Public Attitudes towards Problems of Family, Children, Government Fertility Programs

Abstract

The demographic crisis in recent years has somewhat weakened: the birth rate equaled the death rate due mainly to the natural demographic reasons, first of all, with the advent to the childbearing age of the cohort born in the 80s with high fertility, in turn, as a consequence of the post-war "baby boom". However, this does not solve the problem of declining population in the coming decades. Public policy of solving demographic problems is aimed at increasing the birth rate by material assistance to young families, including using "maternal (family) capital”. The success of the programs aimed at increasing the birth rate is complicated by the spread in the period of transition from the socialist system of values, including reproductive and marital norms and behavior, to a new system of values in young people, characterized by low values of family, marriage, birth of children, the spread of a culture of personal success, financial prosperity; reluctance to create formal marital unions, to have children, psychology of "child-free" families, or to have only one child in the family, delaying the birth of a child "for later". The article considers the data of sociological research on issues of family and children, the attitudes of public, especially young people, to government programs aimed at increasing the birth rate.