Rostovskaya Tamara K.

On May 19, 2026, within the walls of the Institute of Social Demography of the FCTAS RAS (Moscow, Fotieva Street, 6, building 1, Academic Council Hall), a scientific-practical seminar was held on improving state-legal regulation of the protection of children's rights in the context of the demographic security of the Russian Federation.

The scientific-practical seminar was conducted as part of the implementation of the Strategy for Action on Implementing Family and Demographic Policy and Supporting Large Families in the Russian Federation until 2036, as well as the national project "Family," and was organized by the Institute of Social Demography of the FCTAS RAS, the Coordination Center for the Development of Human Resources in Demography of the FCTAS RAS, and the Scientific Council of the RAS "Demographic Development and Demographic Policy of the Russian Federation," with the support of the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights in the Russian Federation.

The seminar was attended by representatives of state authorities and administration, the scientific, educational, expert, and civil society communities, as well as law enforcement officials.

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing social significance of the problem of labor employment and professional adaptation of young men with acquired disability in the context of implementing the priorities of the demographic and social policy of the Russian Federation. Acquired disability in young men is a complex social phenomenon affecting life strategies, social integration, and the reproduction of human potential. The aim of the research is a sociological analysis of labor employment and professional adaptation of young men with acquired disability through the prism of their resource potential as a set of personal, social, and institutional resources.

Materials and Methods. The study was based on a nationwide questionnaire survey of men with acquired disabilities aged 18 to 35. The sample was selected using a targeted random sampling method, taking into account age, disability status, and place of residence; the sample size was 419 respondents.

Results. The research results show that the majority of young men with acquired disability possess significant educational resources: 72% of respondents have professional education, including higher and secondary vocational education. A significant proportion of respondents are engaged in or oriented towards the work, indicating preserved labor potential. At the same time, institutional and socio-economic constraints hindering the full realization of this potential have been identified, including mobility restrictions, limitations in work functions, and material difficulties. The obtained data confirm that the labor employment of this group is formed at the intersection of individual, social, institutional, and cultural-value resources and the conditions supporting them.

Discussion. The obtained results expand the understanding of the resource potential of young men with acquired disability within the global scientific discourse on social inclusion and human resource management. The study confirms the need for systemic cross-sectoral interaction between the state, labor market, family, and civil society institutions to enhance the effectiveness of professional adaptation for this group. Prospects for further research are associated with analyzing regional differences, monitoring the effectiveness of active employment policy measures, and developing management mechanisms focused on unlocking the resource and demographic potential of young people with disabilities.

Introduction. The demographic policy in Russia had a temporary positive effect, but did not stop depopulation. It is necessary to find out why the demographic policy has not yet achieved its goals and develop proposals to improve its effectiveness
Materials and methods. The main information base for the qualitative study is the materials of in-depth interviews with parents from large families, conducted during the All-Russian sociological study «Demographic
Well-being of the Regions of Russia» in 2021, and for the quantitative study - the materials of a sample survey of
the reproductive plans of the population, conducted by Rosstat in 2022.
Results. The insufficien effectiveness of the demographic policy is largely due to the fact that this policy affects only existing families with children, but does not contribute to the creation of new young families and does not prevent their disintegration.
Discussion. The analysis of research data showed that the only optimal basis for creating a family with three
or more children can be a legal marriage. However, due to doubts about the strength of the marriage, many couples live together without registering the marriage and have no more than one child. It is necessary to revive traditional family values and to form in public opinion the ideal image of a young prosperous family consisting of legal spouses with several children. It is necessary to introduce measures that encourage young people to get married, reduce the frequency of divorces, and increase the prestige of a strong and socially prosperous family with many children. This requires changes not only in the laws on marriage and divorce, but also in the moral norms that determine society’s attitude to cohabitation, to the need to enter into a registered marriage, as well as to the reasons that are considered valid for divorce in families with children

