Evaluation of basic values realizability in local settings (Tomsk) by artsand science-oriented university students

It has been stated that ''success'' of urban development is affected, in particular, by what the residents understand about their city mission and its potential, by how leadership is spread among them, by possibilities of their creative participation in the urban development. In this regard, it is relevant, in our opinion, to study characteristics of university students' evaluation of urban environment as a potential for their professional and personal development. The study was conducted in the city of Tomsk whose local authorities positioned it in Siberia as a promising educational and innovation centre. The study involved 181 university students: master and doctoral students majoring in humanities (N = 96) and their science-oriented counterparts (N = 85). To evaluate the urban environment potential of Tomsk, the Basic Value Realizability technique was used, which is based on the semantic differential method and enables to identify subjects' opinions on realizability of 20 basic values as a specific environment parameter of their personal development. The Self-Organization of Activity questionnaire and that of Career Anchors were applied to analyse the study participants' personal potential. It has been found that university students, in general, evaluate basic value realizability in Tomsk positively. Therefore, it can be concluded that the city, in their opinion, has an essential potential for their professional and personal development. However, master and doctoral students take the city of Tomsk, first of all, as a place favourable for love and marriage. The results revealed significant between-group differences among the samples under study in the following scales of Basic Value Realizability: to succeed in profession and career; to achieve desired goals; to make sense of life; to assert oneself; to be unique and original; to have power. The identified between-group differences indicate that the same environment is viewed differently by young people with different career orientations (a humanitarian or science profile). Arts-oriented university students feel more optimistic about the city (but, likely, more illusive). The study samples did not differ greatly in their scores on the Self-Organization of Activity questionnaire and that of Career Anchors. However, they are specific as indicated by the results of correlation analysis carried out separately for each group. It has been revealed that science-oriented young people with career orientation towards ''service'' take Tomsk more positively in regard to its potential. Thus, the results obtained enable us to put forward a hypothesis that the socio-cultural environment of Tomsk can to a greater degree meet the needs of arts-oriented individuals. It has been shown that personal characteristics of science-oriented university students can significantly affect their evaluation of basic values realizability and, hence, their evaluation of the urban environment potential of Tomsk. Meanwhile, the more they are inclined to planning, purposeful and persistent, the more positive Tomsk is viewed in the context of possibilities for their professional growth and career development, self-assertion and making sense of life.

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