of morality" (32.5%), "financial situation" (30.3%). The content of the listed topics was also specified by some respondents in the "Other" line. For example, the "manner of behavior" is revealed through "the use of obscene language", "irresponsible actions", manifestations of "indifference, betrayal from others", "inadequacy in social networks". The topic "the state of morality and morals" was revealed with the statements "consumer culture and the imposition of clip thinking", "complete fraud".

About a quarter of the respondents chose the topics "family situation" and "work situation" (24.7%). "Thinking about the future" was chosen by 22.1% of the young people surveyed, and the majority of them are 25-29 years old, male, which may be related to issues of career development and the search for financial stability, creating or providing for a family, as well as age-related military service opportunities.

It is worth noting that the topic "financial situation" was chosen, for the most part, by men (16.3%). In addition, this topic was most often mentioned by young people aged 18-24 (11.7%), and those with poor or very poor financial situation (5.6% and 9.1%, when less attention was paid to other topics), which can be called natural. This also applies to the fact that students mostly chose the topic "the situation at school", which was generally the least noted among the entire list of conflict-prone topics (14.3%). The "Housing issue" prevailed among young people aged 25-29 (6.5%), while young people characterized by very poor and with a very good financial situation, we ignored this issue.

According to the table, it can be seen that mostly a larger percentage of other topics are in the age group of 30-35 years. This can be explained by the initial composition of the sample, where this group is in the majority, but due to the limitations of the choice of topics (maximum 7), they noted the most important categories for themselves. As a rule, these are the most common conflict-causing topics in communication: family, everyday life, politics, economics, social sphere, crime. In the "Other" line, they also noted the themes of religion and national self-determination. Younger people also preferred personality-oriented topics: appearance, health, and plans for the future. They supplemented the proposed list with topics such as lifestyle, hobbies, and relationships with the opposite sex. The topics of the day include ecology, racism, social inequality, and youth perspectives.

Table 1. Distribution of respondents' responses to the question: "Choose the categories of topics of everyday communication, the discussion of which reflects your negative reaction to the environment, may provoke conflict" (in % of the respondents).

*The percentage amount in the table exceeds 100%, because the respondents could choose several answers.

If we analyze the choice of conflict-causing topics in terms of gender, then women have a more extensive list than men. The topic of "appearance" was chosen by only 2.6% of men, and the most frequent was "foreign policy" (23.4%). The majority of women chose the topic of "behavior" (38.8%), the topic of social status provokes them least of all to discontent and conflict (7.8%).

Other aspects of the social status of young people (housing conditions, marital status, occupation) were also analyzed. The following relationships were identified here: young people living with their parents or renting housing were more likely to choose topics of financial status and housing issues; married people chose topics of family situation and quality of social services; unmarried people chose topics of everyday life, social status, and future plans for life. Based on the type of activity, young people choose the expected topics: combining study with work – the topics "the situation at school" and "social inequality", working – the topics "the situation at work" and "the state of the economy", unemployed – "financial situation".

The participants of the in-depth interview were asked to voice the conflict-causing topics themselves, which they touch upon in the process of everyday communication with others. Many topics overlapped with those suggested in the questionnaire. For example, the topic of "behavior" was presented in more detail by one of the respondents in the following way: "I am puzzled by the mentality of the surrounding population, which is often reflected in indifference, envy, a tendency to gossip and slander, a desire to condemn, ridicule or even somehow frame someone. Selfishness, aggressiveness, and a tendency to assert oneself through squabbling in queues, social media, and other crowded places." Others have revealed it more succinctly: "People's behavior is aggression, ignorance, one-sided vision of the world"; "inadequate, tactless behavior of people, pettiness in everyday life", "unsolicited advice from "experts" who have known life."

"The quality of social services" was discussed in more detail in the problems with public transport and medicine: "Transport – clogged buses, long travel intervals"; "I won't scold public transport – the day was wasted!"; "it seems that they made a dedicated lane for buses to get people there faster, but as a result, the traffic situation is only it has worsened"; "therapists in polyclinics are being reduced, and at best you need to make an appointment with specialized doctors a month before the appointment, at worst you just go to a paid clinic, and the situation is the same with referrals"; "unqualified doctors come across, prescribe medications according to their own guidelines, do not take into account individual moments in the manifestation of symptoms"; "you can't sign up through Gosuslugi everywhere, but the registry often doesn't answer the phone, and you get cured right away."

