Book Review: Shevchenko, I.O. (2019), “Fathers and paternity in modern Russia. A sociological analysis”, Trovant, Moscow, Russia

Abstract

Based on the peer-reviewed scientific monograph by I.O. Shevchenko, the article presents an analytical review of the social practices of fatherhood in modern Russian society, the phenomenon of lonely fatherhood that is least studied in the sociological community, as well as the issue of divorced fathers and stepfathers. Against the background of many years of sociological research, among the most important issues in the monograph the following are highlighted: Russians’ ideas about fathers and fatherhood; social practices of fatherhood; aisespaternity in families of various structural types.

The book shows the evolution of the meanings of paternity as claimed by men of different ages, married and divorced. It defines the anthropological and biological, personal, socio-economic, spiritual, gender meanings of fatherhood and presents the models of paternity: an impersonal father, an authoritarian father, a kind father.

The author of the monograph raises an issue of the importance of the father in the life of the child and also manages through analysis of 830 essays written by schoolchildren to build a “live” dialogue between fathers and children. Moreover based on 47 in-depth interviews the topic of fathers and children in difficult situations of family breakdown is raised. An image of the substitute father – stepfather is considered, the types of their behavior in relation to the adopted child are highlighted: active, neutral, and passive. The topic of lonely fatherhood, stereotypes of modern society in relation to single fathers is touched upon. Finally, among the original plots of the monograph, one can note: the creation of the father’s image in cinema and the analysis of the network communities of fathers.

The author of the article concludes that the phenomenon of paternity is multifaceted and contradictory in modern Russian society and that there is the need for its further study in the direction proposed in the reviewed scientific monograph.