Preview

Cultural and Gender Comparison of Russia and the Us Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
798 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Cultural and Gender Comparison of Russia and the Us Essay Example
Cultural Comparison of Russia

Gender roles in Russia have dramatically changed since the fall of the former Soviet Union and the fall of communism. It is hard to look directly at the constitution of Russia seeing as though the drafting and redrafting of their constitution is still underway. However, looking at the constitution of the former Soviet Union, you can see it is clearly stated that: "Women and men have equal rights." It is very clear that in the Soviet Union they were trying to make it so that women and men were equal. It is still clear today that those same basic ideals are present in Russia. Women are clearly more equal in their country than in ours. In the workforce as well as in the home, women play a more equal role than in the present day United States. However, for the sake of this paper, let us just look at the infrastructure of Russia, formerly known as the Soviet Union or USSR. In terms of employment, the former Soviet Union had the largest percentage of women in the labor force than any other comparative society. This still remains the case in the present day Russia. Unemployed women in Russia will be quickly employed. They have a very high success rate of reemploying women if they were to lose their jobs. "Compared to Western women, although Russian women have a much higher representation in law, medicine and engineering as well as in the skilled trades, such as metalworking and construction, they are overrepresented in low-paying and menial jobs and under-represented in managerial jobs," (Lindsey 130). The fair treatment of women in the old USSR was a great advantage to women in the workforce. In fact, women were seen to have had the advantage when it came to getting jobs because the government helped them so much. However on the contrary, the new Russia is seen to be much like the United States. Russia has the largest quantity of women in the work force, however the inequality lies in that they are treated, monetarily,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Most women today are employed as pink-collar workers in clerical work, sales, and services; jobs intended just for females. Furthermore, many men do not support women’s attempt to gain economic equality because they believe this would threaten their superior status in the job market and at home. Regarding educational attainment, women’s role has been traditionally limited to the household, while men have always been figures in the public sphere. The emphasis on this tradition has impacted women greatly. Women compromise two thirds of illiterate persons worldwide. In regards to gender political representation, women have been far less visible than men in politics. Male dominance is associated with politics due to the aspects of power and authority. Women’s ultimate fight for the right to vote was at the beginning of the twentieth century, unfortunately we continue to fight and face opposition in the political…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    History 102

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Both of the historians Richard Stites and Lesley A. Rimmel have views on how the lives of the soviet women were affected after the Bolshevik revolution. Richard Stites argues that the early years of the Bolshevik Revolution helped many working women take the first steps toward emancipation. While reading his argument you see that he uses some key evidence to support his theses. He explains how the church called for a conservative order and how this put more pressure on the women adding additional weight of the male power (Mitchell & Mitchell 176). The Russian feminist movement (1860-1917) and how feminist woman were working for the right of women and not the rights of the peasants or the workers (Mitchell & Mitchell 176). He tells us about the dawn of the twentieth century and how the attention was being focused on the national suffrage issue; this lead for the continued need of a win for women in obtaining property rights, divorce and freedom of movement (Mitchell & Mitchell 177). Stites introduces us to key women such as Alexandra Kollontai, who went against her feminist competitors and the prevailing opinion of the conservative society, which led to the Proletarian Women’s Movement (Mitchell & Mitchell 178). The separation of church and state invalidated all canonical and theological restrictions on the role of women in modern life (180). Stites goes on to support his theses by explaining the life of children and how the role of housekeeping has changed and how men have learned to take on these responsibilities as well and it is no longer solely on the women.…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Russian Family Roles

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The role each member takes on in a family is usually divided up based on the cultural norms of their society, such as having different gender specific roles. In most Russian families, gender specific roles play huge part in building a structure within a family. The men generally assume the role of the provider and are usually the breadwinners of the family. The men are also seen as the head of the household, as well as a protector, and are often times the ultimate decision maker for every member of the household. On the other side, the women play a completely different role in the family. The women play the part of the nurturers. Due to family being a woman’s priority in Russian culture, women are expected to care for every member of the family. They are responsible for caring for the children, the husband, and the parents of both herself and her husband, regardless of if they hold a job or not.…

    • 687 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The role of women in 1928 was that of being part of the work industry; 3 million women were employed because of the demands of the Five-year plans. Though Soviet Russia was meant to be a ‘classless society’ there were still inequalities specifically between men and women. However by 1940 there were 13 million women working in the Russian industry which shows change nevertheless women spent an average of 5 times as longer on domestic responsibilities’ than men, this is an example of continuity.…

    • 727 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Between 1750 and 1914, England, Germany, and Western Europe were all expanding. England was gaining land and trust in the Middle East, Germany was becoming an established nation, and Western Europe was thriving due to the Industrial Revolution. After recognizing all of this, Russia decided it was time for reform or be left in the dust. This caused major changes in Russia’s labor system such as emancipation of the serfs and industrialization to keep up with the changing world. Although they were going through these changes, there were continuities such as the treatment of the serfs and the type of reform they were doing.…

    • 565 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    AP Euro DB

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Compare and contrast the extent to which the French Revolution (1789-1799) and the Russian Revolution (1917-1924) changed the status of women.…

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Communism DBQ

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As communism spread in the twentieth century, communist regimes initially enacted gender reforms in order to gain a female following. “While women struggled for freedom throughout the western world, communist revolutions were radically equalizing for females, helping the suffragettes everywhere.”However, as feminist movements became more radical, communist governments slowed this reform.While women struggled for freedom throughout the western world, communist revolutions were radically equalizing for females, helping the suffragettes everywhere. The Soviets even had a special part of the government devoted to women, whereas in the west, women struggled to vote, have jobs, or gain political voices. Women’s rights have been a struggle since the…

