Fatherhood and Motherhood as Social Institutions from the Standpoint of Structural-Functional Analysis in the Context of Changing Socio-Economic Relations

In contemporary sociology, there are a number of studies devoted to the study of parenthood as a social institution. However, the analysis of fatherhood and motherhood as separate social institutions is found in few research efforts in contemporary Russian sociology. More often, scholars consider fatherhood and motherhood as components of the institution of parenthood, as institutional roles of parenting, or as phenomena, practices, or aspects of parenting in general. The need to distinguish them as separate institutions stems from the fact that, in modern conditions, the concepts of "fatherhood" and "motherhood" are undergoing significant transformations, manifested in the increasing complexity and differentiation of their social functions.
In this article, we used a theoretical and methodological approach in sociology, structural-functional analysis, within the context of T. Parsons's concept of the social structure of society, social institutions, and institutionalization, and R. Merton's concept of manifest and latent functions, as well as dysfunctions. Through the lens of these concepts, we identified their significance in the social structure of society, as well as the important social functions these social institutions provide.
The scientific significance of the study lies in its theoretical and methodological novelty, which expands the scope of analysis of family and demographic processes. It contributes to the refinement of the categorical conceptual framework of family sociology and allows us to identify patterns of social reproduction, socialization, and the normative regulation of behavior in the context of changing socioeconomic relations.
The practical significance of the study is determined by the fact that the results of the author's own sociological survey and the identified trends in the transformation of the functions of fatherhood and motherhood based on the data obtained can be used in the development and adjustment of family, demographic, educational and social policies aimed at supporting parenthood.

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