Engaging Universities in the Implementation of State Demographic Policy: An Analysis in the Context of Students’ Marital and Reproductive Attitudes

Demographic policy in the Russian Federation has in recent years become one of the state’s priority areas of activity. However, despite the measures being taken, trends toward a rising average age of motherhood and declining birth rates continue to persist, due in part to the prevalence of deferred marital and reproductive attitudes among today’s students. Addressing these challenges is associated with involving universities in the implementation of state demographic policy as new institutional actors. In this regard, the following research question comes into focus: To what extent will universities’ active engagement in addressing demographic objectives – through the development of their demographic mission, the creation of a pro-family campus environment, and the expansion of support measures for student families – contribute to shifting students’ deferred attitudes in this sphere? The findings of the study presented in this article provide a basis for opening a discussion on this topic. Drawing on an analysis of regulatory and theoretical sources, the article systematizes state support measures for student families and offers definitions of demographic goalsetting and pro-natalist functions of universities as emerging directions of institutional activity. Using online survey methods applied to students at Moscow universities (N = 850) and content analysis of information published on university websites (N = 103), the article examines the support measures implemented by universities for student families in the context of students’ marital and reproductive attitudes. The study concludes that, despite the institutionalization of the student family as a new object of demographic policy at the state level and the expansion of support measures at the university level, students’ deferred marital and reproductive attitudes remain entrenched and are largely determined by the difficulty of resolving students’ financial and housing challenges. In this regard, the need to improve the effectiveness and targeting of demographic policy toward student families at all levels – and to strengthen its value-oriented and educational dimension – becomes increasingly pressing.

1. Rostovskaya, T.K., Knyazkova, E. A. (2024). State and Prospects of Support for Student Families in the Higher Education System: Expert Assessments. Voprosy upravleniya = Management Issues. Vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 36-50, doi: 10.22394/2304-3369-2024-1-36-50 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

2. Rostovskaya, T.K., Vasilieva, E.N., Nikolskiy, V.S. (2024). The Conditions of Functioning of the Student Family in Modern Russia: The Main Problems and Resources of Well-Being. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 15-31, doi: 10.31992/0869- 3617-2024-33-7-15-31 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

3. Burkhanova, F.B., Khazipova, S.R., Sabanaeva K.E. (2025) Directions and Measures to Support Student Families in Russian Universities (Analysis of Integrated Programs and Single Windows). Sotsialnoe prostranstvo = Social Space. Vol. 11, no. 2, doi: 10.15838/sa.2025.2.46.5 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

4. Vilkova, K.A., Gruzdev, I.A., Shmeleva, E.D., Tarasova, E.A., Startsev, S.V. (2024). What We Know about Student Families: A Sociological Analysis. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 33, no. 7, pp. 67-83, doi: 10.31992/0869-3617-2024-33-7-67-83 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

5. Chukanova, T.V., Ebeling, E.O. (2024). Students’ Awareness of State Support Measures for Young Families. Sotsialnaya integratsiya i razvitie etnokultur v evraziiskom prostranstve = Social Integration and Development of Ethnocultures in the Eurasian Space. Vol. 1, no. 13, pp. 345-349. Available at: https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_68456204_41158273. pdf (accessed: 23.03.2026). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

6. Bagirova, A.P., Kolchinskaya, V.Yu., Sokolova, E.Yu., Abilova, M.G. (2025). New Opportunities for Involving Universities in the Demographic Agenda: a Regional Case. Vysshee obrazovanie v Rossii = Higher Education in Russia. Vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 80-100, doi: 10.31992/0869-3617-2025-34-4-80-100 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

7. Karepina, O.I., Bogoslavtseva, L.V., Bogdanova, O.Yu. (2025). On the Role of the Student Family in the Implementation of Demographic Policy. Regionalnye problemy preobrazovaniya ekonomiki = Regional Problems of Transforming the Economy. No. 6 (176), pp. 390-399, doi: 10.26726/rppe2025v6otrot (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

8. Moiseev, P.S. (2025). The Fourth Mission of Universities: Prerequisites and Goals. Vestnik Voronezhskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya: Problemy vysshego obrazovaniya = Proceedings of Voronezh State University. Series: Problems of Higher Education. No. 3, pp. 5-10. Available at: https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_83005748_87737557.pdf (accessed: 23.03.2026) (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

9. Rostovskaya, T.K., Vasileva, E.N., Kalachikova, O.N., et al. (2024). Studencheskaya semya v Rossii: baryery i vozmozhnosti blagopoluchiya [Student Family in Russia: Barriers and Opportunities for Well-Being]. Ivanovo: Ivanovo State University, 448 p. Available at: https://socio.isu.ru/export/sites/socio/ru/.galleries/docs/Demografia/Lit_Stud_semia_v_RF.pdf (accessed: 23.03.2026). (In Russ.).

