"This is a fine piece of social science research. The writing is clear, the figures and tables helpful, and the conclusion unambiguous." Slavic Review

This book is about social change in the Soviet Union. It explores the way in which the social, economic and political transformations encompassed by modernization affect values and behaviours. Its analytical focus is the family and the system of norms and values governing sex roles and familial relations. The study is part of a larger effort to unravel the complex linkages between modernization, value change, demographic change and public policy. It has two related objectives. First, it explores the relationship between value change and fertility, using statistical material from the Soviet census, birth registry, and social surveys, to test specific hypotheses relating to the modernization/value change relationship. Second, it examines the impact of public policies, both intended and unintended, on family values and fertility trends. A model of Soviet fertility dynamics, based on the empirical findings of the study, is also presented.

List of figures
List of tables
Introduction
Part I. The Impact of Modernization and Value Change on Fertility: 1. Social change and fertility transition
2. Patterns of social and demographic modernization in the USSR
3. The social correlates of fertility in the USSR
Part II. Public Policy and Population Dynamics: 4. Social policy, family values, and fertility change
5. Soviet demographic policy and fertility transition
Part III. Conclusions: 6. Social change and fertility decline in the USSR
Appendices
Index.

Subject Areas: Population & demography [JHBD]