The social status of women in contemporary Russian society through the lens of sociocultural gender norms and values

Sociology

Abstract

The article discusses the reflection of gender norms and values in the social structure of modern Russia from the perspective of women’s social status. The studies of G. Allport show that traditionally women are more often oriented toward ethical and spiritual values, while men — toward economic and political ones, which forms a specific gender order. The structural-functional approach (T. Parsons and R. Bales) notes a traditional and normatively fixed division of male and female roles into instrumental and expressive. At the same time, in the conditions of the transformation of Russian society, a conflict arises between the traditional model and new liberal values (value dualism, described by A.S. Akhiezer). As a result, gender asymmetry in the public and private spheres begins to create serious risks, primarily for the status of women and children. Researchers note heterogeneous female employment, horizontal and vertical segregation, feminization of poverty, and normative-role overload. The article aims to analyze the status of the modern woman in Russia and explore its being conditioned by gender values and norms as well as by their change. Emphasis is placed on the significance of traditional and liberal norms, collectivist and individualist values. The authors analyze statistical data from the compilation Women and Men of Russia for 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. The study has identified a number of trends associated with the following: a heavy domestic workload for women; a heterogeneous employment across different age groups of women; an intermittent career strategy; the persistence of horizontal segregation (there exist feminine sectors of the economy, such as education, healthcare, social policy and protection, catering, culture, leisure, etc., these being lower-paid); differences in pay with men across different job categories. According to the authors’ conclusions, there is a need for active measures to be taken by the state and the non-profit sector with the involvement of local communities.