How the Everyday Logic of Pragmatic Individualism Undermines Russian State Pronatalism

Abstract

The article examines the reproductive decisions of Russian urban middle‐class women. We look at women’s lives in the context of Russian pronatalist family policy and the official conservative gender ideology of 2019–2020. Based on biographical interviews with 35 young women, we focus on working mothers. The sample is composed of middle‐class mothers since their lifestyle serves as a cultural model for the whole Russian society. We reconstruct the everyday rationalities deployed by the mothers to justify their reproductive decisions. The respondents seek “self‐realization,” postponing childbirth or limiting their reproduction. We reconstruct the discourse of “pragmatic individualism” as an everyday logic used by mothers, which helps them cope with the instability of the labor market and marriage and the lack of state social support. Using the logic of “pragmatic individualism,” women present themselves as respectable, socially competent individuals able to build their lives according to middle‐class living standards. The logic of pragmatic individualism contradicts the message of pronatalist state ideology based on “traditional” gender roles and high fertility. It gives women a rational explanation for why, despite socially supported childbearing, they decide to have only one or two children. We argue that while women rationalize childbearing decisions for financial security and social well‐being, their rationale is determined by class standards of respectability. These standards are associated with high standards of care and quality of life for a small number of children.

Fragile Pronatalism and Reproductive Futures in European Post‐Socialist Contexts

“…The authors point to the need for more effective gender equality measures likely to lead to greater tolerance and respect for individual reproductive choices, including the option of not becoming a parent. Shpakovskaya and Chernova (2022) come to a similar conclusion based on interviews with Russian middle-class working mothers. In the context of pronatalist policies, which focus on financial incentives rather than gender equality and work-care reconciliation, young mothers use "pragmatic individualism" to cope with the instability of the labour market and their marriage.…”

“…At the same time, qualitative data can capture meaning-construction and help to uncover and contextualize how people interpret their reproductive decisions, trajectories, and circumstances. This thematic issue, applying both quantitative and qualitative approaches, expands existing research by focusing on the region, addressing the barriers to parenthood (Billingsley & Oláh, 2022;Hašková et al, 2022;Ishchanova, 2022;Šprocha, 2022;Szalma & Takács, 2022) and attitudes regarding parenthood (Dimitrova & Kotzeva, 2022;Mynarska & Brzozowska, 2022;Paksi et al, 2022;Shpakovskaya & Chernova, 2022;Szczuka, 2022;Szelewa, 2022). These eleven articles, including two comparative studies, cover altogether 12 countries: Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Slovakia.…”