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THE VIEWS OF RUSSIAN YOUTH ON THE FAMILY AND FAMILY POLICY

O. Kuchmaeva, N. Sadovnikova, E. Klochkova, O. Makhova, S. Babich

Abstract

The article examines specific attitudes of contemporary Russian youth toward the family and the need of young people in the family-policy measures. The conclusions drawn in this article are based on the study “The Change of Desired Family Image in the Eyes of Different Generations in the Postsoviet Space (the Case of Russia and Belarus)” conducted with participation of the authors. A desired family model and perceptions of the government role in supporting the institution of the family are being built in the context of competition between traditional and modern values. The contemporary world—with its increased mobility, interpenetration of cultures, a mosaic system of values, and absence of common behavior stereotypes—does not allow considering the youth a unified social group. Accordingly, depending on their system of values, different groups of young people will have varying strategies for their family careers. Today, the family holds a leading place among the basic values of young Russians. The preference is given to a family with two children based, above all, on love and mutual understanding between spouses. Young people find it extremely important to have good relations within the family, between spouses and maintain a warm relationship with parents. However, overall, the results of the study indicate a mosaic nature of value-based orientations of contemporary youth and, as a result, the absence of unified views on their future family career. Young people have fairly liberal attitudes toward different forms of marriage and voluntary childlessness. Contemporary youth is not homogeneous as a sociodemographic group. Among young people, there is no single view on uniquely recognized and desired type of family life organization. The practical measures in the area of family policy do by no means always inspire confidence in young people. Most likely, in their vast majority, they will plan their family lives without placing hopes on any significant support from the state. Elaboration of comprehensive, long-term, and effective family-policy measures is required to build confidence among young people in the reliability and effectiveness of family-policy model.

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