Social Vulnerability of Families with Children in Modern Russia

When performing its reproductive function, the family - the main institution for population reproduction - continues to bear increased risks of poverty. The goal of our paper is to study manifestations of social vulnerability of modern Russian families with children. Despite the active demographic policy implemented with the help of national projects since 2006, the actual situation concerning families with children has not undergone any significant changes. The birth of a child continues to reduce the standard of living to the point of crossing the poverty line; the housing market remains inaccessible, and the tools for combining parenthood and professional activities do not work. The resources of an average family do not promote the formation of human potential of the child population that would meet the demands of the knowledge economy and are reduced to a set of primary needs. The existing mechanisms of social support do not guarantee that the life of families with children will actually improve; childcare allowances are not growing and are not focused on achieving any standard of living, even the minimum subsistence level. Having few children becomes a conscious choice against the background of the crisis of marriage, which ceased to serve as a kind of contract according to which the husband is a breadwinner, and the wife gives birth to children and runs the house. Women have become full-fledged actors in the labor market. However, they still face discrimination in this regard. The analysis of gender statistics shows that women who have the same level of education, sphere of activity and official status as men receive an average wage that is one third lower compared to that of men. However, the phenomenon of working wives is not only and not so much a reflection of their desire for professional self-realization. Two working adults in an average family will provide a per capita income at the subsistence level in case they have no more than two children. In addition, satisfaction with the availability and quality of education and health services - the institutions that support the reproduction of the population and human potential - remains far from the desired level. Under the circumstances, the family with children remains one of the most socially vulnerable population groups; this fact requires the revision of the mechanisms of social policy and the principles of the social state in general. Scientific novelty of our study consists in the fact that it analyzes and classifies the manifestations of social vulnerability of modern families with children and puts forward the proposals to improve the social and demographic policy of the state. The findings of our research can be used in the practice of public administration.