Education as a Factor and Resource of Civic Participation and Democratic Development of Society

On the basis of the results of representative sociological surveys conducted both in Russia and abroad, the article addresses the problem of the impact of education on the level and quality of civic participation. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is a set of provisions dealing with the complexity, variability, and country-specific educational effects in the socio-political sphere. Special attention is paid to the problem of interaction of educational capacities of individuals, social groups, and society as a whole, in various social and political practices. It is shown that depending on the nature and content of the interaction, it is possible to talk about absolute, relative and cumulative effects of education in the field of civic participation. Higher education leads to increased interest of citizens in various forms and practices of public and political activities, and increases motivation for greater self-expression and self-realization. The analysis also revealed that the educational potential of Russians is still poorly realized in the socio-political sphere, which in turn limits the possibility of the formation of new relevant knowledge, concepts and ideas about more effective organization of the life of Russian society. Education and civic participation are complex social phenomena, and the relationship between them is complex and dynamic. It is in the process of day-to-day involvement, and not in the outside the legal framework of extreme events that there is a confirmation of civic values, relevant skills, formed identity, and social reality can be cognized.