Transformations of the family institution: from the pre-modern to the metamodern

Abstract

The relevance of the stated topic is due to the modern socio-cultural situation. On the one hand, the family is the most important social institution, the state of which determines the well-being of society. On the other hand, the modern family is experiencing a crisis, which finds its expression in a decrease in fertility rates, a narrowing of family functions, a growing number of divorces, etc. The purpose of the work is to study the relationship of the family as a mechanism for ensuring the translation and reproduction of culture with the processes taking place in society. The problems of the family are considered in the context of modernization processes in the world – in the context of the transition from a traditional society to a modern one, from a pre-modern culture to a meta-modern one. The theoretical basis of the research is the works of Russian and Western authors exploring the problems of the family in a historical context. The interdisciplinary nature of the work determines the combination of socio-philosophical and cultural approaches to the problem of dynamics and possible prospects of the institution of the family. The paper examines the causes of family transformation, the consequences of the family crisis for the development of society and civilization, as well as possible options for the future of the family in connection with the changes taking place in the culture of the early 21st century. The author concludes that the fetishization of personal freedom and the spread of values of self-expression in postmodern culture contradicts the values of self-preservation of society as an integral, unique education. However, the crisis processes in the 21st century undermine the sense of existential security that was inherent in the postmodern era and caused the decline of traditional norms. In the culture of metamodernism, there is a turn towards transcendence and spirituality, which can become a turn towards traditional cultural values, including the family. And this, according to the author, is the positive significance of the modern socio-cultural crisis.