    • 873 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Each language shapes its own culture within a country by allowing people to create an unique identity. Migration from other places, from history, has contributed to the richness in diversity of cultures, ethnicities and most importantly, languages, in developed countries. Prominently in Russia, the native people acquire descent from numerous ethnicities around the world such as Turks, Iranians, early Mongols, Turks, Jews, and Samoyeds (Central Intelligence Agency). Due to the vast cultural influences that impact Russian culture, distinct languages and cultures were bound to emerge from these outside influences from history. Currently, there are over 180 minority languages developed in Russia (BBC). While there is evident language diversity…

    • 1467 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In theory, the role of women under Stalin contrasted greatly with the role of women under Hitler. In Marxist theory, treating women as second-class was a capitalist way of life and marriage was seen as little more than prostitution. This contrasts perfectly with Hitler’s role for women, which placed large emphasis on family life and women as mothers and wives. However in practice women under Stalin’s rule played a similar role to women in Nazi Germany. The economic situation and high divorce rates in mid-1920s Russia meant that women were forced into a much more matronly role than was intended.…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Culture is defined as the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people. Most cultures are cultivated by many things such as religion, economy, government, education, and conflict that help to shape the culture of a country. The Russian culture has been unswerving and strong through trying times, however when most Americans think of the Russian culture, they think of a government that is ruled by a tyrant President, the Cold War, people living in poverty, and even a bully to other smaller countries that border them taking what they want when they want too. Most Americans don’t think of the Russian culture of having a set of ethics that are rich in traditions and heritage. However, the Russian people value their communities,…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is no secret that the Russian government is very different from the United States, which may be a bit intimidating for an American journalist entering into the unfamiliar political world of Bloomberg. Relocating from a completely individualistic society to a collectivist society will require major adjustments when collaborating in an intercultural environment. Since Russia is mainly collectivist, the power distance between power holders and society is very approachable. When compared to the United States, this may not always be the case; this is very different from the American way of life because power distance is obvious, while it may not always be in the Russian culture. “Power distance is defined as the extent to which less powerful members of society expect and accept that power is distributed unequally” (Jandt, p.168). Geert Hofstede explains this power distance and how it is measured in his cultural dimensions theory.…

    • 1546 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Ancient Greek Women

    • 1641 Words
    • 7 Pages

    For thousands of years humans have divided people into two genders—male and female. And based upon these gender classifications, labor has been assigned, families structured, and powers divided in various ways from culture to culture. At times, the roles of women throughout history can be harder to pin-point. This is because the vast majority if societies where (or later became) strictly patriarchal and thus the power and focus remained on men, often disregarding the experiences of women. That said, through what is known of women’s experiences it can be determined that, although the social status and treatment of women varied greatly from culture to culture, some tasks were unilaterally viewed as womanly. Although the overall societal standing…

    • 1641 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Several theories on the concept of class rose since the first decades of the XX century, while drawings of a most egalitarian society, provided by Marx and Engels, began to find supporters in eastern Europe. In Russia, these ideas of redistribution of wealth especially affected what is known as “Russian working class”. In October 1917, the working class ,led by the Bolshevik party, and supported by the poorest peasants , overthrew the Czarist regime, opening up the epoch of Communism in Russia, and breathing life to USSR . Since this turning point, Communist ideas crossed continental boundaries, arousing great enthusiasm among Chinese people. In 1921, Chinese Communist Party was founded , and his leading role for Labor Movement, at least…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Russian Culture

    • 1106 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Russian culture has a long history. “In fact early Russia was not exactly ‘Russia,’ but a collection of cities that gradually coalesced into an empire. In the early part of the ninth century, a Scandanavian people known as the Varangians and their leader Rurik invested in one of these first cities, Novgorod. Rurik’s successor, Oleg extended the power of the city southward and established Kievan Rus, which is now Ukraine” (Ancient). Russians are known to be very proud of their country and traditions. Russia is a large and extremely culturally diverse country, with dozens of ethnic groups, each with their own forms of folk music, languages and religions. This contributes to a country of great cultural diversity, a country where there is always something to be learned or discovered. “Moscow with the Tretyakov Gallery that features some of the most famous Russian icons, Saint Petersburg on the river of Neva with it’s famous ‘white nights’, art collections of the Heritage Museum and the Russian Museum, and the countryside with it’s many little towns, each with its own old cloisters and castles-all rich in culture” (Discover). Russians consider themselves a well educated nation with an appreciation for the finer things in life. They read often (more than any other country,) they are fond of live operas, musicals, ballets and drama performances at theatres.…

    • 1106 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Young Girls, all over Russia, get up in the mornings and expect something new from their day. Many try to find some kind of work, some way to make money to support their families. Many of those girls have alcoholic fathers and out of work mothers. Many people in Russia are suffering from a very hard life, it’s very difficult to find a job. According to geographic.org, “144 million people live in Russia, 11.5% of the population are unemployed. 28.6% of the population live below poverty line”. As maintained by the U.S. Department of State, “Millions of Russian workers are underemployed. Unemployment is highest among women and young people”. Through Human Rights Watch, I learned that “Until recently, women made up approximately half of Russia's work force”. However, due to “the overall dislocation of the Russian economy”…numerous people found themselves unemployed and in need of work in “market that no longer values their skills”. “In many regions of Russia, women's unemployment exceeds 80 percent… Scholars monitoring the rates and causes of unemployment maintain that actual unemployment is much higher. According to the federal Department of Employment, only 25 percent of the unemployed even try to register as unemployed” (1). What does this mean for Russian women? This means that she is at her most vulnerable state, open for predators just waiting to jump at the chance to steal her, manipulate her, lure her into a world that will eat her whole and spit her out looking old, worn out, and many times dead.…

    • 2987 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Better Essays