Challenges of positioning and promotion of young culturologists in the labor market

Abstract

The article considers cultural studies as a profession that, in modern conditions, requires specificity, the narrowest possible specialization and applied capabilities. In consumer modernity, there is a dual perception of cultural studies as a profession: either as a vocation or as cultural education of the masses delivered by entertainers. The article deals with the issue of demand for cultural studies in the labor market from three angles: from an applicant’s, employer’s and a university graduate’s perspective. From the point of view of the applicant, cultural studies are evaluated according to at least four criteria: high salary, career opportunities, prestige, interesting and diverse activities. As a result, culturology as a future profession does not stand up to competition with other popular fields, such as law, AI, economics, finance, etc. The position of employers in relation to culturologists can be traced through the analysis of vacancies for the search request “culturologist” in Russia, which, in fact, is not optimistic either. From the point of view of training young professionals in cultural studies, universities acknowledge that the approach lacks consistency: on the one hand, a degree in cultural studies offers a broad knowledge, on the other hand, the education is eclectic and blurred, inadequate for the modern labor market, which tends to narrow specialization. Next, we consider cases of employment and professional development of culturologists in Ulyanovsk. The evidence is taken from the pool of graduates of the Ulyanovsk State University. As a result, despite the traditionally gloomy skepticism of graduates with a degree in cultural studies, the understanding of the broad possibilities that this education offers comes later, once they enter the labour market. Based on the review of three different positions and analysis of employment cases of graduates with a degree in cultural studies, the article identifies basic issues in positioning and promotion in the labour market of young professionals. In particular, the article focuses on the newness of the profession and its consequences, the issue of broad professional competence, the tailor-made approach to the course that Russian universities take across the country as well as the challenges that lie beyond cultural studies as a profession, namely, a significant lagging behind of Russia’s cultural economic cluster. The article also analyzes the competitive advantages of a culturologist in theory and practice. It also justifies the need for culturologists in the domestic labor market in the context of economic opportunities in the cultural sphere. As a result, we propose ways to address the issue of promoting cultural studies as a promising and popular profession.