Importance of kindergarten as a social institute

Abstract

The author describes the multi-subject practice towards childcare. The empirical basis of the study is an opinion poll conducted in November 2012 among 388 Moscow residents who have three-to-five-year-old children. According to the results of the survey, traditional family patterns such as distribution of housework between spouses, the presence of two breadwinners and assignment of childcare to women are still preserved in Russian families. The childcare responsibilities are not distributed equally between the parents: women`s contribution to childcare exceeds men`s contribution five-fold. Thus, women`s work time and job search are dependent on the kindergarten schedule. Kindergarten is an effective childcare institution because it allows both parents returning to their labor activity. This institution is not only a pre-school institution but also functions as a tool to decrease the gap between men and women and to equalize the gender roles.