Transformation of the notions “family” and “marriage” in the contemporary Russian society

Introduction. Modern Russian society is going through a transition period, caused by fundamental changes in the system of value orientations in all key areas of life. There have appeared alternative forms of living as a couple (common-law marriage, guest marriage, trial marriage, etc.) as a way to adapt to today's difficult situation. All these are new phenomena of our social reality, which require their realizing and explanation, and the development of new social practices. Results. The family is a form of social organization (social institute) that meets the needs of each of its members best of all, performs reproduction function (through socialization and acculturation) and stabilizes the relationship between a particular person and society as a whole. Each family, as a small social group, has its own unique individual culture, a certain emotional and psychological climate, a set of development strategies, etc. Discussion. At present there is a natural transformation of the traditional family into a modern one under the influence of socio-economic and cultural modernization. In our opinion, this position is a most functional and corresponding to the real processes taking place in our society for the following reasons: 1) the fall in the standard of living has seriously injured family values; 2) as a result, there have appeared new adaptive strategies, first of all, it is expressed in a high degree of individualization of family life; 3) despite the difficulties experienced by the modern family, the institution of marriage and the importance of family values have retained their absolute importance for the majority of Russians that make a conscious choice in favor of the family as a form of partnership, optimal to provide the necessary conditions for personal growth and self-development. Conclusion. The modern family as a small social group is under serious pressure of all-important social institutions. This process is accompanied by numerous negative phenomena weakening marital ties. These are: the growth of divorce, low social responsibility of spouses, a high level of individualization in family relations, social orphanhood, etc. However, there are serious reasons to believe that this process is a natural evolution of the traditional family into a new and a modern one, developing new (collaborating, equal) relationship in the process of transformation.