The article presents some results of the sociological study " Values and social practices of the Kazakh youth (on the example of the East Kazakhstan region)". The main attention is paid to the comparison of the level and direction of interest in the events of socio-political life in three groups of respondents who differ in the time of socialization in the urban environment – indigenous citizens (group A), who recently came to the city from rural areas to study or work(group B), and those who spent their childhood in the rural areas, but have been undergoing the process of adaptation to the urban lifestyle for several years (group C). Thus, it becomes possible to see the impact of the urbanization factor on changes in the system of interests and values of young people. The article presents an assessment of the formation of interest in public and political events, depending on the duration of the urban socialization period.