Family in the System of Northerners’ Life Values

Abstract

The article examines questions of the family and its role and place in the system of life values in northern regions, where familial traditions have been preserved. Results of six demographic-sociological studies conducted in 1993–2011 in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) are presented. A broad spectrum of opinions about the value and significance of family is revealed. Three main groupings of life values established their relevance for the preservation of familial traditions. Differing views are explained concerning competition among familial, societal-labor and personal orientations as functions of the age and marital and social status of study participants. Family retains its significance in the life of northerners, given their clear child-centric priorities. The relevance for survey participants of material well-being and acceptable modern housing is understood by the authors as a base condition for the life-sustenance of families, and in such a context is not a competitor to family as a fundamental life value for northerners.