Introduction. Scientific discussions on the implementation of the second demographic transition have
not been completed, it is possible to identify specific features of changes in the structure of families in different
countries or different social groups (for example, religious ones), but it is premature to talk about the
universality of this process. In modern Russia, the social structure of families and households has changed,
however, in order to capture the essence of the changes and identify the factors that have had an impact; it
is necessary to constantly monitor the situation. The answers to the following questions are of scientific
interest: how the structure of families in Russia has changed; what motivation is the basis for reproducing
the structure of large families in different periods of demographic transition? The article presents an analysis
of empirical data that allows us to identify trends in the transformation of the structure of the Russian family;
to characterize the motives of reproductive behavior in large families, to determine what conditions and
resources are required in large families to form or maintain well-being.
Materials and methods. The information base was the data of the All-Russian population censuses for 2002,
2010 and 2020; the results of the author's research were an in-depth interview with parents from a large family
in the course of the All-Russian sociological study ‘Demographic well-being of the regions of Russia’, 2021.
Results. The changes in the structure of Russian families towards the increasing share of large families
under the influence of demographic policy measures have been revealed, the consolidation of this trend
requires the implementation of targeted measures to support the institution of a large family, which, in the
authors’ opinion, should correspond to the ideal model of a ‘prosperous family’.
Discussion. It is important to develop a demographic policy strategy taking into account trends in the
structure of Russian families. The analysis of interviews with large families provided for the formulation of
the main directions of assistance to large families, as well as to systematize social practices of members of
large families aimed at preserving and developing the family well-being.

Introduction. The introduction discusses the analysis of expert estimates of heads of educational orga- nizations of higher education. This analysis allows identifying the perceptions of heads of universities about the demographic situation in the region and country, the necessity and interrelation of support measures for young families, including those of students, at different levels (federal, regional, university). The expert survey makes it possible to evaluate not only the state and prospects for the support of student families in the system of higher education but also the scale of assistance provided to members of a student family.

Materials and methods. By conducting an expert survey of nine heads of educational organizations, expert assessments were collected on the significance of supporting student families for the university’s social policy, the structure of implemented measures, the place of universities’ social policies to support student families in regional social policy, and their prospects. The survey was conducted anonymously, which allowed informants to express their own opinions without fear of negative consequences from the professional community. The informants' answers were analyzed and systematized exclusively in a generalized form, which, on the one hand, did not allow us to study the state of support for student families in a particular university, but, on the other hand, made it possible to form a generalized idea of the situation in Russian universities related to support and assistance to student families.  Families based not on the de jure principle (as it should be), but based on its real manifestations de facto.

Results. The results of the study are aimed at solving the priority demographic problem associated with the popularization of the institution of a prosperous young (student) family. At the national level, the idea that the student family is not a new phenomenon for Russian society, but relevant and in demand by the state, society, educational organizations, and parent families, should be consolidated and promoted in the mass consciousness.

The expert survey allowed to estimate the scale of assistance in higher education organizations and to determine possible prospects for the implementation of policies in the interests of student families.

Discussion. It is extremely important to study the real and projected contribution of student families to the demographic and socio-economic development of Russia, to identify ways to increase the well-being of student families, and the value of a family lifestyle among the younger generation. Consideration of the specifics of the functioning of young families in which spouses continue their education has made it possible to obtain a reasonable understanding of the methods and measures of targeted family and demographic policies in their interests. The results of the study will serve as the basis for developing a set of measures at the national level aimed at supporting the Russian student family.

Introduction. The article analyzes doctoral dissertations in sociology defended in the territory of the Russian Federation over the last decade, examines the trends in selecting research object and subject in the context of the Higher Attestation Commission specialties, provides an analysis of dissertations, including quantitative and qualitative characteristics of works and identification of the main research problems.

Materials and methods. Based on the full texts of dissertation research works and abstracts of doctoral dissertations, the authors classify them according to the Higher Attestation Commission codes, by research objects and topics, geography of organizations where the dissertations were defended, the number of publications of the defenders and years of defense.

