The post-soviet family

It is high time to begin discussing the complicated matter of the family in Russia today and the factors that have had a destabilizing effect on family and marital relations. We must give serious thought to these problems and to the best ways of creating a family policy to deal with them.

What is the best approach to developing such a policy? We must first define certain fundamental principles that should guide the government and society as they seek to improve the health of marital and fily relations.

Any family policy for Russia must, first of all, be realistic. Of the many factors influencing the stability of families and marriages — material security, living conditions, state support, alcoholism, etc. — we must identify and focus on those that most lend themselves to some sort of action.

It would be senseless, for instance, to put all one's energy and resources into trying to improve the demographic situation in Russia — the ratio of men to women — which, though a true hindrance to marriage, belongs to the broad sphere of social policy. It would be far more realistic to concentrate on creating an explicit system of privileges, benefits, improved living conditions, day-care, kindergartens and the like designed to promote the family. Also, а sound family policy should systematically educate

the population in order to help it build adequate models of family survival and development, as well as lo find the best solutions lo difficult every day problems.

A rational family policy must also apply different approaches to different types of families. For example, we could divide families into four categories: critical, marginal, well-off and thriving. Government efforts should then be concentrated on marginal families, those with very low incomes and poor moral foundations. The state should not give assistance to these families will-out first considering their social characteristics and the reasons for their impoverishment. Otherwise, the number of such dependent families, incapable of leading a normal life without subsidies, is liable lo increase.

Critical families, those living below the poverty line with all the attendant consequences, also need serious help. Ideally, this help should come in the form of new jobs, retraining and re-education, supplemented by media programs and books on the material, medical and moral aspects of family life.

Unfortunately, even families considered well-off these days cannot solve their family problems by themselves: they cannot afford to pay for private medical care, to buy living space, or make other major investments in family life. However they can afford the cost of lectures, seminars, clubs, social activities and serious books about new methods of raising children and other vital social issues. These families have the potential to propel themselves to the next level and thrive.

Thriving families have solid incomes and can afford to pay for most services. For them, family policy would focus on developing special counseling services, organizing various medical and psychological programs and creating private schools and athletic and cultural facilities.

In accord with the old adage that it is better to give the hungry man a fishing rod than a fish, we must change the way we think about family policy planning. Instead of simply doling out social benefits and humanitarian and, we must constantly work to stimulate the family's own potential. We must help the family discover ways to help itself. To this end, we should in-crease the number of jobs and provide retraining opportunities for displaced workers. We must also advocate socially desirable models of family survival and development and develop a fair tax policy and special social programs that are specifically in-tended to support families.

All families must be made to understand that they can no longer count oil state aid except in the most difficult and desperate situations. This harsh attitude is the only way to rid ourselves of the psychology of social dependence that has been cultivated in Russia over the last 80 years.

In the sphere of marital and family relations, we must switch our emphasis from dependents to active workers, from irresponsible people to responsible ones, and from wage-leveling to sensible differentiation. Only then can social work be genuinely effective and produce the results that Russia's new society demands.