The attitude of student youth to family values (case study of the Sverdlovsk region)

Abstract

Introduction. Nowadays, in the modern world and in Russia, in particular, there are deformations of family institute which cause the concern for demographic situation in the society and social well-being in general. The Government's measures within youth policy taken for support for young families, promotion of family values and a healthy lifestyle among young citizens are obviously insufficient. Therefore, thorough scientific research of young families' problems is required in order to provide substantial assistance for them. Methodology and research methods. Analysis of marriage and family attitudes of student youth was carried out on the basis of monitoring materials “Student 1995-2016: The dynamics of socio-cultural development of students of the Middle Urals”. The main method of collecting information was the questionnaire. The sociological toolkit developed by the scientific group “Sociology of Youth” under the auspices of the Department of Sociology and Technologies of the Public and Municipal Administration and Organization of Work with Young People of the Ural federal University was used. Results and scientific novelty. Methodological approaches to the study of family values as guidelines for the formation of a civic culture of youth are investigated. The data of open statistical sources are presented and analysed. It is concluded that the greatest changes have happened in marital status of students over the past two decades. Processing of the monitoring results and questionnaires allowed the authors to reveal new tendencies in perceptions of the matrimonial relations and to clarify the demographic attitudes of young people. The authors have noted outspread of “trial marriages”, growth of number of civil marriages and slight increase in proportion of voluntary childlessness but becoming increasingly widespread among young people today. The objective reason of these phenomena consists in the period of social and economic reforms dragged on over several decades; the spontaneous and unpredictable nature of those reforms have turned the prospects of the family institute to be uncertain and obliged people to strengthen their fears for the future and future of their children, which in turn resulted in complicated decision making on marriage by young people. Besides, aspirations of young people to personal liberty, individual self-affirmation and egocentric pleasure have increased, the consequence of which is unwillingness to be obliged by the family. Practical significance. The research findings and the authors' conclusions highlight the necessity for correction and reinforcement of actions on the preservation and development of the family institution as well as organization of work insurance of social sustainability of young families.