10. Rostovskaya, T.K., Rychikhina, N.S. (2024). Reproductive Attitudes of Russian Students: Regional Aspect. Problemy razvitiya territorii = Problems of Territory’s Development. Vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 98-114, doi: 10.15838/ptd.2024.1.129.7 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

11. Vyalshina, A.A. (2022). Types of Reproductive Orientations of Modern Students. Narodonaselenie = Population. Vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 176-188, doi: 10.19181/population.2022.25.3.14 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

12. Vyalshina, A.A. (2024). Students’ Attitudes toward Children and Parenthood: Gender and Rural– Urban Comparisons. Narodonaselenie = Population. Vol. 27, no. S1, pp. 132-146, doi: 10.24412/1561-7785-2024-S1-132-146 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

13. Sudin, S.A., Saifullin, G.P. (2022). Developing Young People’s Readiness for Family Life and Support Measures for Student Families. Vestnik YuRGTU (NPI). Seriya: Sotsial’no-ekonomicheskie nauki = Bulletin of SRSTU (NPI). Series: Socio-Economic Sciences. Vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 209-221, doi: 10.17213/2075-2067-2022-1-209-221 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

14. Senenko, A.Sh., Armashevskaya, O.V., Sokolovskaya, T.A., Shelgunov, V.A. (2024). Reproductive Attitudes of Young People: A Regional Study. Profilakticheskaya meditsina = Preventive Medicine. Vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 74-81, doi: 10.17116/profmed20242704174 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

15. Kapieva, K.R. (2024). Scientific and Methodological Prerequisites for the Problem of Creating a Student Family in the Educational Environment of the University. Problemy sovremennogo pedagogicheskogo obrazovaniya = Problems of Modern Pedagogical Education. No. 84-4, pp. 69-73. Available at: https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_74518269_65006844.pdf (accessed: 23.03.2026). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

16. Khimich, V.S. (2024). The Institution of the Family in the Views of University Students in Moscow. Social Phenomena and Processes. No. 2 (7), pp. 94-103 Available at: https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_75094136_25405251.pdf (accessed: 23.03.2026). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

17. Blagorozheva, Zh.O. (2024). Life Strategies of Young Families (Based on a Sociological Study). Nauchnye rezul’taty v sotsial’noi rabote = Research Results in Social Work. Vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 5-13, doi: 10.18413/2949-267X-2024-3-1-1 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

18. Loginov, D.M. (2021). Traditional and New Patterns of Demographic Behavior of Contemporary Urban Youth. Narodonaselenie = Population. Vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 165-178, doi: 10.19181/population. 2021.24.2.15 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

19. Gurko, T.A., Tarchenko, V.S. (2019). Dynamics of Marital Attitudes and Plans of Students. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya = Sociological Studies. No. 7, pp. 102-113, doi: 10.31857/S013216250005797-9 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

20. Arkhangelsky, V.N., Zemlyanova, E.V., Savina, A.A. (2024). Young Family in a Metropolis: Demographic Aspect. Sotsial’noe prostranstvo = Social Area. Vol. 10, no. 2, doi: 10.15838/sa.2024.2.42.4 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

21. Uzkaia, Yu.A., Akramova, A.R., Kolesnikov, V.G. (2025). Transformation of Family Relations in Contemporary Russia. Trud i sotsial’nye otnosheniya = Labor and Social Relations. Vol. 36, no. 5 (190), pp. 155-169, doi: 10.20410/2073-7815-2025-36-5-155-169 (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).

22. DiMaggio, P.J., Powell, W.W. (1983). The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields. American Sociological Review. Vol. 48, no. 2, pp. 147-160.

23. Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. Vol. 50, no. 2, pp. 179-211, doi: 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-t

24. Simomenkova, L.M., Kameneva, T.N. (2018). On the Issue of Social Support for Student Families in Higher Education Institutions. Gosudarstvo i obshchestvo: vchera, segodnya, zavtra = State and Society: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. No. 1, pp. 79-81. Available at: https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_41306947_11186196.pdf (accessed: 23.03.2026). (In Russ., abstract in Eng.).