The other most discussed conflict-causing topics, which were voiced by the interviewees, are related to talking about low wages, debt, rising prices, overtime, the expediency of instructions from management, the distribution of finances and household responsibilities in the family, and raising children. Politics was also touched upon, in particular the CBO and related domestic political and socio-economic problems in the country. In terms of unusual topics, some participants touched on topics related to women's issues in modern society.: "Reproductive attitudes not only from the environment, but also at the state level", "stories of domestic violence and the search for those responsible for it"; "excessive demands on women – the need to always be beautiful, economical, understanding, etc." Someone paid attention to the topic of blogging and its impact on the moral image of society: "They demonstrate successful success, but in fact many things are staged. As well as relationships with other people. It's like they live only to consume. Questionable things are often advertised, sometimes harmful to health, and there is no punishment as such, unless you make it public. The most unpleasant thing is that they attract children to this, who then demonstrate questionable behaviors for their peers."

In the theoretical part, the conflictogenic topic was considered not only as a response to the state of the conflictogenic environment, but could also act as a provocative element causing conflict with interlocutors due to conflicting opinions. In order to find out what motivates young people to discuss such topics, as part of a youth survey, it was proposed to rank the motives for discussing conflict-related topics from 1 to 7 (Fig. 1.).

The most important motive for the majority of respondents is "expressing their dissatisfaction" (31.2%). This is followed by a desire to "express a personal opinion on a topical issue" (32.5%; 18.2%). The motives of "trying to solve an urgent problem" and "convincing the interlocutor that he is right" (21%) were on a par, but the majority of respondents later identified the latter only in 6th place (22.4%). "Searching for a like-minded person" is not often used when talking about conflict-related topics, and this motive is located on the 5th position (23.4%), only slightly ahead of the motive of "making specific claims to the interlocutor." More than half of the respondents rarely provoke an interlocutor into conflict intentionally (52%). It can be said that discussing conflict-related topics gives young people the opportunity, first of all, to express their reaction to the current situation. The desire to solve a problem or argue about it with an opponent may arise during the discussion, depending on the content of the topic and other situational factors such as the personality and mood of the interlocutor, the environment, etc.

Fig. 1. Distribution of answers to the question: "Rank the motives for discussing conflict–related topics by importance from 1 to 7, where 1 is the most commonly used motive, 7 is a rarely, almost unused motive" (in % of the number of respondents).

When asked about the frequency of conflicts when discussing conflict-related topics, more than half of the respondents (57.3%) replied that they rarely come into conflict, and this happens mainly during live communication (37.3%). Sometimes 13.3% of young people come into conflict with both live and virtual communication (Table 2). Quite often (4%) and constantly (1.3%) – also mostly during live communication.

Table 2. The ratio of responses to the questions: "How often do you come into conflict in the process of discussing conflict-related topics?" and "Mainly in what format of communication do you come into conflict?" (in % of the number of respondents)

The interviewees to the question "Do you often have conflicts during the discussion of conflict–related topics" in most cases replied that it was rare: "Extremely rare, usually such a discussion occurs on the part of the interlocutor, not mine"; "rarely - I try to stay calm, and expect the same from the interlocutor": "conflicts they rarely happen, but they do happen."; "No, it's more like a discussion." One of the participants noted: "I try not to touch on conflict-related topics with unfamiliar people."

In this regard, the question arose with whom respondents most often come into conflict during communication on conflict-causing topics (Table 3).

Table 3. Distribution of responses to the question: "Who do you conflict with most often when communicating on conflict-related topics?" (in % of the number of respondents)

In this case, there is a tendency for rare cases of conflict, but judging by the distribution of responses in the table, it can be seen that they occur much more often when communicating with family members and friends than with acquaintances and colleagues. Most likely, this is due to the fact that in their presence, most young people are not afraid to express their opinions even on the most provocative and controversial topics, due to the level of closeness and trust in their relationship. At the same time, this fact does not stop them from being able to enter into a confrontation with them, since in the long run, by and large, it will not have a big impact on the status of their relationship, which cannot be said about colleagues or acquaintances.

