Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gender and Culture: A Russian Perspective

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Psychology of Gender Through the Lens of Culture

  • 3184 Accesses

Abstract

This chapter presents a cutting-edge review of cross-cultural gender research in the polyethnic and multicultural context of Russia. The study, which undertakes a narrative meta-analysis of PhD thesis summaries and monographs published in Russian, identifies the key dimensions of gender issues. The ethnic groups under consideration include: Ossetian, Ingush, Chechen, Lezgin, Avar, Kumyk (North Caucasus), Buryat, Yakut, Khaka (Siberia), Tatar (Volga region), and Komi populations living in the northwest region of Russia, as well as ethnic Russians. Currently, Russia is experiencing a high level of ethnic tension. Gender inequality of women, gender asymmetry in the life expectancy of men, and underrepresentation of women in politics and decision-making also persist.

The studies selected for the analysis were grouped according to the following psychological categories and characteristics: family relations and family gender roles; gender and cultural differences in professional self-realization and organizational behavior; gender self-identification; gender and cultural differences in aggressive behavior; and gender and cultural stereotypes in the media and in political discourse and practices in current-day Russia. The analysis revealed cultural differences in gender roles and social representations of gender in the family and in professional self-realization (understood as fulfillment of one’s own potential in different spheres), and gender and cultural differences in aggressive behavior. The chapter explores the asymmetry of gender roles from the perspective of the individual, and examines media reflections on gender roles and inequality of women in politics, governance, and decision-making in modern Russia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Social psychological adaptation is understood (in Russian psychology) as a process and the result of interaction of a person with the social reality

  2. 2.

    The meaning of this expression “women’s logic,” as opposed to the “iron logic” of men is that men have a very “logical” clear mind and logic, logical consequence, but women’s logic is different, the logical consequence they use does not correspond to the rules of logic (logical science), it is not clear to men how women make decisions, what arguments they use and so on. It is a very popular point of view in everyday life in Russia. Of course, no scientific evidence was ever found.

  3. 3.

    According to the Russian culture <self-abnegation, self-sacrifice> are considered to be positive characteristics of a person.

References

  • Ananiev, B. G. (1966). Chelovek kak predmet poznanija. Leningrad: Izdatel’stvo LGU.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ananiev, B. G. (1980). Izbrannye psychologicheskie trudy. Moscow: Pedagogika.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baskakova, M., Mezentseva, E., & Zotova, E. (2006). Gender Issues in Morden Russia. Based on formal statistics. World Bank Working Paper 71534. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bem, S. L. (1987). Probing the promise of androgyny. In M. R. Walsh (Ed.), The psychology of women: Ongoing debates. New Haven: Yale University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, J. W., Pootinga, Y. H., Segall, M. H., & Dasen P. R. (2002). Cross-cultural psychology: Research and applications. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Best, D., & Williams, J. (2001). Gender and culture. In D. Matsumoto (Ed.), Psychology and culture. UK: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boldyreva, O. I. (2006). Vlijanie gendernyh ustanovok na vybor studentami modeli sem’i: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Kursk.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brandt, M. J., & Henry, P. J. (2012). Gender inequality and gender differences in authoritarianism. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38(10), 1301–1315.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buss, A. N., & Perry M. (1992) The aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452–459.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Byzova, L. V. (2006). Vlijanie gendernoj identichnosti na social‘no-psihologicheskuju adaptaciju zhenschin: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Yaroslavl’.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cattell R. D., Eber H. W., & Tatsuoka M. M. (1970). Handbook of The Sixteen personality factor questionnaire (16PF)—Campaign Illinois.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, B. S. et al. (2014). Paternalistic leadership in four East Asian societies: Generalizability and cultural differences of the triad model. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 45(1), 82–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Custine, M. de. Rossija v 1839 g. (1996). Izdatel’stvo im. Sabashnikovyh. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Domostroi. (2012). Editor and translator V.V. Kolesov. Izd-vo Olma-Media Grupp. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • E-library Scientific on-line library http://elibrary.ru/defaultx.asp.

