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

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.