Features of the intergenerational transmission of family values

Abstract

The article deals with the problem of intra-family intergenerational values transmission and, first of all, reproductive attitudes, the need for children, the values of family and child life. It emphasizes the importance of increasing the reproductive attitudes in the population to overcome the demographic crisis in modern Russia and the world as a whole. The complexity of correctly measuring value orientations and reproductive attitudes, the significant difference between the declared values and real reproductive behavior is noted.To study and predict the development of value orientations of the population, reproductive attitudes characteristic of modern youth representatives, it is necessary to study the process of intergenerational values transmission. Moreover, taking into account that the basic values of a family-children lifestyle are formed within the primary intra-family socialization, it is necessary to study the process of intra-family values transmission from the generation of parents and grandparents to children.The paper presents analysis results of three waves of the study devoted to family-children life performed in 2014–2016, based on a total base of 4500 respondents’ responses. Using correlation and multivariate analysis of variance for paired samples, it is shown that family values of parents are not fully transmitted to children, and the distortion occurs not only at the stage of acceptance of the transmitted values, but also at the level of primary communication. For respondents of different socio-demographic status, representing families with different numbers of children, the decline in the significance of the family is equally characteristic when they transfer the values to their children. In the light of this pattern, the task of working with families and young people becomes important, aimed at raising the status of the family and strengthening intergenerational intra-family interaction.