  • Fransella, F., Bell, R., & Bannister, D. (2004). A Manual for Repertory Grid Technique (2nd Ed). Chichester, UK: John Willey & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gadzhieva, R. G. (2000). Dinamika gendernyh stereotipov i ih vlijanie na professional'nuju samorealizaciju lichnosti: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gefter. (2012). Mentalnost Rossiiskoi Molodezhi: politicheskaya orientatziya I kumiri. www.gefter.ru/archive/8369. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.

  • Gelfand, M., LaFee, G., Fahey S., & Feinberg, E. (2013). Culture and extremism. Journal of Social Issues, 69(3), 495–517.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • GKS. (2012). Social’no-demograficheskij portret Rossii, (Socio-demographic portrait of Russia). http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/Documents/portret-russia.pdf. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.

  • Gorer, G., & Rickman, J. (1962). The people of great Russia: A psychological study. New York: W.W. Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goroshko, E. I. (1996). Osobennosti muzhskogo i zhenskogo rechevogo povedeniya (psyckholingvisticheskii aspect): avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grigor’eva, N. N. (2006). Gendernye osobennosti projavlenija liderstva u studentov: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G., (2001). Culture’s Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations across Nations. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G., Hofstede G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of minds. Revised expanded 3d edition. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Human Development Report. (2014). Sustaining human progress: Reducing vulnerabilities and building resilience. UNDP UN http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hdr14-summary-en.pdf. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.

  • Inglehart, R. (1997). Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic and Political Change in 43 Societies. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 464 p.?

    Google Scholar 

  • Isaeva, M. A. (2008). Gendernye i etnicheskie razlichija v projavlenijah agressivnosti podrostkov: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ivanova, E. A. (2002). Gendernye razlichija v projavlenii agressivnosti u detej podrostkovogo vozrasta: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Irkutsk.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jurcik, T., Chentsova-Dulton, J., Solopieiva-Jurcikova, E., & Ryder A. (2013). Russian in treatment: the evidence base supporting cultural adaptation. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69, 774–791.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Keller, H., Pootinga, Y. H., & Scholmerich, A. (Eds.). (2002). Between culture and biology: Perspectives in ontogenetic development. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Khabarov, I. P. (2003). Gendernye osobennosti sovremennyh podrostkov v uslovijah nivelirovanija tradicionnyh otnoshenij: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khudalova, M. Z. (2013). Etnopsihologicheskie osobennosti samorealizacii lichnosti: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. St.Petersburg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kon I.S. (2003) Rebenok I obszhestvo. Moscow: Academia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kornilov, S. A., & Kornilova, T. V. (2010). Meta-analytic studies in psychology. Psychological Journal, 31(5), 5–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lebedeva, N. M. (1997). Social’naja psihologija akkul’turacii jetnicheskih grupp http://www.dissercat.com/content/sotsialnaya-psikhologiya-akkulturatsiya-etnicheskikh-gruppdiss. doctora psychologicheskih nauk.

  • Lebedeva, N. M. (2001). Value-motivational structure of personality in Russian Culture. Psihologicheskij zhurnal, 22(3), 36–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Levkovich, V. P. (2004). Vzaimootnoshenija v sem'jah predprinimatelej. Psihologicheskij zhurnal, 25(5), 24–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahakova, L. S. (2007). Vlijanie gendernyh stereotipov personala po otnosheniju k rukovoditelju na prinyatie cennostej organizacionnoj kul’tury: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mogun, V., Rudnev, M. (2010). The life values of the Russian population. Sociological research, 49(4), 3–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nazarova, S. A. (2013). Gendernye issledovanija v sovremennoj rossijskoj psihologii. Sborniki NIC: Sociosphera & Vedecko vydavatelske centrum Sociosfera—CZs.r.o.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nechepurenko, T. V. (2009). Gendernye razlichija v projavlenijah agressivnosti studentov: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Moscow.

    Google Scholar 

  • OECD Report. (2012). Culture, gender, equality and development. www.oecd.org/socail/gender-development/1896320.pdf. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.

