Transformation of gender power disposition in modern families as a driving force of institutional changes

The article uses the synthesis of the institutional theory tools and synergetics for analyzing the need to optimize the existing system of gender power institutions in the modern Russian economy. It is known that the performance effectiveness of the projected institutions is determined by the fact that economic agents are in need of such changes. In this regard, the article is focused on a study of the processes of transformation of the traditional type of gender power disposition in Russian families. It has been determined that they are characterized by a more equal distribution of functions in the organization of household. Therefore, currently, along with the traditional type of gender power, we define two more types: the egalitarian type, when the interests of both spouses are considered and there is symmetry in the distribution of household responsibilities, and the transitional type (interim version of gender interactions between spouses). The family was considered as a closed and an open system for determining the efficiency of reproduction of these gender power types in the modern economy. In the first case, using the synergy postulates, we can distinguish two types of gender interaction in the family: coordinated interaction – if the conditions of power disposition, defined by the power institution represented by the head of the family and the institute of internal power, are coherent; and uncoordinated interaction. From this perspective, traditional and egalitarian types were referred to coordinated types of interaction. The transitional type admits both variants of interactions. The author determined the number of families that implement each type of gender interaction between spouses. It is found that mismatch between gender power disposition in Russian families is increasing. The representation of a family as an open system with external influence factors has made it possible to determine that this trend is caused by the incoherence of the purposes of functioning of gender power institutions in the family and gender power institutions that are at higher levels of the hierarchy: the power of social environment, the power of an organization, the power of the state and region. In such conditions, all the basic mechanisms necessary for ensuring the institutionalization of behavior standards such as stability, coordination, integration, learning and inertia are not observed, which confirms the need and willingness of economic agents to modernize the gender power institutions in Russia’s econom