Dynamics of St. Petersburg Students Views on the Family and Intergenerational Relations (2007—2017)

The article analyzes the dynamics of St. Petersburg students on the family and intergenerational relations. The empirical base consists of the data of two studies-sociological surveys of students conducted in 2007 and 2017. The proposed methodology allows us to reflect changes in the theoretical and methodological foundations of the sociological study of family and intergenerational relations and consists in the application of new scientific categories that expand the understanding of the real diversity of existing types of family relations and reference to the theoretical construct that allows to measure the diversity of interactions between different generations of family members. The empirical analysis showed that while maintaining the core of significant family members (members of the nuclear family), significantly increased the importance of people who are not connected by blood and kinship. The greatest changes were in the lines of kinship and the structure of family ties. The proportion of families, including not only blood, but also named relatives, as well as people not connected by blood and kinship, has increased significantly. The trend towards symmetry and interdependence in intergenerational relations between parents and adult children has continued. The main functional dominant of all family interactions is their emotional orientation, and in everyday situations emotional support increases. The hierarchy of relationships between different generations of family members is situational and relative. The role context of social interaction is preserved, it becomes flexible and sensitive to the needs of different generations of the family.