The paper considers the necessity of socio-demographic approach to assessing the potential of
modern generations. The demographic potential of generations is determined by their number, their share
in total population, and their life expectancy. Their economic potential is determined by the proportion
of representatives of different generations in total employment. Their social potential is determined by the
system of values of generations. The rapid growth of differences in these characteristics leads to the break up
of intergenerational relations and is connected with the aggravation of social contradictions. The potential
of modern generations can be considered in different aspects: number of generations, life expectancy at
birth, the share of representatives of different generations that share or do not share the basic social values
of the society, including values related to reproductive and other types of demographic behavior. In order
to identify existing differences between generations in the framework of the socio-demographic approach,
the paper analyzes the dynamics of the number of young people in 1926, 1936, 2014 in the Russian
Federation; the authors also carry out a comparative analysis of the secondary and authors’ sociological
data of values-related and reproductive attitudes of conditionally parental and child generations. Russian
researchers studied the life potential of the population and proved that in 1990–2010, the life potential of
Russia’s population decreased. Reduction in the life potential in the population in general is associated with
a decrease in this indicator for the younger generation (children’s ages) due to the reduction in the number
and proportion of this generation in the population structure. The reduction in the life potential has not
stopped because the number of the younger generation continues to decrease. However, life expectancy in
this period increased. Nevertheless, in general, mortality in the Russian Federation is considerably greater
than in developed countries; in the first quarter of 2015 compared to the previous year, the number of deaths
from major causes of death increased compared to the corresponding period of the last year. The systems of
life goals of young people up to 30 years old and people aged 45 and older significantly differ in aspects such
as education, continuous training, raising children, setting up one’s own family business and living on its
income, spending free time, communicating a lot with friends. The desire for freedom and independence is
more typical of young people aged 20–30. The hypothesis about the growth of individualism among young
people has not been confirmed. Young people and the older generation have different opinions concerning
the family (registered marriage) and two or three children. Material values occupy a dominant place in
the opinions of all the generations. Reproductive plans of young people depend on education, lifestyle of
their parental family and new socio economic conditions that are measured through the system of value
orientations, life goals that depend on changing social values in the new environment. The value system is
a regulator of priority in the satisfaction of demands. When the resources are limited, they can first of all
be spent on the highest needs in the hierarchy rather than on the satisfaction of the need to have several
children. The potential of generations, including their socio-economic activity and the number of unborn generations are largely determined by social values that are being formed today. The generations, including
the generation of the 1990s, are facing a historical choice that will determine not only the present-day but
also the future opportunities for Russia
Keywords
generation, potential of generations, employment of generations, life potential of generations, system of values of generations, social generation