Parenting and Parenthoodas Research Domains

The article presents an analysis of a number of publications which concern the modern socio-cultural situation and its consequences on contemporary parenthood. The constructs "parenthood" and "parenting" are presented the first one refers to a social role of an adult with a child in relation to other social roles and the latter with the process of child rearing. The major social trends are presented: Contemporary parenthood is analyzed and problematized due to the nature of modern challenges faced by educated parents. The following trends are discussed: erosion of understandable, clearly presented stereotypes and patterns of child rearing in the family, increase of variability of practices of child-parent interaction, growth of supply on the market of goods and services. All these major social trends bring to the sunset of "natural" parenthood and the decision to have a child turns to be a consciously planned strategy. The article shows that the appeal to expert knowledge in child rearing which is characteristic of postmodern era leads to new uncertainties due to the variety of inconsistent advice and expertise. Discussion of the transformations experienced by the family shows the transition from child-centered to adult-centered pattern. Thus, the conclusion is that contemporary parenting takes place against many (conscious and unconscious) contradictions, particularly between the growing importance of the values of self-realization and commitment and the value of parenthood. This contradiction brings to stress and anxiety which in turn damages the perception of oneself as a parent. The growth of interest in the study of parental identity and self-efficacy is considered to be a promising direction of research.

1. Boulbi Dzh. Privyazannost' [Attachment]. Moscow: Gardariki, 2003. 477 p.
2. Zakharova E.I. Predstavlenie o kharakteresotsial'noiroli, kaksredstvoorientirovki v eeispolnenii [Performance of nature of the social role, as an orientation and realization tools]. Kul'turno-istoricheskayapsikhologiya [Cultural-historical psychology], 2012, no.4, pp.38–41. (In Russ.,abstr. in Engl.).
3. Zakharova E.I. Usloviyastanovleniyanegativnogootnosheniyasovremennykhzhenshchin k materinskoiroli [Conditions of formation of a negative attitude to the modern women's maternal roles]. Kul'turno-istoricheskayapsikhologiya [Cultural-historical psychology], 2015, no.1, pp.44–49. (In Russ.,abstr. in Engl.).
4. Knorr-Tsetina K. Sotsial'nost' i ob"ekty. Sotsial'nyeotnosheniya v postsotsial'nykhobshchestvakhznaniya [Society and objects. Social relations in postsocial knowledge societies].In VakhshtainV. (ed.) Sotsiologiyaveshchei[The sociology of things]. Moscow, 2006, pp. 267–307.
5. Lantsburg M.E. Rol' psikhologicheskoipodgotovki i podderzhki v realizatsiiroditel'skikhfunktsii [the role of psychological training and support in the implementation of parent functions]. Psikhologicheskayanauka i obrazovanie[Psychological science and education], 2011, no.1, pp. 15-26. (In Russ.,abstr. in Engl.).
6. Maiofis M., Kukulin I. Novoeroditel'stvo i ego politicheskieaspekty [New parenthood and its psychological aspects]. Pro etcontra [Pro et contra], 2010. Vol.14, no. 1-2, pp. 6–19.
7. N'yufel'd G., Mate G. Ne upuskaitesvoikhdetei [Don’t miss your children]. Moscow: Resors, 2012. 384  p.
8. Zabaev I. V. (eds.) Sem'ya i detorozhdenie v Rossii: Kategoriiroditel'skogosoznaniya [Family in Russia]. Moscow: Pravoslav. Svyato-Tikhonov. gumanitar. un-t., 2012. 223 p,
9. Solov'eva E.V. O materinskomotnoshenii k detyamrannegovozrasta, zachatymposredstvomekstrakorporal'nogooplodotvoreniya [Elektronnyiresurs] [Maternal attitude towards young children conceived through in vitro fertilization].Psikhologicheskayanauka i obrazovanie PSYEDU.ru [Psychological Science and Education PSYEDU.ru], 2013, no. 4. Available at: https://psyjournals.ru/psyedu_ru/2014/n4/73567.phtml (Accessed 23.09.2015). (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.).
10. Uebster F. Teoriiinformatsionnogoobshchestva [Theories of information society]. Moscow: Aspect Press, 2004. 400 p.
11. Filippova G.G. Materinstvo: sravnitel'no-psikhologicheskiipodkhod [Motherhood : a comparative psychological approach]. Psikhologicheskiizhurnal [Psychological Journal], 1998, no. 5, pp. 81 — 88. (In Russ., abstr. in Engl.).
12. Arendell T. Conceiving and investigating motherhood: The decade's scholarship. Journal of Marriage and Family,  2000.  Vol. 62,no. 4, pp. 1192–1207.
13.  Bandura A. Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change.Psychological Review, 1977. Vol. 84,no. 2, pp. 191–215.
14. Datan N., Ginsberg L.H. (ed.) Life-Span Developmental Psychology: Normative Life Crises. Elsevier, 2013. 321 p.
15. Dex S., Joshi H., Macran S. A widening gulf among Britain's mothers. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 1996, pp. 65–75.
16. Elkind D. Ties that Stress: The New Family Imbalance. Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2009. 253 p.
17. Gatrell C. Hard Labour: The Sociology of Parenthood. McGraw-Hill: McGraw-Hill Education (UK), 2004. 400 p.
18. Gillespie R. Childfree and feminine Understanding the gender identity of voluntarily childless women.Gender and  Society,  2003.  Vol. 17,no. 1, pp. 122–136.
19. Hays S. The Cultural Contradictions of Motherhood. Yale: University Press, Yale, 1996. 288 p.
20. Johnson S., O'Connor E. The Gay Baby Boom: The Psychology of Gay Parenthood. New-York: NYU Press, 2002. 280 p.
21. Lüscher K. Postmodern societies-postmodern families. The Family. Contemporary Perspectives and Challenges, 1998, pp. 181–194.
22. Luxton M., Bezanson K. Social Reproduction: Feminist Political Economy Challenges Neo-Liberalism. Montreal: McGill-Queen's Press-MQUP, 2006. 323 p.
23. Oechsle M., Zoll R. Young people and their ideas on parenthood .European Parents in the 1990s: Contradictions and Comparisons. New Brunswic, New Jersey. Trasaction Publishers, 1991,pp. 45 – 58.
24. Rossi A. S. Transition to parenthood.Journal of Marriage and the Family, 1968. Vol. 30, no. 1 (Feb., 1968), pp. 26–39.
25. Wall G. Mothers' experiences with intensive parenting and brain development discourse. Women's Studies International Forum.Pergamon, 2010.  Vol. 33,no. 3, pp. 253–263.