Theory and practice of population policies in the Soviet Union

Abstract

The aim of the research, presented in the paper is the analysis for the formation and development of the basic theory of population policies in the scientific school of Professor Dmitry I.Valentey (Lomonosov Moscow State University). The research was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Population Chair of Economics Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University. The graduates of the Chair worked and continue to work actively in the field of fundamental and applied research in demography, demographic education, ministries and departments of the socio-economic unit. The works of the 1960s – early 90s (monographs, collections of scientific articles, tutorials), which dealt with the concepts and their interrelationships, approaches to understanding the ratio of social policy, population and demographic policies, the structure of these important components of social policy served as the basis for the analysis. In the study the comparative analysis of the positions of different authors has been made, including other research schools, discussion issues are highlighted, relating to the implementation of the population policies. This article shows the realization of the idea of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of problems of population management in practice, including the studies and discussions of representatives of different sciences (demographers, sociologists, historians, economists, geographers, lawyers, etc.). In the final part of the paper the practical steps are considered to enhance the population policy in the USSR in the early 80s, regional peculiarities of the phased introduction of new measures to provide state support for families with children in 1981–1983, as well as approaches to development of regional programmes of population policies in the late 70’s and 80’s. The research has received a new analytical material that reveals the attitude on the definition and content of the basic concepts (demographic policy and population policy), the formulation of goals, objectives, principles and approaches to assessment of the effectiveness of demographic policy. This study shows the difficulties facing the practical implementation of theoretical notions about population policy, the dependence of the population policies on specific historical and socio-economic conditions. The collapse of the Soviet Union has put the issue of developing conceptual frameworks and mechanisms for the implementation of demographic policies in the new economic and socio-political conditions. At the same time, theoretical and applied researches in the field of population policy during the USSR epoch largely retained their relevance, including the field of new support measures for families with children, the development of criteria and indexes for assessing the impact of demographic policies, improving the implementation methods of demographic programmes with regional peculiarities of the demographic situation. We still, as 50 years ago, are looking for the ways to increase fertility, to counter the threats of depopulation, and the ways to reduce the backlog in the life expectancy and optimize migration. Critical thinking on the theory and practice of population policies will help today in searching the opportunities to intensify the demographic policy and enhance its effectiveness, at both the federal and regional levels.