Socio-Digital Vulnerabilities, Educational Mediation, And Family Structure Transformation: A Critical Analysis Of Single-Mother Households In Contemporary Russia

Abstract

The transformation of family structures in the twenty-first century has emerged as a central concern across sociology, education, psychology, and social policy, particularly in societies experiencing rapid socio-economic and digital change. Russia represents a critical case in this regard due to the scale and normalization of single-mother households, which now constitute a substantial proportion of families with children. Empirical reporting indicates that single mothers account for nearly one third of families with children in Russia, reflecting not only demographic shifts but also deeper structural, cultural, and institutional dynamics shaping family life (RBC, 2017). This article develops an extensive theoretical and empirical discussion of how single-mother family structures intersect with digital socialization, educational mediation, resilience, and socio-psychological vulnerability. Drawing strictly on the provided interdisciplinary references, the study situates Russian single-motherhood within broader debates on digital education, online interaction, resilience formation, and institutional responsibility. Rather than treating family structure as an isolated demographic variable, the article conceptualizes it as an embedded condition interacting with digital learning environments, parental mediation, and systemic inequalities. A qualitative-interpretive methodological framework is employed, synthesizing documented trends, institutional analyses, and theoretical constructs from educational research, disaster risk studies, pediatric ethics, social psychology, and digital pedagogy. The findings suggest that single-mother households in Russia experience a layered form of vulnerability characterized by economic precarity, intensified caregiving burdens, and heightened dependence on digital educational infrastructures. At the same time, these households demonstrate adaptive strategies that challenge deficit-based narratives, particularly through digitally mediated parental involvement and informal learning networks. The discussion critically engages competing scholarly interpretations, interrogating whether digitalization exacerbates inequality or offers compensatory mechanisms for structurally disadvantaged families. By integrating Russian demographic realities with global scholarship on digital education and resilience, the article advances a nuanced framework for understanding family transformation as both a social risk and a site of agency. The study concludes by outlining implications for educational policy, digital platform design, and future research on family-education-technology interfaces in post-industrial societies.