At what age do we become adults? Studies conducted in the countries of the European Union and in Russia show that today the life strategies of young people – especially girls – are increasingly different. “Uniform norms are hardly possible,” says demographer Sergey Zakharov.
Sergei Zakharov is a candidate of economic sciences, an employee of the HSE Institute of Demography, one of the authors of the study.
Psychologies: What is the key factor that makes a woman an adult?
Sergey Zakharov: There is no unanimity: in some countries it is the presence of a permanent job, in others (as in Russia) – motherhood, in others – separate living from parents. Time limits are also blurred. Yet there are two trends. In the countries of Western and Northern Europe, girls value economic and spatial independence from their parents: they get an education, build a career, and only then get married. In the south and east of Europe (Italy, Greece, Poland), the main thing is the creation of a family and the birth of children.
S. Z .: And what is the peculiarity of Russia?
The main events associated with the growing up of a woman are collected in a very short period. Thus, the completion of education and the birth of a child occur at the age of 22 and come into conflict. The paradox is that Russia has the highest requirements in Europe for the level of education and duration of study, but the stereotype is still strong: in order to be considered an adult, a girl must first become a mother. However, the data suggests that Western European attitudes are gradually being adopted by our younger generation.
* The European Social Survey (ESS) involved 25 countries, including Russia. More details in the book “Russia in Europe”, Academia, 2009.