On the question of initiativeness, independence, and activity of children in modern Russia

The critical commentary is written as a response to the article by Goshin M. E. et al., published in the journal “Sociological Studies” No. 3, 2024. The article analyzes and criticizes the position on the possibility of studying “agency” in relation to children. It points out the lack of a clear definition of the term itself, the ambiguity of the Russian-language perception of foreign lexical tracing, the artificiality of the creation of derivatives – “agency index”, “unpacking the agency”. It’s noted that the Russian extensive interdisciplinary scientific tradition of studying independence and activity of children is ignored, the methodology and methods of empirical research in the children’s environment are weakly substantiated, important aspects of the analysis of the conditions and factors of formation and education of subjectivity, initiative of children and adolescents are omitted. Arguments are given in favor of transferring initiative from individualistic significance to a prosocial vector in future studies. the authors’ position on studying the social activity of the modern young generation of Russia within the framework of the children’s and youth movement is presented.