The Marital Behavior of the Population in the Republic of Kalmykia: the Main Social Trends at the Beginning of the XXI Century

Abstract

In recent years, the marital, sexual and reproductive behavior of Russians have undergone profound social changes. The major features of these changes are the rise of the average marriage age, the spread of cohabitation, the increase in the divorce rate, as well as high non-marital birth rate. Not surprisingly, Kalmykia as a subject of the Russian Federation is no exception here and has seen a number of changes in marital behavior. In this regard, on the basis of the statistical data analysis the author highlighted the main social trends in marital behavior of the population in Kalmykia. The first decade of the XXI century was marked by the increase in the number of marriages but in recent years the number of marriages has slightly declined. One of the modern trends popular nowadays is the increase in the age of marriage. According to the calculations made by the Civil Registrar’s Office of the Republic of Kalmykia, the average marriage age in 2013 was 29, 67 years for men and 27, 52 years for women. At the same time there is a growing number of international marriages and decreasing number of marriages between persons who have not attained their majority. Among the negative trends one can find the increase of divorce rates in the republic. As it is seen from the data of the Civil Registrar’s Office of the Republic of Kalmykia, the majority of divorces occur in families who have lived 3-10 years, and women more often become initiators of the separation than men. Another trend is the growth of unregistered marriages. As a result of the statistical data analysis, the author concludes that the main social trends in marital behavior of the population of Kalmykia are, in general, peculiar to those of Russian ones. The conducted in 2007 survey of young people shows a different attitude towards divorce, the birth of children out of wedlock, and sexual relationships of adolescents. A vast majority of respondents strongly disapproved of sexual relationships of adolescents, whereas their attitude towards children born out of wedlock as well as the divorce still remains ambiguous.