Results. Having analyzed the data obtained in the course of the research, the authors identify an uneven number of doctoral dissertations during the study period, a sharp decline in the numbers of publications in the Web of Science and Scopus listed journals from 2020 to 2022, which is due to the worldwide practice of isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic and the introduced economic and political sanctions against the Russian Federation. Considering the research subjects and objects, the study revealed that the largest num- ber of works are related to the economic potential of the Russian regions, youth and family policy in Russia, the analysis of theoretical constructs of sociology and the search for new methods of sociological research. Certain works are devoted to socially negative phenomena in the social structure: housing deprivation, marginality, penitentiary prevention, migration problems and risks of transformation processes in the Russian society, which are of noir coloring.

Discussion. In the course of the research the authors draw attention to sociologists’ interest in a number of topical problems of the time and predict the emergence of scientific research related to socially inclusive adaptive processes of the health care system and educational institutions transformation, to studying public opinion on the issues of conducting a special military operation, social adaptation issues of participants of the special military operation. In addition, such important public policy aspects as demographic indicators, healthcare reforms and the search for new educational and sociocultural trajectories for children and youth will remain relevant for researchers.

The importance of developing a system for training demographers for a comprehensive solution of demo- graphic problems has been updated. In its framework, 5 main blocks have been identified. They are: iden- tification of the need for demographers and a list of tasks they solve; training of demographers in higher educational institutions; re-training for demographers to improve the quality of their work and career growth; federal experts training to provide independent assessment in the field of demography; providing enterprises and organizations, federal and municipal authorities with qualified demographers and their timely re-training. The role of federal experts in independent assessment in the field of demography in the system of training specialists for a comprehensive solution of demographic problems in society is deter- mined. The quality of the expert's work in the future will determine which demographic specialists will ad- vise and conduct an examination of socially significant national and regional projects for saving people and leveling the demographic imbalance. The institutional basis for the training of federal experts in demogra- phy is considered. The expert must know the requirements of the legislation in the field of independent assessment of qualifications and regulatory support in the declared activity of the "Demograph", as well as conduct an exam in accordance with the established regulations. When preparing for an exam for each skill level of a demographer, an expert should be able to compile a list of assessment tools that allow assessing the necessary knowledge, skills and labor actions of an applicant for confirming a qualification level. Based on the author's study of candidates for federal experts in the field of demography by level of education, aca- demic degree, rank, publication activity, initiative to participate in scientific and practical events, gender, age, the authors compiled a portrait of a modern expert in independent assessment of the demographer's qualifications. A competency matrix of a federal expert in the field of demography is proposed.

 

Scientific and methodological support of strategic management in the field of demographic development in terms of implementation of the RF President V. V. Putin’s Decree of 08.11.2021 № 633 “On approving the public policy fundamentals of in the field of strategic planning in the Russian Federation” is gaining practical significance with renewed vigor. The assessment of the strategic documents under implementation in the field of demographic policy revealed the need for their revision / improvement. The concept of the RF demographic policy for the period up to 2025 and the “Demography” national project contain, to a certain degree, a shift in goals and objectives from demographic to social ones. Achieving the increased quality of life of the population, supporting vulnerable categories (including the disabled) and families with children, solving problems in education and employment are not direct goals and objectives of the demographic development. With the seemingly scholastic nature of such theses, it is about the real demo‐ graphic policy priorities.

The article provides arguments, specifically supported by the government state statistics, on the importance of understanding the semantics of terms and categories, in other words, meanings inherent in demo‐ graphic processes characteristics, when determining the current demographic policy priority areas and making informed managerial decisions. Having analyzed approaches to and views on the “demographic stability” category, the absence of its scientific interpretation and a shift towards the “social stability” concept was revealed which is by no means the same thing.

The accumulated demographic scientific and practical knowledge has led the authors to the key re‐ search result - development of the “demographic stability” concept. The applicability and relevance of the developed category is determined by how useful for the organization is the demographic research, the development / updating of state concepts, strategies and programs in the field of demographic policy (whether it provides for achieving goals elasticity and clearly defines tasks for achieving it).

Today it has become especially relevant to study motivation of reproductive, matrimonial, self-preserving and migration behaviors from two perspectives: as independent types of behavior and as elements of the system of demographic behavior. It is caused by the demand from the Russian government to reach the targets of the national project “Demography” and to cope with the demographic consequences of COVID-19 pandemic, as a result of which 51 thousand people died in Russia (as of December 2020). The final impact of the pandemic on the birth rate and reproductive behavior transformation can be assessed later after the birth of the so-called “pandemic” children.

