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Essays on the discipline "Sociology"

The main causes of the crisis of the modern family

• Introduction
• Causes of the crisis
• Consequences of the crisis
• Conclusion
• Application

Introduction

What is family? The most general definition of this term: a family is a social group whose members are linked by ties of kinship, marriage or adoption and live together, cooperating economically and taking care of children. Contemporary sociologist Anthony Giddens has given a broader definition: a family is a social unit made up of people who support each other socially, economically or psychologically, or identify each other as a supportive unit.

As a social institution, the family performs the following functions:

* Reproductive

* Economic and economic

* Recreational

* Social control

* Status

* Educational and educational

All these functions are socially significant, they show that the family plays an important role in the life of society and the state, which is why it is so important to keep track of emerging problems and find solutions.

The family in sociology is considered not only as a social institution, but also as a small social group. What are its distinctive features in the latter quality? First, the family is a special kind of union between spouses, characterized by spiritual community, deep trusting ties. Secondly, in the family, a relationship of trust develops between parents and children, due to which the family is called a typical primary group: these relationships play a major role in the formation of the nature and ideals of the individual; they create a sense of integrity, the desire of family members to fully share their views and values. Thirdly, the family is formed in a special way: on the basis of mutual sympathy, spiritual closeness, love.

In the modern world, much is said about the fact that the family as a unit of society, as a social institution is in deep crisis. This is said not only by social scientists, but also by economists, philosophers, psychologists.

The crisis is manifested in the following:

1. General decline in the number of families

2. Small children. The latest census data indicate that the average Russian family consists of 3-2 people. The family structure is dominated by single-child families - 56%, two-child families - 35%, large families - 8% have survived due to the traditional mentality of high birth rates in the southern republics.

3. Falling birth rate, natural population decline.

Until 2009, the population of Russia was declining by several hundred thousand people annually. In 2009, the natural decline in the population of Russia (248.9 thousand people) was compensated by 99% of the increase in migration (247.4 thousand people), as a result of which the decline in the population practically stopped. In 2010, the trend towards a decrease in mortality and an increase in the birth rate in Russia continued. However, in 2011, the birth rate growth was only 0.2%.

4. Dramatic rejuvenation of marriages. The lower bar of legal age of marriage has reached 16 years, and the average age of marriage is 19-21 years

5. High divorce rate. According to statistics, today every second marriage falls apart. Statistics also show that 40% of young families under the age of 24 break up within a year or two after marriage. So, at present, according to official data, more than 20% of families are incomplete, and in such megalopolises as Moscow and St. Petersburg, this figure has exceeded 30%.

6. A large number of abortions.

Thus, we can really say that the modern family is in crisis.

Causes of the crisis

There are several approaches to determining the causes of the crisis.

Sociological (adaptive) approach: the family is viewed as an unchanging given, existing in a changing external environment; family crisis is the result of unfavorable external influences; overcoming this crisis is seen in the creation of optimal (most favorable) conditions for the functioning of the family. Thus, the main causes of the crisis are external factors - economic, political, social, ideological and even biological. This approach is most clearly described in the structural-functional model of the family, developed by T. Parsons and his colleagues. In accordance with this model, the family was considered as a social institution: a) harmoniously included in society; b) the main task is to serve society; c) which is a static formation, and not the result of the interaction of individuals. This approach is generally negative about the family crisis; it is seen as the result of negative external influences. In order to neutralize the crisis, it is enough just to remove external negative influencing factors.

External factors include:

Lack of your own home

Low wages, unemployment

Low standard of living in general, lack of life prospects

Unstable political situation in the country

In my opinion, when identifying the causes of the family crisis, one cannot rely only on this approach, because, in addition to external factors, there are also internal factors. The family is, first of all, the interaction of individuals. Each person is unique, and when they interact, conflicts arise, which often have a stronger negative impact on the family as a unit of society than any political or economic factor.

Very often these internal conflicts arise from the dissatisfaction of the needs of the spouses. The famous psychologist V.A. Sysenko identifies the following main causes of conflicts:

· Conflicts based on an unmet need for the value and significance of one's "I", humiliation of dignity on the part of a partner.

· Conflicts based on unmet sexual needs of one or both spouses.

· Conflicts that have as their source the spouses' need for positive emotions; lack of tenderness, care, attention and understanding.

· Conflicts based on the addiction of one of the spouses to alcohol, gambling, which leads to wasteful and ineffective spending of family funds.

· Financial disagreements arising from the exaggerated needs of one of the spouses, different approaches to the family budget and the contribution of each partner to the material support of the family.

· Conflicts based on the need for mutual assistance, cooperation and collaboration.

Conflicts related to the division of labor in the family and housekeeping

· Conflicts associated with different approaches to raising children.

From myself I can add that usually one of the reasons for all these disagreements and conflicts is the haste of marriage, when people are forced to marry or get married without knowing each other completely. A life together begins, and the spouses suddenly turn out to be completely strangers; they simply cannot withstand the so-called "grinding" of characters. The marriage breaks up, the family is destroyed, which in no way can have a positive effect on society.

