The Privatization of the Personal? II: Attitudes to the Family and Child-Rearing Values in Modern-Day Russia

Abstract

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.

Parents' child-rearing values and beliefs in the United States and Russia: the impact of culture and social class

“…Given the current uncertainties of life in Russia, parents, particularly mothers, may feel a greater need to do whatever works at the moment. Fathers, in both societies, are typically less involved than mothers in raising their children (Mace and Mace, 1963;Whiting and Edwards, 1988;Attwood, 1990;Kerig et al, 1993;Maddock and Kon, 1994;Olson and Matskovsky, 1994;Goodwin and Emelyanova, 1995;Parke, 1995). Observational data on the Greensboro parents described here also revealed that fathers were far less involved than mothers with their children, particularly among the middle class families .…”

“…Goodwin and Emelyanova (1995), for example, reported that respondents with more education (students and entrepreneurs) were more likely than those with less education (workers) to value 'tutoring' as a parental role and independence, individuality and intellect as goals for child-rearing. Workers, by contrast, were more likely to value 'the collective good' as the goal of child-rearing and 'love and warmth' as the way in which parents treated their children.…”

“…Very little research has been conducted in Russia on the relationship between social class and child-rearing values and beliefs; however, three recent studies with data collected just prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union (Ispa, 1994(Ispa, , 1995 and 1 year after the break-up (Goodwin and Emelyanova, 1995) suggest that social class may play an important role in contemporary Russian society. Goodwin and Emelyanova (1995), for example, reported that respondents with more education (students and entrepreneurs) were more likely than those with less education (workers) to value 'tutoring' as a parental role and independence, individuality and intellect as goals for child-rearing. Workers, by contrast, were more likely to value 'the collective good' as the goal of child-rearing and 'love and warmth' as the way in which parents treated their children.…”

A Comparison of the Child-Rearing Goals of Russian and U.S. University Students

“…Opinion data collected since 1991 suggest that, although a democratic child-rearing orientation is now favored among urban, educated segments of the Russian population, this change has not been universal. It is true that in many schools and child care centers, teachers have changed their goals and strategies to encourage children's inquisitiveness and individual creativity, and some studies show that parents and the general public have supported this move away from strict control (Goodwin & Emelyanova , 1995;Ispa, 1994aIspa, , 1994bIspa, , 1995. Other studies, however, show lasting support for traditional ideas.…”

“…Yet, there is evidence that during the early 1990s, university students had more liberal social attitudes than did other segments of Russian society. Russian students were at the forefront of demonstrations calling for democratization (Ilynsky, 1992), and when asked about desirable goals for children, they were more likely than manual workers to emphasize "individuality" and "intellect" and were less likely to stress "the collective good" (Goodwin & Emelyanova, 1995). Ispa (1995) also found Russian students to value rule conformity less than did teachers or mothers.…”