This is a study of ethnic, social and political attitudes among youth in ten former republics of the Soviet Union. It will survey a probability sample frame of schools to assess the current attitudes and conditions of youth and to design future studies of social change and policy impact on this segment of society. Topics covered will include: strength of group identities, attitudes toward other nationalities, policy preferences on nationality issues, general political attitudes, and attitudes toward the commonwealth. Social change and ethnic relations have long been among the central topics for sociology, and thus this study will provide a substantial new data base for testing many social-scientific hypotheses. This research will contribute greatly to our understanding of the tremendous changes happening in the former Soviet Union, and it will help scholars and policy makers comprehend the internal conflicts and international relations occurring among these newly independent states.
