changes in gov attitude towards the family

• Introduction

  It can be understood that between the years of 1917-85, the four premiers had differing views concerning attitudes towards the family. Debates around th family considered in what circumstances abortion should be legalised and how readily available should people be able to get divorced, how much of the weight of care should be applied upon women or whether welfare provisions should subside this and finally whether homosexuality should be tolerated and whether that can replicate a family unit. Arguably, Stalin and Brezhnev, during the years of 1928-53 and 1964-85, held considerably the most conservative views on the attitudes towards how the family unit should be depicted and further the prevalency of the women in family units. Although remaining conservative, the years of 1917-24 and 1953-64 premiers Lenin and Khrushchev were much more permissive in what was allowed and encouraged a rejection of the previous bourgeoise ideas under the Tsarist regime. It can be argued that the fluctuating attitudes was due to the governments fear of being usurped; thus what was allowed within families was a clear depiction of the government imposing control and authority, taking away individual autonomy and criminalising individualism. It can be evaluated and will be throughout this essay that it is to a high extent that government attitudes towards the family as a social unity fluctuated greatly and changed course numerously throughout the years of 1917-85.

  
• Abortion and Divorce

  Under the Tsarist regime, attitudes towards abortion and divorce were non-existent as there was a clear authority against them; despite the occurrent abuses within traditional systems of marriage (arranged marriage, lack of options to escape abuse). Lenin however in 1917, despite holding rather conservative views, supported greatly the reforms proposed by Zhenotdel; including the legalisation of prostitution, easily accessible divorce and abortion on demand. This led evidently to a more liberal approach to government policies, allowing personal autonomy to roam. Thus it can be argued with the low birth rates and high divorce rates, there was a lack of state authority within family units, allowing them to be more free, individual and at the jurisdiction of the people in the family. However there were divisions within government, especially with Lenin disapproving of Kolontai's advocacy of Free Love, which Lenin rejected as it removed wholly the influence of government in the family and thus increases individuality thus diminishing the collective nature and spirit of society. Therefore as much as under Lenin, there was an advocacy for freedom to prevent personal harm; conservative views remained, essentially people were allowed freedom and autonomy of their bodies and relationships, but only if this was deemed appropriate by the state. Alternatively, following Lenin's leniency, Stalin held key aims to improve birth rates and cut divorce rates excessively. The Great Retreat began in 1936 and imposed a return to conservative family values under Stalin. Thus abortion was criminalised unless the life of the mother was in danger and contraception was banned, this meant that the government attitude towards the family unit under Stalin was expected to be large to promote and train the future workers of the country, families should be expected to have large numbers of children. Following divorce further, fathers were expected to give ⅓ of their income to their previous wife and thus divorce was made expensive and difficult to obtain, with each divorce costing more and more. It can be concluded that under Stalin there was a return to much less individual autonomy and further a large expectation for familys to be exemplar units of communist ideology with large families with more loyalty to the state than their parents. Alternatively, under Khrushchev, the USSR saw a change towards a more relaxed approach to the family; this was largely to liberate women. Abortion was legalised in 1955 and Khrushcev rather than criminalising divorce, took more of an approach to try to make the marriage work in the benefit of the state, this was in an attempt to make divorce rates lower but with less abuses as seen before the revolution. Under Khrushchev resultantly, the attitude towards the family unit changed as abortion was legalised and instead childcare facilities were opened. This meant that the government encouraged women to have children but did not want to depend on female nurture to be domesticated, he encouraged to enforce women to go back to work, thus ending the domestication of women. Under Brezhenv, there was a harsh return to state authority. Brezhnev wished to increase the birth rate thus launching his pronatal campaign which empasised the natural differences between men and women. These criticised working women as 'neglecting their children' and this resulted in increased crime and the issues in Soviet society. Thus there was a change in government attitudes to return women to their sdomesticated roles in the family as the unit was failing without their home presence. Alternatively divorce was liberalised in 1965 and by 1979, around ⅓ of marriages ended in divorce. This is comparably different with Stalin's family policy. It can resultantly be recognised in regards to abortion and divorce Soviet government shifted attitudes numerous times to reflect the family as a social unit, Lenin and Khrushchev encouraged abortion and divorce to prevent abuse and promot equality in the workplace yet Stalin and Brezhnev promoted how a stable Soviet society was reliant upon stable families with continuing production of children for the future workers and fighters of the USSR.

