Abstract
During the twentieth century Russian women were assigned the triple role of social and political activists, workers, caregivers, and mothers. This chapter offers an overview of the main steps undertaken, first by the Soviet and later by the modern Russian governments, to influence family formation models and fertility levels, to improve the demographic situation between 1917 and 2015. The overview pays close attention to such measures of demographic policy as: marriage and divorce regulation; support of families through family benefits and the tax system; reconciliation of family and work spheres (maternity/paternity leave, workplace flexibility measures); fertility promotion; childbearing and childcare support; and rare reproductive health protection initiatives.
Revised from IOS Working Papers, No. 355, pp. 1–40, April 2016/Center for Economic Institutions at the Institute of Economic Research of Hitotsubashi University Working Papers, No.2015-8, pp.1-43, December 2015, “Struggling for new lives: Family and Fertility Policies in the Soviet Union and modern Russia” by Ekaterina Selezneva. With kind permission of the Institute for Eastern and Southeastern European Studies (IOS Regensburg), Germany and the Center for Economic Institutions at the Institute of Economic Research of Hitotsubashi University, Japan. All rights reserved.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ashwin, S., & Lytkina, T. (2004). Men in crisis in Russia: The role of domestic marginalization. Gender & Society, 18(2), 189–206.
Avdeeva, M. (2010). Implementations of the French policy measures in Russia. In N. Schleinstein, D. Sucker, A. Wenninger, & A. Wilde (Eds.), Family patterns and demographic development (pp. 67–74). Social Sciences Eastern Europe: GESIS Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences.
Avdeeva, O. (2011). Policy experiment in Russia: Cash-for-babies and fertility change. Social Politics, 18, 361–386.
Borozdina, E., & Titaev, K. (2011, January). Sistema rodovyh sertifikatov: pravoprimenitel’nye bar’ery v realizatsii reformy [System of birth certificates: barriers for realisation of the reform]. Analytical note, The Institut for the Rule of Law, European University in St.Petersburg, Russia.
Botev, N. (2008). Can policies enhance fertility in Europe? And questions beyond. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research, 6, 29–34.
Dementieva, Y. (2009). The actual marriage as the form of family relations adopted by the Soviet state. Biznes v zakone. Ekonomiko-iuridicheskii zhurnal, 4, 213–216.
Denisova, L., 2010. Rural women in the Soviet Union and post-Soviet Russia. New York: Routledge.
Gross Solomon, S. (1992). The demographic argument in Soviet debates over the legalization of abortion in the 1920’s. Cahiers du Monde russe et soviétique, 33(1), 59–81.
Hutton, M. (1996). Women in Russian society from the Tsars to Yeltsin. In W. Rule & N. Noonan (Eds.), Russian women in politics and society (pp. 63–76). Westport: Greenwood press.
Isola, A. M. (2008). Fertility Concern in Finland and Russia: economic thinking and ideal family size in the rhetoric of population policies. Finnish Yearbook of Population Research, 43, 63-84.
Korsanenkova, Y. (2010). K voprosu o socialnoy zashite semey s detjmi [To the question of social protection of families with children]. Wolters Kluwer Russia.
Litvinova, G. (1989). Nado li povyshat’ rozhdaemost’? [Should the fertility level be increased?]. In Svet i teni progressa [sotsial’no-demograficheskie problemy SSSR] (pp. 63–142). Sovetskaya Rossiya, Moskva.
Maleva, T., & Siniavskaia, O. (2006). Social’no-economitcheskie faktory rozh daemosti v Rossii: empiricheskie izmereniia i vyzovy social’noi politike [Socio-economic factors of fertility in Russia: Empirical estimations and challenges for social policy]. SPERO, (5), 70–97. http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2007/0309/analit02.php
Marsh, R. (1996). Women in Russia and Ukraine. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Novikova, E. S., Yazykova, V. S., & L., Y. Z. (1978). Zhenshina. Trud. Semjya. Sociologitsheskiy otsherk [Woman. Job. Family. Sociological essay]. http://www.a-z.ru/women/texts/nov1r.htm
Perlman, F., & McKee, M. (2009). Trends in family planning in Russia, 1994–2003. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 41(1), 40–50.
Pirozhkov, S., & Safarova, G. (2006). Demographic development of Russia and Ukraine: Fifteen years of independence. Presentation at the European Population Conference, Liverpool, UK.
Popova, L. (2014). The results in the modern demographic policy in Russia. International Journal of Regional Development, 1(1), 26–38.
Posadskaya, A. (1992). Tendencii izmeneniia zakonodatel’stva v oblasti sotsial’noi zashchity materinstva [Tendencies of the legislation changes in the area of social protection of motherhood]. Zhenshchiny i sotsial’naja politika: gendernyi aspekt, 79–88. http://www.a-z.ru/women/texts/posadskr.htm
Rotkirch, A. (2000). The man question. Loves and lives in the late 20th century Russia. University of Helsinki, Department of Social Policy: Helsinki.
Sakwa, R. (1998). Soviet politics in perspective (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Smith, G. E. (1983). Rethinking Soviet population policy. Area, 15(2), 137–143.
UNDP. (2008). Demographic policy in Russia: From reflection to action. Tech.Rep.: UNDP.
Vishnevsky, A. (2009, June). Demografitsheskij krizis v Rossii [Demographic crisis in Russia]. Russie.Nei.Visions, 41. http://www.ifri.org/downloads/ifridemographiavichnevskirusjune09.pdf
Vishnevsky, A., et al. (2006). Demographic modernization of Russia, 1900–2000. Moscow: New Publishing House.
Zakharov, S. (2006). Demografitsheskij analiz effekta mer semejnoj politiki v Rossii v 1980-h godah [Demographic analysis of the effect of family policy in Russia in the 1980s]. SPERO, 5, 33–69. http://demoscope.ru/weekly/2007/0309/analit01.php
Zakharov, S. (2008). Russian Federation: From the first to second demographic transition. Demographic Research, 19(24), 907–972.
Zdravomyslova, E., & Temkina, A. (2004). Gosudarstvennoe konstruirovanie gendera v sovetskom obshchestve [The state’s construction of gender in soviet society]. Zhurnal issledovanii sotsialnoi politiki, 1(3–4), 299–321.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2017 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Selezneva, E. (2017). Population Policies in Soviet and Modern Russia. In: Demography of Russia. Studies in Economic Transition. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51850-7_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-51850-7_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-51849-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-51850-7
eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)