Abstract
<jats:p>The aim of the study is the study is to identify the professional community’s ideas about the concept of equal opportunities among young people. The methodological basis of the study. The theoretical and methodological basis of the research is the theory of justice by J. Rawls, the theoretical approach of A. Sen and the concept of resource equality by R. Dvorkina. The empirical base of the study was made up of data obtained during semi-formal interviews with representatives of the professional community (experts), which included: employees of administrations and institutional structures at the regional and municipal levels involved in the implementation of youth policy, teachers implementing educational programs in the field of «Organization of work with youth». The sample also included participants of the all-Russian public and state movement of children and youth «Movement of the First», leaders of the youth all-Russian public organization «Russian Student groups» (n = 32). The results of the study in the course of the research, four forms of interpretation of the concept of equal opportunities in the professional community were identified. The first form, the formal-procedural one, understands the concept of equality of opportunity as providing uniform formal rules and removing barriers to the realization of educational and career paths. The main focus is on versatility and mass appeal. The second form is compensatory-fair, which interprets this concept as recognition of structural inequality and the need to compensate for it in order to ensure equal conditions and fair competition. This interpretation of the concept of equality of opportunity forms the basis of modern youth policy. The third form, the transformative one — considers the concept of equality of opportunity as freedom of choice in the implementation of an individual life scenario. With this formulation, the main vector of state policy should be aimed at developing an ecosystem for the realization of a variety of socially significant life trajectories (professional, educational, creative, entrepreneurial, etc.). The fourth form is procedural and meritocratic. The substantive emphasis is shifted from compensating for the initial inequality to ensuring transparency, openness and fairness in the implementation of life scenarios. The highlighted forms of interpretation of the concept of equality of opportunity in the professional community do not represent alternatives, but consistent and complementary levels of reflection, a practical imperative for the multi-level work of institutional structures. It includes correcting the initial inequality, ensuring the honesty, openness and transparency of the process, recognizing the value of different outcomes in the implementation of life scenarios. The practical significance of the research results lies in the fact that they can serve as a basis for increasing the conceptual coherence of youth policy and bridging the gap between the rhetorical discourse of the concept of equality of opportunity and real mechanisms for supporting youth in conditions of deepening social inequality. The prospects for the research are related to a broader comparative analysis of inter-regional experience and an empirical assessment of the effectiveness of individual equal opportunity programs.</jats:p>