Retrospective Analysis of Social and Cultural Meanings of Motherhood in Russia

The world of today, and Russia in particular, encounters the transformation of maternity: its essence and status of a universal value are being lost. Therefore, the basic aim of the article is to go back to roots by discovering theoretical basis for sociocultural essence of maternity in different periods of Russian social history in order to understand the reasons of these changes, reveal the present status of maternity and its meaning in modern Russia. The research is based upon cultural-historic approach which is aimed to reveal sociocultural determinants of human existence. The author shows that motherhood as a social and cultural phenomenon contains the genesis of the Russian culture, its socio-historical, moral and family experience. As a measure of the Russian society civility and maturity at each stage of social development social and cultural meanings of motherhood, influencing the consciousness and behavior of its subjects, determine the depth of assimilation, acceptance or rejection of motherhood as an independent value. The materials presented in the article may be used in higher educational establishments for the realization of professionally-oriented curricula in Pedagogical Psychology and Sociocultural Studies; including in-service courses for specialists whose professional activity is closely connected with family, maternity and child maintenance.