The ecological approach is exactly the opposite vision of this problem. The family is viewed as a fairly autonomous subsystem in the system of relationships "society - family - individual", and the family itself is also a complex system of internal relationships. This approach seems more logical to me. The family, as a developing system, is under the influence of changing social conditions, in a large and real constantly changing world.

Scientist, doctor and educator Vladimir Bazarny believes that the crisis of the modern family is not due to objective reasons, but because of a spiritual split: “Ask prosperous, healthy, respectable young people of 30-35 years old living in stable Germany: why are they not You are unlikely to hear something intelligible in response: you cannot take seriously the reasoning about a career, about the pleasures of a free life, about seeing the world, saving money. The young have no housing - only a nook in a tent, a vague idea of ​​where and when they will be able to work stably, but there is no doubt that they will have children at the time set by nature. , deprivation only rallied and tempered the family collectives. And today both the poor and the rich are moaning and crying from marriage torment. We have violence, hundreds of thousands of social orphans, street children, drunkenness, drug addiction. of this family misfortune we are sorting out and sorting out the factors of material life. And we do not take into account the factor of spiritual life. Meanwhile, the spiritual gap from generation to generation is growing more and more. "

In general, now there are strong changes in the social structure of society as a whole, and, perhaps, the crisis of the family is a reaction to these changes. The social differentiation of society is becoming more and more complicated, the primary groups are losing their unique features; the role of man as an individual increases. Everyone in the family becomes focused primarily on themselves, their interests, their opinions, which runs counter to the very concept of family relations. Everyone "pulls the blanket over themselves," and it is from here, in my opinion, that most family conflicts arise.

The family as a social institution is in the process of adapting to modern realities, it learns to exist in a new, changed world, tries to preserve and convey all the values ​​and advantages of family relationships, while adjusting to the people and their lifestyle of the 21st century. This is what gives rise to a conflict, and, as a consequence, a crisis. Two opposing concepts - the past and the present, the social orientation of the old family and the "inward" orientation of the new family, are mutually in conflict.

In Russia now, unfortunately, the so-called "maternal" families prevail. Why does it happen that husbands leave, abandon their children? Because they themselves were brought up in the same family - only by their mother, and very rarely with such upbringing it is possible to get a person who is ready to take responsibility for themselves and their children. They get married, can't stand it, leave, and now their children are growing up without a father. This is how a model of behavior is assimilated and inherited: for a girl - that she must be strong and pull everything on herself, one cannot rely on a man. Thus, she acquires purely "masculine" character traits, which will manifest in her future family relationships. For a boy, a strong mother, a strong woman is becoming the norm; someone grows up with the understanding that this should not be so, while someone repeats the fate of their father, and such, alas, are the majority. family social small children fertility

It has been proven that women are more resilient in stressful situations; a huge number of families fell apart in the 90s, during a period of economic hardship, when even strong men could not stand the hardships of maintaining a family. The fruits of this are now already creating their families, or are going to create, and for them there is no other model but a single family.

Consequences of the crisis

The attitude towards the crisis as something negative prevails. However, is this really so, where does everything that happens to modern families lead to?

The breakdown of marriage, family, cannot but negatively affect the mental health of children. As a result, this leads to an increase in child and adolescent crime, drug addiction; the loss of authority by parents and teachers, the growth of conflicts at school; expansion of neglect, an increase in the number of street children. In the future, there will be a disdain for marriage, a denial of the values ​​of previous generations, and an early start to sexual life.

More generally, manifestations of the crisis, such as abortion, negatively affect the health of the population; a number of girls are still dying from an unprofessional procedure. It also leads to a high likelihood of future infertility.

The excess of deaths over births, or very low natural growth on a national scale, leads to the extinction of the population, as well as to its aging.

So, according to the forecast in the report of the United Nations Development Program published in early October 2009, Russia will lose 11 million people by 2025.

The aging of the population in the future will lead to economic problems: for the maintenance of a large number of elderly people with a relative minority of the working-age population, a strong increase in taxes will be required, which is very problematic in our country.

Conclusion

Based on the material studied and my own opinion, both external and internal factors can be attributed to the main causes of the family crisis. The main external factors - economic and political, internal - conflicts and problems of relationships. Also, an important role is played by the reorientation of members of the modern family to their own "I", that is, the reassessment of values. Some researchers characterize this phenomenon as "spiritual fall". Material rather than spiritual values ​​come to the fore, family relations are no longer in the first place. "Floating" leadership in the family, the shift in roles leads to single, "mother" families, and in complete families - to problems due to role conflicts between spouses.

Spiritual fall

30 people took part in the survey. About 32% believe that the main reason is spiritual decline, and another 34% are economic problems. Only two respondents offered their options: insincerity of feelings, and overestimation of values ​​(which in our case is meant by spiritual fall).

Based on the results of this survey, the following conclusion can be drawn: despite the fact that people continue to see the economic aspect as decisive in family problems, they come to understand that the value aspect is also important.

A correct understanding of the causes of the crisis is essential for its full resolution. It is impossible to leave everything as it is and not try to find a way out of the impasse in which the family is now - the "health" of the whole society is closely connected with the "health" of the family.

List of used literature

Diligentsky G.G. Socio-political psychology. M., 1994

Bekembaeva E.V. The crisis of the modern family and problems of upbringing. http://www.rae.ru/forum2011/pdf/1062.pdf

Orlov A.B. The evolution of interpersonal relationships in the family: basic approaches, orientations and tendencies. Magister, 1996

Schneider L.B. The psychology of family relationships. Lecture course. - M .: April-Press, EKSMO-Press, 2000.

Application

Spiritual fall

Economic problems (poverty, unemployment, lack of housing)

High standard of living, satiety

Disadvantages of raising future wives / husbands

30 people took part in the survey.

34% of respondents named economic problems as the main reason, 32% - spiritual decline. High standard of living, satiety - 15%, and lack of upbringing - 18%. Thus, the external factor - economic and internal - value-orientation - received practically the same number of votes. This proves that both are important. Quite a large number of votes - 15% - received the option "high standard of living, satiety." It is more typical for Western countries, but, obviously, it was developed in Russia as well. Parenting deficiencies also received ample support; however, the last two factors can in no way be considered decisive.

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The radical transformations taking place in modern Russian society in the socio-economic and political spheres could not but affect the family, as the most important social institution. The modern Russian family is characterized by such crisis manifestations as: a low birth rate, an increase in the number of families at risk, single-parent families, dysfunctional families, a constant increase in divorce (according to statistics, every third marriage in Russia ends in divorce, and two-thirds of broken families are families , in which there are children), the spread of the so-called "civil" marriages. https://privet-rostov.ru various types of stationery folders.

The family, as a result of market reforms, is currently in a deep crisis. The mechanisms of social adaptation that were characteristic of Soviet society in the changed conditions turned out to be unsuitable. New ones are developed spontaneously and are often reduced simply to survival mechanisms. As a result, a modern person in conditions of tougher competition has ceased to see the main wealth and happiness in the family.

It should be noted that in Russia the slogan of modern youth is "first career, then children." The data of sociological studies of reproductive attitudes among young people clearly illustrate the fact that today there is an obvious downward trend in the planned number of children. So, as the analysis has shown, the average desired number of children for women of childbearing age is 1.7, which is even lower than the level necessary for the reproduction of society (the norm is 2.1 children per woman).

I would like to dwell on one more trend. Studies have shown that a strong transformation of the content of family roles is currently visible. The reason for this is the feminization of Russian society, which in turn leads to various role conflicts associated with the mismatch of the role expectations of parents, children and spouses. Economic status today increasingly determines the leader in the family. Families in which women play leading roles are quite common, since a woman in modern society is no longer as much dependent on a man economically as a few decades ago.

It should be noted that the so-called "cult of youth" exists in modern Russian society. According to the prominent sociologist of the early 20th century, Ortega y Gasset, a “mass” person is characterized by such features as the desire to avoid responsibility and attachment and selfishness, the desire to always remain young. This is precisely what the majority of Russians between the ages of 16 and 30-35 strive for (i.e., precisely at reproductive age, when it is necessary to start a family). Today, people want to prolong youth by any effort, sparing no effort and expense (neither material nor spiritual) for this. Today, more than ever, fitness clubs, various diets, and plastic surgery have become popular. The media are constantly promoting the image of the "forever young" person. Today, many young people want to first "live for themselves", and only then start a family. They are much more concerned with finding a variety of entertainment, new sensations than starting a family.

And, finally, the reason for the current crisis of the family as a social institution is, of course, a decline in morality (early sexual relations among young people, neglect of marriage, the spread of sexually transmitted infections). According to research data, among adolescents and young people under the age of thirty, the percentage of sexually transmitted diseases is higher than among the general population. There is an increase in HIV-infected young people. The proportion of ages between fifteen and thirty years old is 79% of all HIV - infected men and 80% of women. The growth of drug addiction, tobacco smoking (Russia accounts for about 70% of the entire international market) and alcoholism continue to grow.

In addition, the reproductive attitudes of modern youth are also strongly influenced by the factor of decreasing physical health. Today, only 10% of school graduates are absolutely healthy.

Despite the variety of types and forms of family that are characteristic of modern times, most people live in a complete family, nuclear or with other relatives. The vast majority of people get married and have at least one child. That is, the universality and universality of the family lifestyle is preserved.

At the same time, voices diagnosing a family crisis are becoming more and more alarming. In Russia, this process becomes extremely acute due to the coincidence of the global (more precisely, characteristic of highly developed industrial countries) trend of transformation of the family model with the conditions of the socio-economic crisis, which negatively affects all aspects of the population's life.

The negative impact of the crisis on the demographic characteristics of the population was manifested primarily in the decline in the birth rate. Until recently, the decline in the birth rate in Russia was masked by the fact that numerous generations born in the post-war decade entered childbearing age, and the absolute figures for the number of births were quite impressive. However, the time came when the absolute figures began to decline. So, in 1985. 2 375.1 thousand children were born, and five years later, in 1990. - only 1 968.9 thousand. The drop in the birth rate was more than 16%. However, these extremely alarming figures soon began to seem quite favorable against the background of what followed in 1991. - a drop of almost 10% compared to the previous one. For 1992 - another 11.5% drop. Finally, fully manifested difficulties of a socio-economic and moral-psychological nature led to the fact that in 1993. almost a million fewer babies were born than in the previous one. Over the past ten years, the decline in the birth rate has been happening at an even faster pace.

In addition to general figures, demographers use more accurate indicators in order to determine the true state of fertility. Among them is the "total fertility rate", that is, the average number of births per woman for the entire reproductive period. This indicator is independent of the age and sex structure of the population, and it reflects well the true dynamics of the process. It is known that for simple reproduction of the population, that is, so that the number of inhabitants does not decrease, so that the replacement generation is no less numerous in size than the replaced one, the total fertility rate must be at least 2.15. The average Russian indicator has by now decreased by half (by 50%). Average indicators combine quite different values ​​of regional fertility. The most alarming situation is in the largest cities, central and northern regions of European Russia, in Siberia and the Far East, in a number of autonomies and republics. It can be assumed that narrowed reproduction is characteristic primarily of territories with a high level of industrial and scientific development, important for social progress country.

The nature and rate of nuptiality is changing. The number of registered marriages is decreasing, while the number of divorces is increasing. In 1993. On the national average, indicators were recorded that were previously characteristic only for capitals with hypertrophied dynamics of divorce activity: two divorces were registered for three marriages. And if the number of divorces was growing in general rather smoothly, then the decline in nuptiality literally had a steeply falling character: from 1989. to 1993 the number of newly contracted marriages fell by 280 thousand, or almost a quarter.

Three groups of indicators of deterioration in family functioning can be distinguished. The first is connected with the objective processes of changes in marriage and family relations in all economically developed countries and especially in Europe in the direction of nuclearization of the family, which inevitably led to a decrease in the birth rate, an increase in divorce and an increase in the number of single people.

As in the West, the type of "consensual" marriage is widely spread in Russia: a man and a woman have an intimate relationship, run a joint household, sometimes have children, but do not register their marriage. The most obvious reason is the desire to take advantage of the benefits provided by the state for single-parent families and single mothers. Foreign experts are creating methods for distinguishing a truly incomplete family in dire need of help from a quasi incomplete family in which both parents are present, but they do not formalize their relationship. Probably, such abuses are inevitable, but such a fast and wide spread of "consensual marriage" indicates a certain non-obligation of relations in such a family model. Her choice is the result not only of material calculations, but also of the weakness of the attitude towards creating a family. Therefore, this phenomenon is often found in the marginal segments of the population, such cohabitation often ends not only scandalously, but also criminally.

Judging by a number of observations, alternative models of marriage and family that have already been tested abroad are spreading: the family-commune, etc. The relationship of homosexuals becomes an achievement of publicity; abroad has a well-known history of the movement for the recognition of same-sex cohabitation as marriages, which should legally give such "spouses" the right to adopt children. On the one hand, the spread of such forms can be interpreted as a reaction to the crisis of the traditional family model and experimentation in order to develop a new model. On the other hand, these are, of course, the results of the crisis of the moral and semantic structures of society and the social psyche. This deepens the family crisis.

According to some estimates, the Russian family has entered the inevitable stage of the so-called "sexual revolution." This is an “age-related” disease that developed countries suffered back in the 60s and after which some positive shifts took place in the institution of the family.

The second group is the national factor, which exists along with the global, one might say universal, tendency to destabilize marriage and family relations. In Russia, it is due to the specifics of the functioning of the "Soviet family" associated with the primordially Russian culture and spirituality and at the same time absorbing the experience of life in a totalitarian, "socialist" society. The most visible manifestations of this specificity are the extremely unsatisfactory living and material conditions of the majority of Russian families, the dependence of young spouses on their parents, the excessive employment of women with housework, the disorder in family life, and a high level of drunkenness and alcoholism.

More hidden, but also more significant contradictions are associated with the system of moral education in a totalitarian society. This is a low level of personal responsibility, the absence of a culture of rational planning of one's own life, a very weak influence of morality, in particular, religious, on everyday life in the family, an orientation towards raising such qualities as obedience and discipline in children, rather than responsibility, initiative, independence. , personal dignity.

Another extremely important element of national specificity is that in the former USSR, social work in the modern sense was not carried out, and could not have been carried out, the activities of religious and charitable organizations aimed at helping marginal families, which, from the point of view of the official propaganda actually did not exist. As a result, many millions of families were deprived of the necessary qualified, specialized assistance, dragging out a miserable existence unworthy of a human being.

The third group of reasons for the weakening of family and marriage ties is associated with the current state of Russian society, which is going through an acute crisis. First of all, it should be noted that there has been a sharp stratification of property between families. Wealthy families, and even wealthy ones, and families with low incomes appeared. There are various gradations between them, but nevertheless, according to most experts, the standard of living of most families is very, very low.

A sharp decline in living standards led to uncertainty about the future, spiritual and psychological instability.

Along with material impoverishment, another serious, perhaps more dangerous tendency has emerged - the disintegration of spiritual values ​​and moral guidelines. It manifests itself in the desire of citizens to dramatically change their socio-economic status, by hook or by crook to get from one cell of society to another, more prosperous, justifying the means by the importance and significance of the goal. Having created ugly forms of relations between the personal and the public, constantly trampling the former for the sake of the latter, the state nevertheless contributed to the formation of many values ​​in the field of interpersonal communication that allowed people to survive and remain human in inhuman conditions. Such as, for example, honesty, camaraderie, kindness, respect for people, etc.

These qualities persisted also because, promoted by the so-called communist morality, they seemed to be outside it, deeper than it. They were rooted in the national, historical, cultural and moral traditions of the Russian people. No longer supported by the state ideological machine, these qualities are beginning to erode and devalue.

There is still no reason to believe that the lowest point of negative changes in the sphere of family and marriage relations has been reached. Moreover, one can foresee the moment when the forces of internal family self-defense will be broken, and quantitative changes will turn into qualitative ones. Meanwhile, the family is the most important factor and school of sociality in society: with the disintegration of these primary ties, the forces capable of structuring the population and transforming it into society are weakened. The absence of children distorts the semantic attitudes of a person and distorts the concept of the goal of life. The selfish calculation of today's generations, achieving well-being by abandoning children, conflicts with one of the most important foundations of the modern humanistic mentality - the global concept of sustainable development, according to which the well-being of today's generations should not be achieved at the expense of the well-being of future generations.

It is easier to stabilize and correct the situation in the economy than in the sphere of family relations, where motives are hidden in the deep layers of the psyche, and reactions to the influence of social authorities are belated and unpredictable. Today, without any doubt, one can state such a state of family life in our country, when simply no measures can be taken at the expense of the family, and the draft of any decision must undergo an examination from the point of view of the interests of the family. Otherwise, the changes may become irreversible. The state and society should form and support the attitude, both mass and individual, to preserve and strengthen the family way of life, creating for this legal, organizational and economic conditions. And every person who has to solve this problem for himself personally should keep in mind that by solving it, he, perhaps, is deciding the fate of the civilization of the XXI century.

Summarizing the distinctive features of modern family models of economic activity as such over the values ​​of kinship, the separation of kinship from socio-economic activity, we note a number of significant changes.

1. There was a preponderance of the individual's personal benefits over the social ones. The Russian family is characterized by some specificity associated with the fact that there is not an overbalance of the economic needs of the individual over the values ​​of kinship, but their fusion, interpenetration, which is observed in all spheres of socio-economic activity: politics, economy, science, even crime - with the creation of firms, subdivisions in the interests of the family (often at the expense of state ones), the opening of accounts, funds in favor of relatives, the organization of bonuses, etc. their confusion, when the kinship and the nation-wide merge together and act as economic independence and maximization of benefits.

2. The modern family model is characterized by the separation of home and work. There has been a spread of the consumer type of the family, where family-wide activity is complemented by the consumption of goods and services from non-family institutions at the expense of wages earned by family members outside the home. However, due to the socio-cultural division of family responsibilities, women who participate in productive non-family labor continue to run the household - the so-called “double burden” of a modern woman. The transition from social to family and household self-service caused a transformation of male and female roles in the family.

The solution to the problem of equalizing family functions in the sphere of family and domestic self-service is very peculiar for a Russian woman. In the former family, a man and a woman had plenty of family responsibilities. By now objectively in an urban family, and partly in a rural one, a man has a lesser burden. Subjectively, it can generally become minimal. The application of female labor in the family is still voluminous. "Alignment in Russian" occurs due to the ubiquitous spread of such a phenomenon as dacha. There are objectively more opportunities for the application of male power. However, this usually ends not with a “double”, but with a “triple” load of a woman: home - work - dacha. At the same time, psychologically, she has a greater peace of mind and satisfaction.

3. There was a demarcation of the home and the extra-family world, the primacy of the family and the impersonality of relations in the external environment.

4. The modern family is characterized by social and geographic mobility associated with independent and independent professional and personal self-determination of children without inheriting the social status and professional specialization of parents. Many northern Russian cities (Nizhnevartovsk, Nefteyugansk, etc.) were built, developed and settled by young people.

5. The system of "family centrism" with a focus on material wealth, the values ​​of duty, family responsibility, the birth and upbringing of children, caring for the old age of parents, the dominance of the authority of parents and relatives gives way to a system of "egocentrism" with the values ​​of individualism, independence, personal achievement, increased feeling own "I".

6. There is a transition from a centralized extended family-kinship system to decentralized nuclear families, in which marital ties become higher than kinship.

7. Divorce initiated by the husband (primarily due to the childlessness of the marriage) is supplanted by divorce caused by the interpersonal incompatibility of the spouses ("they did not agree in character", "lack of understanding", "experienced disappointment in each other").

8. There is a transition from a “closed” to an “open” system of choosing a spouse on the basis of interpersonal selectivity by young people of each other (albeit with the preservation of property interests and the system of inheritance, enshrined in the marriage contract).

9. The culture of childlessness with a strict taboo on the use of contraception is being replaced by a culture of individual intervention in the reproductive cycle, that is, prevention and termination of pregnancy.

10. The norms associated with the phenomenon of large families have historically become obsolete. In the XX century, there is a spontaneous reduction in the number of children in the family, divorces become more frequent, and marriages are less common.

At the same time, in post-Soviet Russia, the family model has a chance to change. The family, where the mother bears all responsibility (she also dominates the family, and she also has closer emotional contacts with the children), and the father is "thrown" over the board of family relations, may be replaced by a different family structure in which the dominant role remains with the mother, the next in importance belongs to the father, and the children are subordinate. The father is responsible for the welfare and social protection of the family; the mother brings up the children. Children are emotionally closer to their mother than to their father. Of course, such a structure is also not devoid of contradictions both in terms of matrimonial and in terms of child-parent relations.

Chapter 2: Social and Pedagogical Basics of Working with the Family

Family crises are natural stages, they are "embedded" in the algorithm for the existence of any family. Crisis situations are a kind of test of the family for strength, and if they are successfully passed, it means that the family is functioning correctly and developing normally. If this is not the case, it is likely that the difficult situation will only increase the disharmony of the relationship. And the responsibility for this between the spouses is distributed fifty to fifty. Often this phrase means that two intend to scatter in the near future. But the rupture of relations is more likely a consequence of an incorrectly passed crisis, as well as troubles such as the appearance of connections on the side, diseases, alcoholism.

Crisis are usually triggered by important life events. They cause some changes in established relationships that affect the rhythm of the usual life and the redistribution of resources: attention, emotions, effort, time, additional knowledge and money. In modern family psychology, there are several transition periods associated with internal dynamics and the development of family relations. The transitions themselves from one phase of family relations to another can be more painful and problematic, or quite calmly and without any particular complications.

The following characteristics of a family crisis are distinguished:

1. Aggravation of situational contradictions in the family.

2. Disruption of the entire system and all processes occurring in it.

3. Increasing instability in the family system.

4. Generalization of the crisis, that is, its impact extends to the entire range of family relationships and interactions. At whatever level of family functioning a crisis arises (individual, micro-, macro- or megasystemic), it will inevitably affect other levels, causing disturbances in their functioning. As a result, the following manifestations of a family crisis can be found:

1. Manifestation of a family crisis at the individual level:

Feeling of discomfort, increased anxiety;

Ineffectiveness of old ways of communication;

Decreased level of satisfaction with marriage;

A feeling of incomprehensibility, unspokenness, hopelessness and futility of efforts made to change the situation, that is, a feeling of limiting one's capabilities, inability to find new directions of development in a situation;

Displacement of the locus of control: a family member ceases to take a subject position, it begins to seem to him that something is happening “with him,” that is, outside of him, which means that changes should not happen to him, but to others. In this case, he sincerely begins to believe that it is a change in the attitude or behavior of another family member that will lead to an improvement in the situation (Shiyan O. A.);

Closure to new experience and at the same time the hope for a "miraculous return of the world", not associated with their own changes;

The emergence of overvalued ideas from some family members;

Formation of symptomatic behavior.

2. Manifestation of a family crisis at the microsystem level:

Disorders in terms of cohesion: a decrease or increase in the psychological distance between family members (extreme variants - symbiotic fusion and disunity);

Deformation of the internal and external boundaries of the nuclear family, the extreme variants of which are their diffuseness (blurring) and rigidity (impenetrability);

Violation of the flexibility of the family system up to chaos or rigidity (the mechanism of preserving and strengthening inflexible methods of response - "incongruent adaptation" - is almost universal in crisis situations, but its prolonged use disrupts the natural exchange of energy in the family);

Changes in the role structure of the family system (the emergence of dysfunctional roles, rigid, uneven distribution of roles, “failure” of the role, pathologization of roles);

Violation of the hierarchy (power struggle, inverted hierarchy);

The emergence of family conflicts;

Growth of negative emotions and criticism;

Metacommunication disorders;

An increase in the feeling of general dissatisfaction with family relationships, the discovery of differences in views, the emergence of a silent protest, quarrels and reproaches, a feeling of deception among family members;

Regression or return to early patterns of functioning of the nuclear family;

"Getting stuck" at any stage of family development and inability to solve the problems of the next stages;

Inconsistency and inconsistency of claims and expectations of family members;

The destruction of some of the established values ​​of the family and the lack of formation of new ones;

The ineffectiveness of old family rules and regulations in the absence of new ones;

Lack of rules.

3. Manifestations of a family crisis at the macrosystem level:

Family myth actualization;

Implementation of an archaic behavioral pattern that is inadequate to the current context of the family's existence, but was effective in previous generations;

Violations of the internal and external boundaries of the extended family, the extreme variants of which are the diffuseness and rigidity (impenetrability) of the boundaries;

Hierarchy breakdowns (eg, inverted hierarchy, intergenerational coalitions);

Violations of the extended family's role structure (role inversions, role “failure”);

Violation of traditions and rituals;

Ineffectiveness of old family norms and rules and the lack of formation of new ones.

4. Manifestation of a family crisis at the megasystem level:

Social isolation of the family;

Social maladjustment of the family;

Conflicts with the social environment.

We are starting to publish excerpts from the book "The Family and Mental Health of Man" by the Greek psychiatrist Constantin Coulias *, translated by Nun Catherine specially for the magazine Matrona.RU.

In his book "Family and Human Mental Health", the author informs about mental disorders in a simple and accessible manner, because in many cases it is the recognition of the symptoms of the disease in the early stages and the fight against it that helps. The information given in the book is based on the latest data from psychiatric science. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the family on a person's mental health, and it also details the disease such as depression and how to deal with it.

The modern era is different the crisis of all traditional institutions of society families in particular. The crisis, in which the institution of the family is now located, not only leads to the destruction of the whole society as a whole and its foundations, but also has a strong influence on the development of various mental deviations in individual people who are part of this society. The importance of the family for the mental and spiritual development of a person, his formation as a full-fledged personality is beyond doubt. The special importance of the institution of the family has always been supported by the Church: many saints especially emphasized the role of the family in the development of a moral and mentally healthy personality. St. John Chrysostom said that “It is absolutely impossible to become bad for someone who was brought up from the very beginning with all diligence and care. Since sins are not within human nature itself, they cannot overcome such a great concern for a person. ".

In this chapter, we will talk about how service carried by the family in society, about her types, about modern family crisis, O stress factors in our life and about the protective role of the family when one of its members develops a mental disorder. We will also talk about prevention of mental disorders, which is advisable to carry out in the family, about protection family members from the onset and recurrence of mental illness, on the importance of the institution of the family in carrying out psychosocial rehabilitation.

Family ministry

The family has a number tasks that she performs. This is reproduction, contribution to the socialization of the individual, the formation of his individuality, as well as the support of family members in their lives.

With regard to the task reproduction, then we are talking not only about his biological aspect(i.e. about the fact that it is within the framework of the family that children are usually born). I mean and psychological aspect, because in the family from generation to generation are passed on patterns and behaviors, and attitude to life, which were peculiar to people of the older generation. These patterns are not only reproduced, but also enriched and changed under the influence of new experience that representatives of the younger generation receive in the social environment of the family. There is also a third aspect - cultural or civilizational... Members of any family are the bearers of local cultural traditions, customs, customs, which are preserved and passed on in this family.

Family contribution to socialization of its members lies in the special social roles that the members of this family play in intrafamily relations. The family is the smallest structure in a social organism, a miniature society. Usually the roles of father, mother, brother, sister, child prepare family members to accept other social roles - such as friends, partners (in the broadest sense of the word), bosses, subordinates ...

Formation of personality, individuality family member is achieved through the development of his "Private ego", and "Social ego"... Each person in the family is special and has his own personality. "Petya" or "Masha", "Maksim Ivanovich" or "Anastasia Vasilievna" - we realize that under these names lies a completely recognizable personality. This person is not “invisible”, who is not even noticed, as it happens in the everyday life of people in a “neutral” environment (at work, in social circles, at the state level, where a person and his personality are often “lost”). Of course, in a family environment it happens that someone is "not noticed", but this usually only happens if the family does not fulfill its functions. In addition, each family member has his own role, with the help of which his "social ego" is formed. For example, Kolya, in addition to having his own “private ego,” can also play the roles of father, brother, son or grandson, and the expectations of other family members are associated with these roles. These family social roles impose responsibility on him and give him certain advantages as a member of society.

Finally, the family serves its members. supporting system... This can manifest itself on many different levels and in different ways.

At first, family is fortress and protection from the enemy... It is not for nothing that the British say: "My home is my fortress." Family members feel safe there, in the family they take a break from the daily "struggle for existence."

Secondly, the family accepts and filters information coming from her social environment. News, lessons learned are constantly discussed and analyzed in the family. In addition, ideology, life values ​​and principles, opinions and views are very often derived from the family.

Thirdly family members support each other through various rewards, not only and not so much material, such as money or things, gifts, but above all, emotional and moral, and this, for example, affection, approval of any deed, intimate conversation. Such encouragement builds, to some extent, a model of human behavior. In addition, by talking and evaluating their actions, family members find solutions to various problems.

Fourthly, the family gives the person possibility more express your emotions openly, including the bad ones. For example, we are rarely able to show “in public” grief, resentment, disappointment, anger. At the same time, in the family circle we manage to cry, open up to other people, complain, and this helps us to withstand emotional stress. Of course, in this case, you must observe the measure and caution. After all, it so often happens that we “break off” at home, and this cannot be allowed to ourselves!