More than half (58.7%) noted that they had never come into conflict when communicating with neighbors. Perhaps this indicates a low degree of familiarity with them, and this state of affairs is quite widespread nowadays. The situation is similar with strangers (including anonymous Internet users), although a small percentage (3.9%) of respondents constantly clash with them, which was previously noted only when communicating with their closest ones. This may be typical of communication on the Internet, where it is easier to start a conversation with strangers on conflict-prone topics than in the real world.

The interview participants were asked the question "Why and under what conditions do these kinds of conflicts occur?", and many referred to the disrespectful behavior of the interlocutors: "... if the interlocutor begins to behave aggressively, disrespectfully in the context of communication"; "inappropriate and ignorant behavior of the opponent, provocations, appealing to the majority"; "participants they cross personal boundaries and stoop to insults." Someone directly said that he himself sometimes influences the development of the conflict: "I hurt my opponent's personal feelings, for example, I scold buses, and his uncle is a driver, but this very rarely happens"; "they often occur during gatherings with relatives and under the influence of alcohol, or when one of the parties strongly wants to prove I'm right (which I sometimes do)"; "if it does come to a conflict, I try to come out of it with humor and a smile, which only infuriates many." The remaining part of the participants replied that the conflict occurs already at the stage of divergence of the opponents' positions, often when communicating on social networks.

To the additional question, "Do you think the Internet is a more conflict-prone environment than in real life? If so, why?" Most of the interviewees answered in the affirmative: "It is much more conflictual, because the Internet gives a feeling of impunity. Swearing at people under a fake name is easier and less scary than on the street."; "definitely, there are a lot of people with different views on many things on the Internet, which can provoke so-called "holivars"; "I think so, because it's harder to take responsibility for your words on the Internet, The opponent is even a form of abstraction, so it's easier to get personal." But there was also the opposite opinion: "The Internet has a less conflictual environment. It will not be possible to raise your voice there, no one will take your opponent's attacks seriously"; "probably not, it all depends on the subjects of interaction both in real life and on the Internet." Despite the fact that according to the survey results, conflicts during the discussion of conflict-prone topics among young people occur more often during live interaction than during online communication, the conflict-prone nature of the Internet environment is confirmed by many. But, as a rule, users who provoke conflict are in the minority, while the rest prefer the role of observers.

Next, the respondents answered in what forms they have conflict interaction (Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Distribution of responses to the question: "In what forms is conflict interaction carried out?" (the percentage amount exceeds 100%, since respondents could choose several answers)

The majority of the respondents (92.2%) identified a "dispute", which in principle corresponds to the purpose of conflict-related topics, since the positions of the parties are primarily voiced in the dispute. Also, a fairly significant percentage of collisions are accompanied by "ignoring" the interlocutor (40.3%), using direct or indirect insults (35.1%), which often does not contribute to a favorable end to the conflict. It is worth paying attention to a rather significant percentage of the "causing material or physical damage" form (14.3%), which occurs among a small sample of respondents. It follows from this that the daily discussion of conflict-related topics is indeed an indicator of a certain level of conflict in society, if in certain situations the dispute flows into specific actions in relation to a person's property or to himself.

As for conflict resolution when communicating on conflict-related topics, for many respondents (33.8%) everything ends with a simple disagreement between the parties, i.e. the subject of the confrontation was not of particular interest or value to the participants, so the conflict exhausted itself (Fig. 3). For almost the same number of respondents (31.2%), the conflict ended mutual concessions. Only 13% of young people were able to work out a mutually beneficial solution, taking into account the interests of all parties. Some (5.2%) resort to violent methods of conflict resolution (meaning not only physical force, but also authority, power, connections, etc.).

