On the issue of fertility research in the USSR in the 1960s–1980s
Research Article
Acknowledgments
The article was prepared within the framework of the state assignment of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation «Dynamics of economic and social development of Asian Russia in the context of geostrategic challenges of the late XIX — early XXI centuries».
How to Cite
Dashinamzhilov O.B. On the issue of fertility research in the USSR in the 1960s–1980s. Population. 2024. Vol. 27. No. 4. P. 34-46. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24412/1561-7785-2024-4-34-46 (in Russ.).
Abstract
The article examines the formation and development of the main areas of research on the birth rate of the population in the Soviet Union in the specified time frame. To this end, the historical continuity of this process and the problems that were posed at its various stages are shown. The formation of new approaches and methods for studying fertility is shown. The article analyzes the change in theoretical approaches, including the reasons for the transition from the socialist law of population to the methodology of demographic transition. Starting from the 1930s and up to the end of the 1950s, a detailed study of demographic issues was not welcomed by the state authorities for domestic political reasons. Research on demographic problems intensified only after the All-Union Census of 1959. The first works related to the period under consideration appeared already in the 1960s. The research was carried out in the context of the socialist population law, according to which the birth rate in socialist countries should have been higher than in capitalist ones. In subsequent years, the nature of the development of demographic processes in the USSR called this to question. By the end of the 1960s, the study of fertility began to move more into the practical plane, and some scientists began to avoid theoretical issues. In the 1970s, the number of publications increased significantly. In this decade, works were published that left a deep mark on the history of the study of the problem. The monograph of A. G. Vishnevsky played an important role in the development of the theory of fertility research. The non-formational interpretation of the history of demographic processes was a big step forward in the Soviet demographic science. In the 1980s, work on the study of fertility was continued, although the intensity of research decreased somewhat. So, a large number of papers were published on fertility of the population in the period under review. Demographers were able to identify the key trends in fertility, but the lengthy discussions of the supporters of formational approach and demographic modernization in Soviet times affected the conceptual understanding of the processes that took place.
Keywords:
historiography, demography, fertility, socialist law of population, the Soviet Union
References
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27. Kharchev A. G., Golod S. I. Professional’naya rabota zhenshchin i sem’ya [Women’s Professional Work and Family]. Leningrad. Nauka [Science]. 1971. 176 p. (in Russ.)
28. Belova V. A., Darsky L. E. Statistika mnenij v izuchenii rozhdaemosti [Opinion Statistics in the Study of Fertility]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1972. 144 p. (in Russ.)
29. Belova V. A. Chislo detei v sem’e [Number of Children in Family]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1975. 176 p. (in Russ.)
30. Darsky L. E. Formirovanije sem’i (demografo-statisticheskoje issledovanije) [Family Formation (Demographic and Statistical Study]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1972. 208 p. (in Russ.)
31. Sifman R. I. Dinamika rozhdaemosti v SSSR (po materialam vyborochnykh obsledovanij) [Dynamics of the Birth Rate in the USSR (Based on the Materials of Sample Surveys)]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1974. 183 p. (in Russ.)
32. Belov V. A., Bondarskaya G. A., Vishnevsky A. G., et.al. Skol’ko detej budet v sovetskoj sem’je (rezul’taty obsledovaniya) [How Many Children Will There Be in the Soviet Family (Survey Results)]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1977. 104 p. (in Russ.)
33. Borisov V. A. Perspektivy rozhdaemosti [Fertility Prospects]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1976. 248 p. (in Russ.)
34. Bondarskaya G. A. Rozhdaemost’ v SSSR (etnodemograficheskij aspekt) [Fertility in the USSR (Ethno-Demographic Aspect)]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1977. 128 p. (in Russ.)
35. Razvitije naseleniya: sb. nauch. tr. [Population Development]. Ed. D. I. Valentey. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1974. 94 p. (in Russ.)
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39. Boiko V. V. Rozhdaemost’: sotsial’no-psikhologicheskije aspekty [Fertility: Socio-Psychological Aspects]. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1985. 238 p. (in Russ.)
40. Sinel’nikov A. B. Brachnost’ i rozhdaemost’ v SSSR [Marriage and Fertility in the USSR]. Moscow. Nauka [Science] 1989. 104 p. (in Russ.)
