Fertility Rate in the Context of Changing Settings of the Gender Equality and Public Opinion. About Country`s Health Care System

Abstract

Based on the analysis of theoretical developments and empirical data, the article describes the current fertility rate in Russia and foreign counties. The authors explore the dependence of the fertility on the public assessments of the economic environment, on the gender equality settings and on the public attitudes towards national healthcare system. The authors give a description of the most important factors that influence the number of childless families in Russia. Basic statistical data used in the article involve the number of individual households, divorces, fertility and the assessment of Russians` conservatism. The authors consider modern demographic trends being an object of today`s gender studies as well as the impact of regional and religious factors on the non-marital fertility. Contemporary demographic theories that take into account the changing status of women in society are also described. Major hypotheses are proved by the data of public opinion polls conducted in Russia over the recent years. The gender equality in public sphere leads to the increase in economic independence of women which may boost fertility at the expense of the reduced social risks. However, cultural changes may have different effects depending on institutional macro context they belong to. The authors conclude that the combination of sociological studies and experimental psychological approaches is vital. The authors strengthen the gender equality in private and public spheres and make an unexpected conclusion: if the quality between men and women is preserved, the fertility will not decrease (as we have seen in recent decades) but will rather increase.