Fig. 3. Distribution of responses to the question: "Mainly how do you resolve such conflicts?" (in % of the number of respondents)

In interviews, respondents talked mainly about the neutral and negative outcomes of such conflicts: "I always try to stay with my opinion, whether my opponent came to the same thing or not – it doesn't matter to me"; "compromises were found with an important person, I stayed with my opinion with some"; "there was no result from the conflict, only a negative aftertaste, no more"; "these conflicts most often turned into hostility or mutual rejection"; "most often the conflicts ended in a deterioration of relations, albeit temporary, but there was definitely no positive result." It can be said that most conflicts in the process of communicating on conflict-related topics are resolved to no avail, each side remains of its own opinion, and one way or another the unresolved issue leaves a negative imprint on the relationship with the opponent. It also follows from the answers of the interviewees that they perceive conflicts as a whole as a destructive element of interaction with other people.

In addition, the respondents were asked the question: "Do you consciously search for and study conflict-related topics? If so, for what purpose?" "Yes, I regularly analyze sources covering these topics in order to achieve an understanding of the truth"; "yes, but not for conflicts, but out of personal interest"; "yes, if I understand that I am not knowledgeable enough about the topic, and it is necessary to replenish knowledge." Someone replied that he was engaged in research and analysis, "because it relieves anxiety."

Identifying relevant issues will help to understand which social and economic factors influence the level of conflict. To the question "What problems have been bothering you lately?" The majority of respondents (62.3%) chose the option "uncertainty about the future", and it prevails among young people of all ages, both sexes (Table 4). This may be due to the unstable financial situation, accompanied, among other things, by the tense political situation in the country and the world, which has a direct impact on people's well-being. Other frequently chosen options reveal this influence in the lack of money or debts (44.3%), youth health problems (40.2%), lack of their own housing (37.3%), mental problems (35.1%).

Table 4. Distribution of responses to the question: "What problems have you been worried about lately?" (in % of the number of respondents)

*The percentage amount in the table exceeds 100%, because the respondents could choose several answers.

It is noteworthy that young people aged 25-29 are more likely to experience health problems (18.5%). Also, representatives of this age group feel lonely the most (9.1%), both men and women. Young people, mostly aged 18-24 (17.6%), face mental problems, and this may affect their physical well-being in the future. Perhaps this is due to the fact that today's youth are characterized by a great desire for self-reflection, protection of personal boundaries, and a tendency to resist various social attitudes, which causes internal contradictions that affect the general state of the body. This is also facilitated by access to a huge amount of diverse unverified information, which younger youth today receive much earlier than their mature representatives, who joined the Internet only in adolescence. Additionally, such problems as the arbitrariness of the authorities, crime, transport, freedom, finding one's place in this world, absurd actions of people, lack of security were highlighted.

In their answers, the interview participants mostly duplicated the problems that the survey participants noted: "Low wages, high prices"; "the political situation inside the country and in the world, general instability, inflation, a sharp increase in prices for goods and services"; "the tense situation in the world, their own health, rising prices, especially for real estate"; "finding a normal job"; "psychological health, transport and housing issues"; "the inability of the environment to think critically"; "disputes over the distribution of the family budget, responsibilities for raising children"; "the horse worked best on the collective farm, but she never became chairman" – I think this phrase is quite enough"; "a lot of teenagers get hooked on vapes, hover wherever possible, and it's useless to talk about harm to them."

Assessing the level of conflict at the city level can provide context for understanding youth conflicts and their causes. Thus, the youth assessed the level according to their subjective opinion (Fig. 4).

Fig. 4. Distribution of responses to the question: "Please assess the level of conflict in the city" (in % of the number of respondents)

The majority of respondents (61.3%) identified the level of conflict in the city as "average". This means that popular discontent is felt, controversial issues are often discussed, but there are few open clashes, and if they happen, they quickly fade away and are forgotten. It can be said that the unfavorable aspects of life at this level are perceived patiently. Almost a quarter of the respondents rated the level of conflict as "low" (24%), and 14.7% of young people identified it as "high".