41. Gerasimova I. A. Struktura sem’i [Family Structure]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1976. 168 p. (in Russ.)
42. Sysenko V. A. Ustoichivost’ braka: problemy, faktory, usloviya [Marriage Stability: Problems, Factors, Conditions]. Moscow. Finansy i statistika [Finance and Statistics]. 1981. 199 p. (in Russ.)
43. Vosproizvodstvo naseleniya i demograficheskaya politika v SSSR [Population Reproduction and Demographic Policy in the USSR]. Ed. L. L. Rybakovsky. Moscow. Nauka [Science]. 1987. 205 p. (in Russ.)
44. Demograficheskije protsessy v SSSR: sb. nauch. tr. [Demographic Processes in the USSR]. Ed. A. G. Volkov. Moscow. Nauka [Science]. 1990. 211 p. (in Russ.)
45. Rozhdaemost’: sotsiologicheskije i demograficheskije aspekty: sb. st. [Fertility: Sociological and Demographic Aspects]. Ed. V. A. Borisov. Moscow. ISI AN SSSR [Institute of Sociological Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences.]. 1988. 168 p. (in Russ.)
46. Shneiderman N. A. Otkrovennyi razgovor: rozhdaemost’ i mery jejo regulirovaniya [A Frank Conversation: Fertility and Measures for Its Regulation]. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1991. 170 p. (in Russ.)
2. Bibliografija po problemam narodonaselenija. (Sov. i perevodnaja literatura, 1960–1971 gg.) [Bibliography on Population Issues. (Soviet and Translated Literature, 1960–1971)]. Eds. D. I. Valentey and E. Yu. Burnashev. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1974. 343 p. (in Russ.)
3. Bibliografija po problemam narodonaselenija. (1972–1975 gg.) [Bibliography on Population Issues. (1972–1975)]. Eds. D. I. Valentey and E. Yu. Burnashev. Moscow. Izd-vo MGU [Moscow University Press]. 1977. 231 p. (in Russ.)
4. Literatura o naselenii: bibliogr. ukaz. (1975–1978 gg.) [Literature on Population: Bibliographic Reference Book (1975–1978)]. Eds. D. I. Valentey and E. Yu. Burnashev. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1981. 255 p. (in Russ.)
5. Literatura o naselenii: bibliogr. ukaz. (1979 — pervaja pol. 1983 gg.) [Literature on Population: Bibliographic Reference Book (1979 — The First Half of 1983)]. Eds. D. I. Valentey and E. Yu. Burnashev. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1987. 286 p. (in Russ.)
6. Literatura o narodonaselenii: bibliogr. ukaz. (1983–1993 gg.) [Literature on Population: Bibliographic Reference Book (1983–1993)]. Ed. I. V. Dzarasovа. Moscow. Dialog-MGU [Dialog-MSU]. 1998. 123 p. (in Russ.)
7. Literatura o narodonaselenii: bibliograf. ukaz. (1994–2000 gg.) [Literature on Population: Bibliographic Reference Book (1994–2000)]. Ed. V. V. Elizarov. Moscow. Maks Press [Maks Press]. 2002. 133 p. (in Russ.)
8. Pisarev I. Yu. Narodonaselenie SSSR (sotsial’no-ekonomicheskij ocherk) [The Population of the USSR (Socio-Economic Essay)]. Moscow. Izd-vo soc.-ek. lit-ry [Socio-Economic Literature Publishers]. 1962. 190 p. (in Russ.)
9. Podyachikh N. G. Naselenije SSSR [The Population of the USSR]. Moscow. Gospolitizdat [State Political Publishers]. 1961. 192 p. (in Russ.)
10. Marx K. Kapital [Capital]. Vol. 1. Marx K., Engels F. Sochineniya. [Collected Works]. 2nd ed. Vol. 23. Moscow. Izd-vo polit. lit-ry [Political Publishers]. 1960. 907 p. (in Russ.)
11. Smulevich B. Burzhuaznyje teorii narodonaseleniya v svete marksistko-leninskoj kritiki [Bourgeois Theories of Population in the Light of Marxist-Leninist Criticism]. Moscow-Leningrad. Sotsekgiz [Socio-Economic Publishers]. 1936. 407 p. (in Russ.)