  • Osgood C. E., Sici G. J., & Tannenbaum P. H. (1957) The Measurement of Meaning. Urbana, USA: University of Illinois Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pamfilova, S. A. (2006). Osobennosti gendernyh stereotipov pedagogov razlichnoj etnicheskoj prinadlezhnosti: avtoref. dis. …kand. psihol. nauk. Samara.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pochebut, L. G. (2012). Kross-kulturnaya I etnicheskaya psychologiya. St Petersburg: St Petersburg University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pochebut, L. G., & Shmeleva, I. A. (Eds.). (2005). Kross-kulturnaya psychologiya: aktualnye problemy. Collection of papers. Saint Petersburg: St. Petersburg University Publishing House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (2004). Mapping and interpreting cultural differences around the world. In V. Vinken, J. Soeters, & P. Ester (Eds.), Comparing cultures: Dimensions of culture in a comparative perspective (pp. 43–73). Leiden: Brill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Selivanova, O. S., & Mokronosov, G. V. (2007). SMI i gender: obraz zhenschiny v reprezentativnyh praktikah sovremennoj rossijskoj kul’tury. Ekaterinburg. UGTU–UPN.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shmeleva, I. A. (2002). Developmental psychology: History, theory and practice from Russian perspective. Cross-Cultural Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 13–26.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shmeleva, I. A. (2006). Psikhologiya ecologicheskogo soznaniya. Saint Petersburg: Saint Petersrburg University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shmeleva, I. A. (2013). Social Aspects of Sustainable Development- Problems and Strategies: The Outcomes of Rio + 20. In S. Bobylev & R. Perelet (Eds.), Sustainable Development in Russia. Berlin-St. Petersburg, 182–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shwalb, D. W., & Shwalb, B. J. (2014). Fatherhood in Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Japan and Australia. Online Reading in Psychology and Culture, 6(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1125.

  • Sikevich, Z. V. (2011). Vliyanie etnicheskogo factora na sovremennoe Obshhestvo. Journal sociologii i socialnoi antropologii volume XIV, 2(55), 41–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Soldatova, G. U. (1998). Psihologija mezhjetnicheskoj napryazhennosti. Moscow: Smysl.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steinberg, A. G. (2004). Gendernye aspekty social’nogo upravlenija v organizacijah. Habarovsk: FESTU. 157 P.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP. (2010). Enhancing women’s political participation. A policy note for Europe and CIS. http://issuu.com/undp_in_europe_cis/docs/enhancing_womens_political_participation. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.

  • UNDP in Russia. Doklad or razvitii chelovecheskogo potentziala v RF 2011/ Edited by A. Ausan & S. Bobylev (2011). Moscow, UNDP.www.undp.ru/documents/nhdr2011rus.pdf. Accessed 30 sept 2014.

  • United Nations Millennium Declaration. (2000). http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm. Accessed 25 Sept. 2014.

  • Vartanova, E. L., Smirnova, O. V., & Frolova T. I. (2013). Women in Russian policy: Media shows, where gender parade comes from// Voprosi teorii I practiki jurnalistiki, № 3, pp. 49–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Women & Men in Russia. (2012). http://www.gks.ru/wps/wcm/connect/rosstat_main/rosstat/ru/statistics/publications/catalog/doc_1138887978906. Accessed 30 Sept 2014.

  • World Economic Forum. (2013). The Global Gender Gap Report. Geneva, Switzerland http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2013.pdf. Accessed 25 Sept 2014.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of ITMO, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Assoc. Prof. Irina A. Shmeleva

  2. Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Prof. Ludmila G. Pochebut

Authors
  1. Assoc. Prof. Irina A. Shmeleva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Prof. Ludmila G. Pochebut
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irina A. Shmeleva .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

    Saba Safdar

  2. University of Gdansk Institute of Psychology, Gdansk, Poland

    Natasza Kosakowska-Berezecka

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Shmeleva, I., Pochebut, L. (2015). Gender and Culture: A Russian Perspective. In: Safdar, S., Kosakowska-Berezecka, N. (eds) Psychology of Gender Through the Lens of Culture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-14005-6_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation