COVID-19 pandemic as a factor of family relations’ transformation

Abstract

Background. The rapid spread of coronavirus infection has forced most countries to introduce a number of quarantine measures, which have exacerbated socioeconomic, medical, and demographic problems. The pandemic has changed the way of life, everyday practices, becoming a kind of bifurcation point in family relations. The relevance of the research topic is explained by the fact that the COVID-19 coronavirus infection has made significant adjustments to the marital and family structure of the population both around the world and in Russia. The purpose of the study is to study the impact of the COVID-19 pan-demic on family relations in the context of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, in comparison with the indicators of other countries. Materials and methods. To identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transformation of family relations, we used data from the Unified Interdepartmental Information and Statistical System, the Federal State Statistics Service, information on the registration of acts of civil status; a sociological study of the Center for Family and Demography of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan “Divorces in Tatarstan” (2013) and “Generative behavior of Russian men in the conditions of demographic crisis” (2020), conducted with the participation of the authors of the article; secondary analysis of data from sociological studies. Results. COVID-19 has had an impact on the transformation of family relationships, but this factor is not direct, but indirect. Positive family communication has become significant during the coronavirus pandemic. As the results of the analysis of the demographic situation in the Russian Federation showed, during the lockdown there was a decrease in marriage and divorce rates. The situation associated with the spread of coronavirus infection did not significantly affect the number of newly created marriages, but at the same time intensified the crisis phenomena in existing families. Сonclusions. The all-Russian situation on marriage and divorce is characterized as a crisis and requires urgent measures at the level of regional and federal demographic and social policy. In this matter, it is necessary to refer to the positive experience of other States in the field of demographic policy: the promotion of a marriage lifestyle, simplification of the procedure for marriage and complication of divorce registration.

Keywords

• pandemic
• coronavirus
• marriage
• divorce
• family relations
• demographic processes