Studying civic activism in Russia: case of parents' associations

Larisa ShpakovskayaHSE St Petersburg

HCAS13/11/2012

Research project

Research project “Parenthood in Russia: policy, values and practices”, 2012, HSE St Petersburg

Subject: changes in parenthood in Russia Parenthood as a sphere of civic activism Method: interviews with participants of 10 parents

associations Grassroots associations Mother's organizations Different degree of institutionalization Different goals and types of activities

Parents' associations in Russia

Relatively new phenomenon Become visible form the middle of 2000s First parents' organizations appeared in 1990s. Different from traditional parents' communities at

kindergartens, schools and soviet official organizations.

Charity organizations, self-help parents' groups, women’s' and children’s rights protection associations

Internet parents' communities and parents' web-forum in 2000s

What is Parent's associations?

Civil society: Focus on organizations Normative character Doesn't pay attention to the networks and informal

communications “Civil society in Russia doesn't exists” 2-3% of Russian population participates in civic

organizations Parents groups have form of occasional meetings,

project-oriented and problems-oriented activity, network structure

What is Parents' associations? Social movements

Answers to the question why and how people mobilise for collective action

Considers not only organizational forms of civic activity, but their history, complexity, network structure

Stresses conflict potential of civic activity and its impact to social changes

Movement is a collective activity, which aimed at specific political or social problems; but very often parents' organizations have nothing in common in understanding the aims, forms of activity and even of parenthood itself

What is parents associations?

Discourse/message Analyses of meaning making process Civic activism as a message to the rest of society

(Alberto Melucci) Analysis of cognitive work of civil organizations, their

identity politics, framing process Analysis of actual agenda and social problems

What is parents associations? Feminist approach

Considers relationships between State, gender and citizenship

Focuses on the knowledge socially available to make sense of gendered subjects, citizens rights and responsibilities, legitimate state power

State intervention into intimate sphere of gender and family is a key site of development and transformation of state power in post-socialist countries

Parents associations can be seen as a reaction on politicization of family and child-parents relations

What is parents associations? Feminist approach

Studies the role of women's movement in changing child care and family policy

One of the important factors that shaped child care policy is the promotion of different ideals of care by women's movement together with other allies (Monique Kremer)

Ideal of care - how child care should be organized - what should be the role of mother and father in child care

- what should be the role of the State

- what does the parents associations activity mean for their participants

Research questions- What do parents associations see as their actual

agenda?

- What ideal of child care do they promote?

- How do they understand parenthood?

- What should be the role of men and women in the child care?

- What should be the role of the State and parents' associations in social organization of child care?

- Are the parents' associations critical to official discourse of social policy?

Responsible parents Citizens are responsible for child rearing and

child care Mothers and fathers should be equally involved

in the care State shouldn't enter in private and family life Responsible parents mean competent, knowing The role of parents' associations is in educating

parents, organize experts' public lectures and consultations

Ideal mothers

Mothers are fully responsible for child care Rhetoric of “parenthood”: the role of mother as

primary caregiver and father as breadwinner Mothers fully involved in childcare encounter a

number of problems: lack of social contacts, restrictions in moving; lack of time for leisure and grooming

State should help to solve mothers' problems Role of parents associations is to create social

and public space for “parents” (mothers)

Caring state

State should take the full responsibility for caring for the children if parents can't do (children with cruel diseases, orphan children)

State care for these children is now not sufficient and has bad quality

Citizens' and family involvement in the care for such type of children is not a topic for discussion

Parents associations work to compensate lack of the state professional care

Civic parents

Citizens are responsible for child care, child rearing and education

State role should be limited by the building gender sensitive social policy and controlling its proper implementation

Parents' problems are caused by the violation of their rights by the officials and employers

The role of parents organizations is in getting parents together and help them to protect their labour and civil rights

Are the parents associations critical to policy?

What do they have in common with family policy discourse?

- claim for the State assistance and greater preoccupation of “family problems”

- pronatalist and instrumentalist vision of family and gendered citizenship

- rhetoric of family in crisis

What is different?

- problematization of gendered citizenship