Social and cultural vectors of development of volunteerism in contemporary Russian society

The article discusses the sociocultural phenomenon of volunteering and its role in the modernization of society. Volunteering is defined by the author as a prosocial activity and interpreted in terms of a target procedure, a substantial component of volunteerism. Characterized the youth volunteer activities from the perspective of the specific historical situation in the society, an indicator of the improvement of the sociopolitical relations and the development of initiative, patriotism and civil position of young generation. The main directions of development of volunteerism in Russia (social protection, environmental improvement and prevention of alcohol and drug addiction, promoting healthy lifestyles, human rights activities, preservation of historical and cultural heritage, promoting activities in the sphere of culture and art; physical culture and mass sport; assistance in the sphere of education, science, culture, art, enlightenment, spiritual development of personality), allocated the relevant forms of voluntary associations. Determined the nature and specificity of the concept of “volunteer activities” and specified the basic principles of volunteering.