Abstract
We consider the process of self-development of student youth in the context of the functioning of student scientific society, which is a space for self-identification, self-determination and self-development of youth in the structure of civil society. The basic mechanisms of self-development are revealed: self-understanding, self-awareness, self-determination, self-government, self-improvement and self-realization. It is noted that they are all interconnected and interact with each other, their consistent implementation forms a kind of algorithm for moving to higher forms of self-improvement. The characteristic is given to the principles under which the social and cultural conditions for students’ self-development will be most vividly realized (subjectivity, motivational orientation of self-development, effectiveness of cultural activity, facilitation, focus, coherence, consistency and continuity in the content of the educational process, the connection of upbringing with life, the democracy of the upbringing system, interactivity, individualization, differentiation and tolerance of the education system, integrity and structure, variability and competitiveness of the activity of self-developing personality). Particular attention is paid to social and cultural activities, which are aimed at self-realization of the personality, self-development of personal spiritual and physical potential of students. Personal self-development connected with integration into the internal and external activities of the individual for self-designing and self-creation at the level of self-awareness, motivational, value and emotional spheres, behavior in accordance with the requirements of the social and normative space and the tasks of research, social organizational and social and cultural activities of student scientific society.