Next, the young people were asked to assess the level of conflictogenicity already in their environment, and both the survey participants and the interview participants expressed themselves openly. In the survey, someone limited themselves to a simple answer, assessing the level of conflict as "high", "medium" or "low", and the majority noted "average". Someone gave more detailed answers, for example: "Average, it seems to me that young people actively discuss conflict-related topics, but it rarely comes to open conflicts, because they are increasingly concerned about their own problems"; "I think that some discontent is brewing, but the conflict potential is not very high, many are afraid to take any action." Someone rated it as "high" because of the "low level of education", "insufficient discussion of real social problems, obsession with the personal", "rudeness and closeness", it was also noted that this level "is inherent more in social networks, but in live communication it is much less."

There was practically no option with a "high" level of conflict among the interview participants, but the following response was: "This indicator has recently reached a peak, and it seems that social networks and the media seem to be deliberately playing on this, contributing to strife within society." Others mostly rated it as "medium" or "moderate": "In my opinion, the level of conflict is not very high. Yes, sometimes youth representatives express all kinds of discontent, but rather in the form of complaints to each other. There is neither the strength, nor the time, nor the faith to take decisive action. There are probably no special contradictions"; "the level of conflict is moderate at the moment, I can't say that there have been more conflict situations lately"; "in my opinion, there is no high level of conflict among young people now, there may be clashes due to ideological views, but in general the mood is neutral."

Additionally, the interviewees were given the opportunity to offer their ideas for regulating the conflictogenicity of youth. One part of the respondents focused on improving material well-being and quality of life: "Increasing financial support measures, in particular, increasing scholarships for students to at least the minimum wage, providing work experience to gain work experience and further employment"; "increase purchasing power: create new jobs, increase wages, lower taxes, make mortgage lending more accessible"; "take measures to improve education and healthcare, especially in the public sector"; "employment, empowerment, and the demand for professions, as there are many antisocial idlers, hence conflicts and discontent"; "improve the urban environment: repair roads so that they don't fall into holes in the spring to purchase more new full-fledged buses (rather than minibuses), repair tram tracks, limit the movement of scooters, make normal storm drains, and arrange for the placement of free outdoor toilets in crowded places." The other part is devoted to education and upbringing: "To develop a culture of respect for other people's point of view, other people's interests. In addition, to carry out anti-terrorist and anti-nationalist education, as young people are easily recruited in their conditions"; "read books, learn history, know their rights and duties"; "learn to work with different sources of information in order not to trust dubious personalities on the Internet and not to be provoked."

Someone spoke about establishing a dialogue with the state.: "To enable young people to influence the city's policies, including supporting various youth initiative groups." There were also suggestions about providing psychological assistance: "The introduction of the possibility of free sessions with psychologists in specialized centers, universities, and workplaces."

Conclusions

In the course of the study, it was revealed that conflictogenic topics in the daily communication of young people in Barnaul manifest themselves for the most part as reciprocal conflictogens, i.e. they are aimed at expressing a negative reaction designed to draw attention to the existing problem. To a lesser extent, they manifest themselves as provoking conflictogens, which shows the rare frequency of conflicts in the course of youth communication on such topics and their disinterest in prolonged confrontation. The following conclusions can be drawn:

Firstly, there is a certain pattern in the choice of conflict-causing topics, due to the age and social status of young people. For example, young people aged 18-24 were more likely to mention the topics "academic situation," "financial situation," "appearance," and "health status." If we analyze young people aged 30-35, they mostly discuss the topics "family situation", "work situation", "household responsibilities", "quality of social services", i.e. topics describing their daily routine.

Secondly, conflict-related topics in communication mainly affect social problems related to economic and political processes, as well as moral changes affecting the behavior of young people. This is indicated by the following most discussed topics, which were noted by the respondents: "behavior", "quality of social services", "domestic and foreign policy", "military issues", "state of morals and morals", "financial situation".

Thirdly, when young people communicate on conflict-related topics in an online format on a daily basis, the frequency of conflicts is lower, which refutes the initial assumption. The study showed that these conflicts generally do not occur often, and in most cases they occur in the process of live communication with the immediate environment in the person of relatives, friends, colleagues at work or school.

Fourth, one of the sources of conflict among Barnaul's youth is the low level of development of individual social infrastructure facilities in the city. These include mainly public transport and healthcare.

Thus, the study highlights the importance of understanding conflict-related topics in youth communication and their impact on social interactions and emotional state.