Parental well-being: Russian women's view

Abstract

The article presents the results of a qualitative sociological study using the author's technology in order to conceptualize the phenomenon of parental well-being. The methodology of the study is based on the generalization of the theoretical provisions of parenthood and family well-being. It is concluded that parental well-being as a factor of demographic processes has not been studied enough, the concept of parental well-being has vague contours, there is no detailed formulation of its content and basic elements. In May — July 2022, on the results of an online survey there were collected and processed empirical data based on the responses of women (N = 335) to the open question "What do you associate with the concept of "parental well-being"? Write one or two phrases/sentences." The respondents' responses were processed using semantic content analysis. The word "happiness" was used in 18.8% of the responses received. Thematic coding was applied, individual and collective trajectories of meanings were identified. There are 10 collective trajectories combined in the author's system of markers of parental well-being. The frequency of markers mentioning in women's responses was calculated, that made it possible to identify key, basic markers: relationships with children (32.5%); well-being and success of children (29.6%); health (28.4%); security: income, work, housing (19.1%); emotional state of parents (10.4%); time (8.4%). Childless women were 3 times less likely to mention the topic "Well-being and success of children", but they are much more likely to associate parental well-being with finances and the ability to provide everything necessary for children. It makes sense to take these results into account when forming programs to popularize parenthood among young people. The author has formulated a "working" definition of the concept of parental well-being, substantiated the need for further research to clarify it on the basis of surveys of men using a similar technology. The practical value of the system of basic markers of parental well-being lies in the possibilities of its application for further development of the sample survey program "Digitalization of employment, fertility and parental well-being".