Research on social support has identified differences in levels of support between cultures but has provided only a limited explanation of the role of values or beliefs in accounting for such variations. In this article, the authors examine the relationship between fatalism and perceived support among 2,672 respondents in four former Soviet states (Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, and Belorussia), with participants drawn from groups of manual workers, managers, civil servants, students, and the retired in these four countries. The authors also examine the consequences of such social support for mental health across these nations. Findings indicate a small but significant moderator effect for fatalism on the relationship between social support and mental health. These results are discussed in the context of the continuing economic and social challenges facing the citizens of these nations.
The recent and dramatic political and social events in the former Soviet Union have focused interest on the interpersonal lives of the Russian peoples. The two studies reported in this article use the cultural theory of Mary Douglas to examine belief in the family and child-rearing values amongst 792 manual workers, entrepreneurs and students. Analysis at an individual level revealed that individualism and a belief in rules were both negatively related to family commitment. Analysis at an occupational level produced marked, independent occupational effects for child-rearing values, with students and entrepreneurs promoting independence and education as important, whilst manual workers promoted a broader concern for `humanity'. Women were also more family oriented than their male counterparts. The implications of these findings for the future development of the family in Russia are discussed.
Despite the continuing interest in social transitions among social scientists, there has been little analysis of the impact of societal change on personal relationships. One important factor in helping individuals deal with the stresses associated with rapid transitions is social support. In our ®rst study, 450 manual workers, students and entrepreneurs in Russia, Georgia and Hungary completed structured questionnaires assessing demographic and value predictors of the perception of support availability and the support they obtained to deal with changes in their societies. In our second study, the same respondents participated in semi-structured interviews investigating the relationship between their work lives and support networks. Our ®ndings demonstrate the importance of culture, occupation and values for both the perception and reception of support, and underline the multifaceted manner in which different work experiences in different nations in¯uence support networks.
Despite extensive research in the field of self-disclosure, little is known about the impact of a formerly repressive regime on disclosure or the manner in which culture, demographic variables, and individual worldviews combine to affect disclosure. Building on the previous literature on social penetration processes and uncertainty reduction, the authors generated nine hypotheses about the impact of these variables on intimate disclosure. Worldview and disclosure data were collected from 450 participants in three cultures (Russia, Georgia, and Hungary) and from three occupational groups (manual workers, business people, and students). Significant effects on disclosure were found for culture, interaction target, age of respondent, and their level of fatalism, with interaction effects for the topic discussed and the occupation and gender of the respondent. Results are discussed in terms of the development of personal relationships in the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe, as well as the context of a wider debate about the contribution of different levels of variables in understanding close personal relationships.
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