The trends in reproductive, matrimonial, self-preserving and migration behaviors of Russians discussed in the article are revealed on the basis of data obtained in the all Russian sociological study “Demographic well-being of Russia”, which made the basis for the national demographic report of 2020.

This article provides an overview of different approaches to in-depth interview and the results of in- depth interview design used to analyze intrinsic motivation of reproductive, matrimonial, self-preserving and migration behaviors.

The materials for the study include general provisions of research methodology and an interview guide, that is a manual for interviewers containing a number of questions aimed at revealing intrinsic motivation of reproductive, matrimonial, self-preserving and migration behaviors of parents having many children, childless couples, women who gave birth to children without registration of marriage, newly married couples who are planning to have children and supporters of childfree lifestyle (people who choose not to have children).

Application of the method of in-depth interview to assess reproductive, matrimonial, self-preserving and migration behaviors of Russians significantly expands the methodology of all-Russian sociological study “Demographic well-being of Russia”, it identifies and analyzes unique cases and complicated situations having their impact on a person’s behavior, as well as their intrinsic motives and incentives that cannot be revealed with the help of other methods.

The paper might be of interest to demographic experts and practical sociologists who are involved in development of qualitative research methods and other specialists responsible for making managerial decisions in the field of demography on the regional and municipal levels.

Materials of this article are part of a large research project, started in 1995, which is devoted to the problems of the Russian world, its birth and life history. The article deals with the issues concerning the development of the Russian family as the main social institution of the Russian society, taking on the role of a custodian, culture-bearer and point man of national culture patterns. The historical significance of the family and the process of transformation of this social institution are investigated. The purpose of this study within the framework of the project: to identify and justify the importance and role of traditional Russian family culture for modern Russian society, the formation of its spiritual and moral meanings, values, ideals. The process of changes in the Russian family under the influence of values reassessment is investigated. This goal helped to achieve the following objectives: to show the interdependence of historical development of Russian families and Russian culture; justify the role of family culture in shaping the image of the Russian people; to show the significance of national family priorities (meanings, values, traditions, art and others) in education and socialization of children. The following research methods were used: philosophical (philosophical and historical analysis of the peculiarities of the Russian culture and civilization development); general scientific (analysis and synthesis, comparison and contrast, classification and generalization); private scientific (analysis of empirical and sociological data on the problem of this research). The results of the philosophical-historical and socio-pedagogical analysis of the historical heritage of the Russian culture allowed the authors to understand and reflect in their scientific positions some historical sociocultural aspects that define the formation process of the unique Russian culture, mentality of its people, the traditional meanings and values of Russian family.

The study of factors and trends affecting the health of young people is a prerequisite for predicting possible changes and developing comprehensive measures to improve the situation of demographic policy in the post-Soviet space. Sociological studies conducted in Kazakhstan and Russia allow to assess the health of young people, their awareness of how to preserve it, and can also be used in the development of recommendations in the field of social and demographic policy.

Issues related to the future development of the Russian Federation and world civilization, the solutions of which are on the agenda today, are raised and discussed. Global universal and local national values of the modern world, developed and developing countries, do not meet the prospects of the developing world community, which creates social contradictions and risks of peaceful coexistence. On the basis of socio-political analysis of the state and functioning of the world civilization, the existing processes and trends that are generated by it, the authors propose a developed model that demonstrates the evolutionary development of world civilization. This model suggests alternative options for future development, the choice of which depends on the future of the planet Earth. The author's choice is based on the principle of civil unity of the human community, which has common value preferences; desire and life motivation to enter the peaceful path of development

The main objective of the individual is its implementation in the context of society. The article discusses the men’s mission, the role of men in the modern world. The issue is relevant because the social roles of men change in time and space, different generations have different ideas about male social roles that determine the functioning and dignity of the individual. Social roles performed by modern man are a reflection of the needs of the society which it imposes on the human male. The investigation focused on the study of historical and contemporary prerequisites for the formation of the social roles of the male population.

