Barash R.E. Family and the fertility's problem in the system of the Russians's values. In: Russian society and challenges of the time. Book Eight ...

Abstract

The chapter is devoted to a comprehensive study of the role of the family in the system of life values of Russians and current problems of fertility in modern Russia. Studying the impact on the demographic situation in Russia of both the global trends of the "second demographic transition" and the long-term structural consequences of depopulation in Russia in the 1990s, as well as current events, the key among which is the beginning of a Special military operation, the author, based on sociological data, records the steady commitment of Russians to the traditional model of officially registered marriage. At the same time, as the author emphasizes, despite the high importance of the family declared by citizens and the positive dynamics of assessing intra-family relations, the model of small-child parenthood dominates in Russia. The obtained sociological data demonstrate the gap between the high reproductive plans of Russians and the actual low number of children of the majority of Russian families. The author concludes that the Russians' implementation of their reproductive plans is influenced not only by material factors, but also by cultural and value reasons. Moreover, the reproductive strategies of modern Russians are influenced by two parallel trends: traditionalist, when the birth of children is conditioned by centuries-old cultural norms and involves their active involvement in the economic activities of the family, as well as modernist, in which each child is perceived by parents as an opportunity for their own self-realization.