12. Sul’kevich S. Territoriya i naselenie SSSR [The Territory and Population of the USSR]. Moscow. Politizdat [Political Publishers]. 1940. 72 p. (in Russ.)
13. Batkis G. A. Organizatsiya zdravookhraneniya [Healthcare Organization]. Moscow. Medgiz [Medicine Publishers]. 1948. 567 p. (in Russ.)
14. Dol’skaya A. A. Sotsialisticheskii zakon narodonaseleniya (na primere SSSR) [The Socialist Law of Population (On the Example of the USSR)]. Moscow. Sotsekgiz [Socio-Economic Publishers]. 1959. 155 p. (in Russ.)
15. Smulevich B. Ya. Kritika burzhuaznykh teorii i politiki narodonaseleniya [Criticism of Bourgeois Theories and Population Policy]. Moscow. Sotsekgiz [Socio-Economic Publishers]. 1959. 430 p. (in Russ.)
16. Sonin M. Ya. Aktual’nyje problemy ispol’zovaniya rabochej sily v SSSR [Actual Problems of the Use of Labor in the USSR]. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1965. 303 p. (in Russ.)
17. Urlanis B. Ts. Rozhdaemost’ i prodolzhitel’nost’ zhizni v SSSR. [Fertility and Life Expectancy in the USSR]. Moscow. Gosstatizdat [State Statistical Publishers]. 1963. 136 p. (in Russ.)
18. Kuznetsov A. D. Trudovye resursy SSSR i ikh ispol’zovanije [The Labor Resources of the USSR and Their Use]. Moscow. Izd-vo sots.-ek. lit-ry [Socio-Economic Publishers]. 1960. 176 p. (in Russ.)
19. Voprosy marksistko-leninskoi teorii narodonaseleniya. Vsesoyuznyi simpozium 24–26 noyabrya 1966 g. [Issues of the Marxist-Leninist Theory of Population. All–Union symposium. November 24–26, 1966]. Ed. Yu. N. Kozyrev. Moscow. Izd-vo MGU [Moscow University Press]. 1966. 276 p. (in Russ.)
20. Boldyrev V. A. Ekonomicheskij zakon naseleniya pri sotsializme [The Economic Law of Population under Socialism]. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1968. 112 p. (in Russ.)
21. Guzevaty Ya. N. Aktual’nyje problemy narodonaseleniya v sovetskoi ekonomike [Actual problems of population in the Soviet economy]. Izuchenije vosproizvodstva naseleniya: sb. nauch. tr. [The Study of Population Reproduction]. Moscow. Nauka [Science]. 1968. P. 9–22. (in Russ.)
22. Sistema znanii o narodonaselenii [Population Knowledge System]. Ed. D. I. Valentey. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1976. 367 p. (in Russ.)
23. Sadvokasova E. A. Sotsial’no-gigienicheskije aspekty regulirovaniya razmerov sem’i [Socio-Hygienic Aspects of Family Size Regulation]. Moscow. Meditsina [Medicine]. 1969. 191 p. (in Russ.)
24. Volkov A. G. O nekotorykh prichinakh snizheniya koeffitsienta rozhdaemosti [On some causes of the decline in the birth rate]. Izuchenije vosproizvodstva naseleniya [The Study of Population Reproduction]. Moscow. Nauka [Science]. 1968. P. 171–183. (in Russ.)
25. Gregory P. Soviet theories of economic demography: a survey. Journal of Comparative Economics. 1983. Vol. 7. No. 2. P. 105–113.
26. Easterlin R. A. An economic framework for fertility analysis. Studies in Family Planning. 1983. Vol. 6. No. 3. P. 54–63.
27. Kharchev A. G., Golod S. I. Professional’naya rabota zhenshchin i sem’ya [Women’s Professional Work and Family]. Leningrad. Nauka [Science]. 1971. 176 p. (in Russ.)
28. Belova V. A., Darsky L. E. Statistika mnenij v izuchenii rozhdaemosti [Opinion Statistics in the Study of Fertility]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1972. 144 p. (in Russ.)