Purpose. The main factor underlying the national policy is the culture of interethnic communication. Today, the role of youth in the society is not only the performance of social and professional roles and functions in a given society, the preservation of socially approved norms in their behavior, their creative attitude to themselves and the surrounding social and natural environment, but also in the active transformation of existing models, values and installations. In this regard, attention should be paid to the identity of young people, which "... manifests itself in the youth consciousness in the form of orientation toward actions of a certain orientation, in the intensity of social activity, in the degree of willingness to accept and fulfill young people's social roles and civic duties, and realizing its potential in the interests of the country "[1, p. 79]. It is the younger generation in the transforming society that is the source of new objective changes, a translator of values and behaviors that are passed on from generation to generation. Scientific novelty and results. The analysis of the results of the author's comparative sociological study made it possible to identify similarities and differences in the established traditions of the formation of a culture of interethnic communication in the student environment in the Russian, Belarusian and Polish education systems, which undoubtedly points to the specifics of the phenomena under study and allows us to conclude that it is necessary to raise the level of culture of interethnic levels in the student environment.

The purpose of the article is to research the methodological foundations for assessing and forecasting the human capacity of the youth policy. Methods. The main methods of the research are: system-terminological, comparative benchmarking analysis and synthesis, generalization and classification. Results. The article provides the author's definition of human capacity of youth policy, considers basic methodological approaches to assessment and forecasting of human potential of youth policy, draws the need to develop common criteria for assessing the efficiency of human capacity development in youth policy to the foreground.

Purpose. To identify modern trends of developing organizational-legal mechanisms for improving specialist’s professional skills. Methods and methodology. The methods of system and activity approaches have been used. Results. The authors focus on the need for effective implementation of the federal state educational standards of higher education in training personnel in the field of youth policy. New ways for the further formation of the professional activity area in the field of youth policy and relevant staffing are proposed.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to identify the preconditions for formation the professional education of youth work organizers, as well as trends of professional education of specialists in youth work, determined by features of youth work. Methods. The main methods of the study were: system-terminology, comparative benchmarking analysis and synthesis, generalization, classification, typology. Results. The author identified stages of formation of the system of professional education of professionals working with youth, identified preconditions and development trends of professional education of professionals working with young people, determined by features of youth work.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze personnel capacities of youth policy. Methods. The main methods of the research are analysis, synthesis, deduction, induction, comparison and crossregional analysis. Results. The author calls the challenges of the new training policy within the framework of implementation of principles of state youth policy in the Russian Federation up to the year 2025; pays particular attention to preparation of a new model of a graduate of the Magistracy in the training direction working with young people.

Purpose. The article is devoted to peculiarities of imaginary of the young Russian people about family, marriage and family life. Family is still an important priority in the system of youth life values, but the desired family model is very prosaic for our youth. Scientific novelty and results. Research conducted by the authors proved that the main reason for family building and marriage in modern world is a psychological one.

Purpose. Author as a mechanism to increase the efficiency of formation of family values among young people are considered social technologies. Particular attention is paid to the conditions of implementation of social technologies of infrastructure to work with young families at the regional level. Methods. On the basis of the system and axiological approach, the authors apply the methods of comparative analysis, characterization, evaluation. The Results. The proposals on improvement of work with young people, aimed at the formation of values of family culture. Scientific novelty. In this paper based on an assessment of the valuable portrait of young people are the main directions of the use of social technologies in public policy development and tools to meet the needs of a social group under consideration.

Purpose. Study of the special status of the youth in Russia and the European Union as a major strategic resource capable of reproducing the material and intellectual resources. Methods. The international documents on the implementation of state youth policy were analyzed. The data of sociological research in the definition of the general trends and differences in the Russian and European youth were provided. Results. On the basis of evidence-based approaches and expertise, as well as their own conclusions through the process to improve the mechanisms for the implementation of youth policy in international institutions, particularly the European Union. Scientific novelty. The comparative analysis of general trends of transformation, as well as international differences youth in Russia and the EU.