Parenthood in Russia: from the state duty to personal responsibility and mutual cooperation

Abstract

This article represents a study of parenthood in contemporary Russia. It presents analysis of the characteristics of the Soviet type of parenthood when the state occupied the dominant position in the sphere of gender relations as well as in forming and assigning parental roles. However, in contemporary Russia, in spite of the pronatalist character of family policy, oriented towards support of the well-to-do problem-free family, parenthood becomes the platform of meaning on the basis of which new collective identities are built and new practices of parenthood appear. Parents not only bear personal responsibility for the wellbeing of their children but are ready to cooperate in order to help each other in solving everyday problems.