Back to 'Traditional' Family Values? Trends in Gender Ideologies in Russia, 1994-2012

Abstract

Previous studies on individual-level gender ideologies in Russia have produced conflicting results, with some suggesting re-traditionalisation and others noting increasing egalitarianism. This research explores changes in the Russian population’s views on gender division of labour between 1994 and 2012, moving beyond unidimensional conceptualisations of gender ideology that juxtapose traditionalism with egalitarianism. The findings evidence highly class-specific gender-ideology trajectories. Only lower classes increased their support for separate spheres. Amongst the more educated and affluent, 're-traditionalisation' instead entailed increased endorsement of both joint breadwinning and gender-essentialist views of women’s caring roles at the expense of support for the housewife/male-breadwinner model and for egalitarianism.