Fifth, the family helps withstand life's negative responses to our wishes, especially when it comes to disrupting our plans. It is in the family that they teach and learn this, so to speak, kind of humility. Prudent parents will never buy their child any toy that he asks for, even if they have the opportunity to buy him an entire toy store, they will not do all his whims. After all, if a child does not get used to the fact that sometimes he is told “no” to his “want” in the family, then it will be very difficult for him to get used to the reality of life, in which quite rarely everything turns out exactly the way we want it.

Family types

Traditionally different two types of family... The first type is extended family- occurs more often in areas where agriculture is developed, and it was more developed in earlier times. The second developed in recent times in cities and is called nuclear family(sometimes this type of family is also called matrimonial, or partner).

extended family- complex, it consists of several generations (most often of three): children, parents and grandparents. In an extended family, the life of each member is also influenced by more distant relatives - aunt, uncle, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, brother-in-law, cousins ​​and second cousins. Thanks to this, the members of such a family have the feeling that each of them is supported in life by a large number of relatives. This type of family has practically disappeared in most developed and developing countries.

Creation nuclear family typical for city dwellers. It consists of parents and children, and sometimes only of spouses. At the same time, the foreground is the relationship between spouses (i.e., representatives of the same generation), and not the relationship between representatives of different generations (parents and children). As children grow up, they quickly leave home and create (at best) their own nuclear families. Elderly people in this case live separately, often alone, and sometimes in nursing homes. Relatives of the "second plan" are already considered "strangers" and do not interfere in the affairs of families.

In recent years, this type of family is gradually declining, new foundations and new types of family relationships... it single parent families(most often with the mother), which are obtained as a result of divorce. And it happens that women give birth to children without getting married and without tying themselves in marriage. Another new type of family is obtained when a couple lives in a so-called civil marriage... And, finally, there are homosexual couples who wished to formalize their relationship (in many European countries this is allowed) and adopt a child.

No matter how we treat such different ways of cohabitation of people and the moral aspect of such coexistence, all these new types of family show that the institution of the family is currently in deep crisis.

Family in "crisis"

As already mentioned, the extended family of three generations and, in particular, the patriarchal family, has practically disappeared. Here are just some of the consequences of this process. At first, there is a constant separation and alienation of persons of the elderly and senile age, who previously were not only protected and supported in the extended family, but also had a certain authority and power in it. Secondly, all family members are gradually separated from each other, prefer individual entertainment and activities - TV, computer, electronic games. Because of this, there is alienation between family members and a significant weakening of family ties.

In the XX and XXI centuries. The nuclear partner family has also significantly lost ground. Many factors influenced the emergence of this so-called crisis, which has as its purpose, first of all, the degradation of the institution of the family with all the ensuing cultural and social consequences.

The first factor is an changes in economic relations in the family... A woman now works, earning as much as her husband, and sometimes more than him. The man feels wounded, he realizes that he is losing power, which was largely based precisely on the fact that he was the main worker and breadwinner in the family, which means that only he had the right to manage the family finances.

Second the factor often acts simultaneously and at the same time with the first in the destruction of the institution of the family. It touches cultural clashes and changes... These include feminist movements that fight for the emancipation of women, ideological movements that question traditional social institutions, youth movements that, through the mediation of music, art, ideology, using different ways to dress and behave, not only question the traditional foundations of society , but also arrange a whole revolution in this area. All of these movements, which may well have started with good intentions, end up having a bad effect on the existence of the traditional nuclear family.

For example, men and women should have equal rights, but no one can claim that the two sexes are completely equal. They are not the same, they have different biological and psychological, emotional manifestations and needs. Spouses should perceive each other as equal individuals, but the differences between them should be respected.

A woman is able to conceive and give birth to a new life, and she must be able to do this and be protected, which in a traditional society takes on the institution of the family. And this goes against the demand of modern society that a woman must go to work on an equal basis with men. Thus, women sometimes drive themselves into a dead end - they fight for equality at work, make a career on a par with men, but neglect their feminine nature and often lose the joy that motherhood can bring them.

The third factor, weakening the institution of the family in modern society, is denial of the social and educational role of the family and the transfer of this role to state and public institutions - kindergartens, schools, the media. In particular, the latter broadcast cultural samples that completely go against the classical ideas about the family and its ideals, and we constantly hear about public figures, show business figures, etc., who constantly change sexual partners, get divorced and, moreover, boast of these events of their lives in front of the whole country.

The so-called family planning, the essence of which is that the birth of children occurs only when the couple wants it, and this control is carried out using a number of means of protection against unwanted pregnancy. Currently, in addition to the fact that the family planning system helps to reduce the birth rate, it also leads to the fact that couples do not seek to become officially husband and wife and form their own family, since there is no danger of having an “unwanted” child. Couples often remain childless or with only one child, which leads to a tendency towards less responsibility towards their family and more frequent dissolution of relationships.

* Constantin Kollias has been engaged in psychiatry since 1998. He received a degree in Social and Preventive Psychology. The author is currently Chairman of the Union of European Expert Psychiatrists and Lecturer at the Faculty of Psychiatry at the University of Athens, where he has been teaching since 2001. Constantin Koulias has published in Greek and foreign specialized journals, has published two books, and he is also the co-author of twenty-four editions in Greek.

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