29. Belova V. A. Chislo detei v sem’e [Number of Children in Family]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1975. 176 p. (in Russ.)
30. Darsky L. E. Formirovanije sem’i (demografo-statisticheskoje issledovanije) [Family Formation (Demographic and Statistical Study]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1972. 208 p. (in Russ.)
31. Sifman R. I. Dinamika rozhdaemosti v SSSR (po materialam vyborochnykh obsledovanij) [Dynamics of the Birth Rate in the USSR (Based on the Materials of Sample Surveys)]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1974. 183 p. (in Russ.)
32. Belov V. A., Bondarskaya G. A., Vishnevsky A. G., et.al. Skol’ko detej budet v sovetskoj sem’je (rezul’taty obsledovaniya) [How Many Children Will There Be in the Soviet Family (Survey Results)]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1977. 104 p. (in Russ.)
33. Borisov V. A. Perspektivy rozhdaemosti [Fertility Prospects]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1976. 248 p. (in Russ.)
34. Bondarskaya G. A. Rozhdaemost’ v SSSR (etnodemograficheskij aspekt) [Fertility in the USSR (Ethno-Demographic Aspect)]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1977. 128 p. (in Russ.)
35. Razvitije naseleniya: sb. nauch. tr. [Population Development]. Ed. D. I. Valentey. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1974. 94 p. (in Russ.)
36. Demograficheskij analiz rozhdaemosti: sb. st. [Demographic Analysis of Fertility]. Eds. D. I. Valentey and others. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1974. 112 p. (in Russ.)
37. Vishnevsky A. G. Demograficheskaya revolyutsiya [Demographic Revolution]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1976. 240 p. (in Russ.)
38. Antonov A. I. Sotsiologiya rozhdaemosti (teoreticheskije i metodologicheskije problemy) [Sociology of Fertility (Theoretical and Methodological Issues]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1980. 271 p. (in Russ.)
39. Boiko V. V. Rozhdaemost’: sotsial’no-psikhologicheskije aspekty [Fertility: Socio-Psychological Aspects]. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1985. 238 p. (in Russ.)
40. Sinel’nikov A. B. Brachnost’ i rozhdaemost’ v SSSR [Marriage and Fertility in the USSR]. Moscow. Nauka [Science] 1989. 104 p. (in Russ.)
41. Gerasimova I. A. Struktura sem’i [Family Structure]. Moscow. Statistika [Statistics]. 1976. 168 p. (in Russ.)
42. Sysenko V. A. Ustoichivost’ braka: problemy, faktory, usloviya [Marriage Stability: Problems, Factors, Conditions]. Moscow. Finansy i statistika [Finance and Statistics]. 1981. 199 p. (in Russ.)
43. Vosproizvodstvo naseleniya i demograficheskaya politika v SSSR [Population Reproduction and Demographic Policy in the USSR]. Ed. L. L. Rybakovsky. Moscow. Nauka [Science]. 1987. 205 p. (in Russ.)
44. Demograficheskije protsessy v SSSR: sb. nauch. tr. [Demographic Processes in the USSR]. Ed. A. G. Volkov. Moscow. Nauka [Science]. 1990. 211 p. (in Russ.)
45. Rozhdaemost’: sotsiologicheskije i demograficheskije aspekty: sb. st. [Fertility: Sociological and Demographic Aspects]. Ed. V. A. Borisov. Moscow. ISI AN SSSR [Institute of Sociological Research of the USSR Academy of Sciences.]. 1988. 168 p. (in Russ.)
46. Shneiderman N. A. Otkrovennyi razgovor: rozhdaemost’ i mery jejo regulirovaniya [A Frank Conversation: Fertility and Measures for Its Regulation]. Moscow. Mysl’ [Thought]. 1991. 170 p. (in Russ.)
Article
Received: 18.03.2024
Accepted: 09.12.2024
Citation Formats
Other cite formats:
APA
Dashinamzhilov, O. B. (2024). On the issue of fertility research in the USSR in the 1960s–1980s. Population, 27(4), 34-46. https://doi.org/10.24412/1561-7785-2024-4-34-46
Section
DEMOGRAPHY: THEORY AND PRACTICE ISSUES
