The Influence of a Religious Socialization of People on Fertility in Modern Russia

Modern Russia is a unique space for an investigation of the influence of the factor of religiousness on demographic processes. It connects with some reasons. First, mass atheistic worldview connecting with the communist ideology has changed to forming a primary and second religious socialization trending to increase. Second, the state system of the Russian Federation promotes a space-saving dense residence of certain ethnos practicing various religions in different regions of the country. It explains a mixed picture of a religious diversity and fertility. Third, increasing role of religious organizations in the sphere of demographic development is one of manifestations of growing influence of a religious factor on fertility in modern Russia. Leaders of religious organizations appear on television, in print, go on the air to talk about problem of abortions, spreading of families with many children, tradition family values. All these circumstances form background of increasing influence of religion on fertility and quicken a scientific interest in this theme.

This research deals with both investigating of theoretical notions of the correlation of religious convictions and reproductive behaviour and empirical data on changing of parameters of fertility depending on the level of religious socialization. It also focuses on detecting the factors testifying to the modification of general indicators of religiousness of Russian population, to the importance of interrelation fertility and religiousness, to the transformation of reproductive behaviour depending on a religious self-identification. An important result of this research will be working out a typology of Russian regions depending on the level of intercommunication of religious socialisation and fertility.