The family institution in the context of systemic risks: a Confucian alternative to postmodernism
Keywords:
family, marriage, family institution, demographic crisis, Confucianism, postmodernism, adverse childhood experiences, gender conflicts, social stability, traditional valuesAbstract
This article analyses the systemic risks threatening the family institution in the 21st century: demographic crisis, economic insecurity, cultural and moral shift, conflicting new gender expectations, ect. It is shown how the value and methodological resources of Confucianism can be used to mitigate them. It is noted that these risks mutually reinforce each other and form a system that undermines the stability of the family institution. A four-component strategy for preserving the institution of the family is proposed, based on the Confucian principles of true governance and personal example.
References
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World population prospects 2024: summary of results. New York: United Nations; 2024. 64 p.
- United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World fertility report 2024. New York: United Nations; 2025. 88 p.
- Пищик ВИ, Спивачук ЗВ. Отношения мужчины и женщины в условиях псевдопатриархальной семьи: социально-психологический взгляд. Человек. Сообщество. Управление. 2017;18(3):108–114. EDN: ZQODHT.
- Сухов АН. Безопасность семьи: социально-психологический аспект. Человеческий капитал. 2021;10:87–94. DOI: 10.25629/HC.2021.10.12.
- Губанов НИ. Нищета философии постмодернизма. Философия и общество. 2007;1:54–68. EDN: RKYLEN.
- Шепель ВВ. Моральное сознание в эпоху постмодерна. Вестник Омского государственного педагогического университета. Гуманитарные исследования. 2025;1:48–52. DOI: 10.36809/2309-9380-2025-46-48-52.
- Каледа ВГ, Кулешов АА, Крылова ЕС. Пограничное расстройство личности в юношеском возрасте: особенности психопатологии и закономерности течения. Журнал неврологии и психиатрии имени С. С. Корсакова. 2023;123(4):91–97. DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202312304191.
- Козлов МЮ. Психологическое благополучие и типы привязанности в норме и при пограничном расстройстве. Психиатрия. 2024;22(4):25. DOI: 10.30629/2618-6667-2024-22-4-2.
- Felitti VJ, Anda RF, Nordenberg D, Williamson DF, Spitz AM, Edwards V, et al. Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 1998;14(4):245–258.
- Borowski L, Lipiec D. The sacrament of marriage in the catholic tradition and the culture of the temporary. Religions. 2025;16(6):704. DOI: 10.3390/rel16060704.
- Коблева ЗХ. Гражданский брак как проявление трансформационных процессов в системе семейно-брачных отношений. Вестник Пермского национального исследовательского политехнического университета. Социально-экономические науки. 2021;4:219–230. DOI: 10.15593/2224-9354/2021.4.15.
- Giddens A. The transformation of intimacy. Sexuality, love & eroticism in modern society. Cambridge: Polity Press; 1992. 205 p.
- Конфуций. Суждения и беседы. Переломов ЛС, переводчик. Москва: Рипол классик; 2017. 360 с. (PRO власть).
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of the Belarusian State University. Philosophy and Psychology

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The authors who are published in this journal agree to the following:
- The authors retain copyright on the work and provide the journal with the right of first publication of the work on condition of license Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial. 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).
- The authors retain the right to enter into certain contractual agreements relating to the non-exclusive distribution of the published version of the work (e.g. post it on the institutional repository, publication in the book), with the reference to its original publication in this journal.
- The authors have the right to post their work on the Internet (e.g. on the institutional store or personal website) prior to and during the review process, conducted by the journal, as this may lead to a productive discussion and a large number of references to this work. (See The Effect of Open Access.)