PROJECT: The Reality of Large Families in the Social and Human Sciences: Taking Stock of Theory and Developing Research Methods
FUNDING: Supported by the PSTGU Development Fund and the Living Tradition Foundation, 2025–2026.
PROJECT PERIOD: 2025–2026
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Ivan Pavlyuktin
RESEARCH TEAM: Olga Borisova, Yana Mikhaylova
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Current conceptual frameworks in the social sciences posit that the modern family’s form and relational dynamics result from an adaptation to the structural demands of modern society, irrespective of regional variations in the institutional transition. This theoretical stance has shaped empirical research, where the emergence, transformation, and dissolution of the nuclear family in the 20th century are predominantly explained by external factors, such as the influence of social and economic institutions (e.g., education, employment, and consumerism).
Consequently, the institutional sociology of the family has largely excluded the influence of the extended (multigenerational) family on the formation and stability of nuclear units.
Historical and anthropological evidence, however, challenges this view, demonstrating the persistence of large, multigenerational families well into the early-to-mid-20th century in parts of Southern Europe, Russia, and the Balkans. Scholars debate whether their eventual decline resulted from a “natural evolution” or from radical political transformations and forced modernization, particularly during the Soviet period.
Despite their historical significance, the social sciences and humanities lack dedicated studies on the factors behind the resilience and eventual dissolution of communal family structures in Russia. Furthermore, a theoretical framework for analyzing contemporary families through the lens of large families’ organizational models and internal logics remains underdeveloped.
A research seminar, entitled “The Reality of Large Families,” has been established within the project framework to facilitate discussion of its theoretical, methodological, and empirical dimensions. The seminar will be oriented toward integrating theoretical knowledge with the lived experience of actual large kin groups, encompassing:
- Literature review across the sociology and anthropology of the family, historical demography, and theology
- Mapping theories and methods for studying large communal and extended families
- Designing methodology, research design, and instruments for empirical study (including in-depth interviews with members of large families)
- Discussing field cases gathered during empirical work
- Formulating hypotheses on drivers of family resilience, including the roles of religion and family traditions
The project builds on prior research supported by PSTGU, the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), and others:
