Gender discourse in the confessional space of modern Kabardino-Balkaria (based on sociological research)

The article is based on the materials of a sociological survey conducted in April-May 2023 among the youth of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic “Gender preferences of young people in the spiritual sphere in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic”. The results of the survey demonstrated the increasing interest in Islam on the part of the region’s new generation. Thus, more than 50 % of young men and women assign a key role to Shariah in regulating social relations and ensuring the protection of people’s rights. The remainder consider the laws of the state to be their priority. A small part of the respondents gave their preference to adats and these are, as a rule, residents of rural areas. Precedence of the religious component over the national component in marriage is shown. The revealed degree of prevalence of demonstrative models of Islamic behavior gave grounds to assert that the majority of interviewed men and women welcome the wearing of Muslim Islamic clothing. It is concluded that there is a growing consolidation of Muslims aged 18 to 30 years. It has already become obvious today that it is a real social force that may eventually become dominant in the region.