  
• Role of the mother

  LENIN:Facing issues with Civil War and economic decline under War Communism and latter days of NEP, more focussed on increasing women in workforce to boost economic output so did not push large emphasis on women at home. Abortion on demand and availability of contraception increased female autonomy over their bodies thus Lenin’s governemnt policy increased female indpendence which shifted from an attitude that women were subservient to their husbands and childrenSTALIN:relied upon the mother to care for the home and her family to promote economic development and stability, if mother was at home, husband could put in longer shifts at worka nd thus increase their production value. It was also a womens duty to have children to put forward for the future of the USSR, women were rewarded for having large families; women were arguably protected economically with Stalin’s obligation upon husbands to give ⅓ of wage to their wife. Sex outisde marriage was also stigmatised; tgherefore there were much stronge rattitudes for the family to be a strong unit with the mother holding this all together, women were allowed little autonomy as they had an obligation to fufill to the state.KHRUSHCHEV:Policies were introduced to liberate women yet these were based on traditional assumptions. Paid maternity leave was increased from 77 to 112 days, therefore allowing women more time to spend time with their family whilst balancing being a working woman at the same time. Creches were expanded during sixth year plan and communal laundries opened to allow women to work during the day and earn a wage similar to their husbands or fellow working men. Convenience foods were also opened and mass production of clothing launched to lead to an end to the double shift. Thus gov attitudes changed to liberate working women and not ensure all dependence relied upon them for childcare, domestic jobs and caring for their husbands; introduced a different way for families to look, not a specific routine or depiction.BREZHNEV:Brezhev wanted to return to domesticated women and enforce a higher birth rate, hence the pronatal campaign which villainised working women. Broken families were very common however with divorce, but women were still expected to stay at home as the carers whilst the husbands and men went to work, this returned gov attitudes to policies under Stalin - promoting ‘innate difference between men and women’

  
• Homosexuality

  LENIN:male homosexuality was legalised this encouraged individualism, with ‘family units’ appearing very different for the first time in centuries, there was relax with government in regards to family policy due to the need to win CW and economic crisis which ensued. Prostitution was further legalised, which demonstrates a shift in ideas of morality, government promoted a greater leniency towards ‘free love’ - which arguably lenin was critical ofSTALIN:Male homosexuality was criminalised and it was punishable by five years in the Gulag. Lesbianism further was treated as a disease and anyone identifying as a lesbian was subjected to hypnotherapy and thus were indoctrinated by traditional family values. Thus shift towards a more uniformed and traditional family unit under Stalin. This was arguably to increase the birth rate and encourage reproduction at a quick rate.KHRUSHCHEV:little to change this policy, homosexuality remained unacknowledged by the state, and were encouraged to seek traditional means of marriage and procreation.BREZHNEV:Same under Brezhnev as under Khrushchev, little to change, traditional family values were favoured over individualism, promote economic stability and social stability also, no priority of changing laws on social policy when the economy was failing

  
• Conclusion

  It can be concluded that there were fluctuations in government attitudes towards the family as a social unit, however largely by 1985 there was a much greater restriction of autonomy then there was in 1918 under Lenin. It can be recognised that considering abortion, divorce, role of the mother and homosexuality, government attitudes towards the family were the most relaxed and encouraging of individualism under Lenin and Khrushchev, whereas Stalin and Brezhnev's saw the most restrictive and confirmative regime and expectations upon the family. It can be argued that family policy changed in relation to circumstances of the time; Khrushchev implemented a weaker family policy following his destalinisation process, after the hundreds of thousands killed by Stalin's authoritarian regime, so it was implemented as part of the thaws. Lenin evidently implemented more leniency and tolerance as there were already protests in the countryside with war communism and issues with the famine and worker productivity, thus by issuing decrees on family life, the government would be creating even more opposition to their usurp of power. It can be recognised to a high extent however that government attitudes towards the family unit changed between the years of 1917-85, with periods of leniency and encouragement of individual autonomy and periods of an authoritative regime of traditional family values.