Views on strict distribution of family duties and household chores between men and women are a thing of the past.
MOSCOW, October 17, 2017. The Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a study devoted to the family duties.
Family gender roles do not meet the Domostroi values. Modern society places equal opblgations on wife and husband in child bearing (the 2017 survey data shows that 84% of Russians think so; similar ten-year-old studies provide the same results). This duty is regarded to be purely female according to 15% of respondents and a male duty according to 1%.
Most of Russians (74%) have similar views on the distribution of household tasks: both spouses should pay attention to keeping the house clean and cosy. The share of those who think it is a female responsibility is 17% (vs “male responsibility” – 7%).
When it comes to breadwinner role, opinions are different: 54% of respondents think it is a male duty and only 1% cite women; a further 43% believe that both man and woman should be employed (contribute to household income). Interestingly, this question reveals gender differences: men are more likely to say that men should contribute to household income (64% vs 45% of women; amidst various age groups this share is higher among the 25-34-year-olds – 62%) which is not observed for the first two questions.
The VCIOM-Sputnik Russian nationwide survey was conducted on October 1-3, 2017. The survey involved 1,800 Russians aged 18 and over, and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted for the probability of selection and reflect social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
In your opinion, who should be in charge of child care and rearing in a family? (closed-ended, one answer, %) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34- | Aged 35-44- | Aged 45-59- | Aged 60 and over |
Man | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Woman | 15 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 13 |
Both equally | 84 | 85 | 82 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 86 | 86 |
Don’t know | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
In your opinion, who should perform the housekeeping duties in a family? (closed-ended, one answer, %) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34- | Aged 35-44- | Aged 45-59- | Aged 60 and over |
Man | 7 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
Woman | 17 | 14 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 19 |
Both equally | 74 | 73 | 76 | 71 | 73 | 76 | 76 | 74 |
Don’t know | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
In your opinion, who should be a breadwinner responsible for the household income in a family? (closed-ended, one answer, %) | ||||||||
| Total respondents | Men | Women | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34- | Aged 35-44- | Aged 45-59- | Aged 60 and over |
Man | 54 | 64 | 45 | 48 | 62 | 59 | 53 | 47 |
Woman | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Both equally | 43 | 32 | 52 | 48 | 37 | 39 | 44 | 47 |
Don’t know | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!