Youth and Marriage: a Transformation of Values

Nowadays crisis of the institution of marriage is associated with the transformation of traditional family values. On the one hand, traditional family values are destined for transformation, on the other hand, this transformation should not cross a “red line” beyond which the institution of the family destroys. The “red line” was marked in Russian Constitution in 2020 in which marriage is interpreted, as the union of a man and a woman only, with no other options. But the destruction of the institution of the family cannot be contained only by correct laws. It is necessary to implant values and shows the importance of such concepts as fidelity, constancy, responsibility, and other categories that serve to strengthen the marriage union. Studying public opinion is necessary, and young people in particular, as the group most vulnerable to the transformation of family values. The results of the All-Russian Youth Survey presented by the author in 2020 reveal the attitude of Russian youth to such nuances of married life as the distribution of roles in the family, general housekeeping, cohabitation with parents, an idea of the optimal number of children and their upbringing et cetera. Previous surveys allow compare results and identify trends. The author concludes that the trends of recent years cause change among young people from traditional ideas about marriage to a liberal model.

family institute, sociological survey, youth, marriage, values, family roles