THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN MODERN SOCIETY

ABSTRACT

In the current era, Russian society is experiencing significant changes in the structure of social order and the worldview of its participants. The fundamental feature of these changes is the evolution of social roles and the revision of gender attitudes, which leads to the emergence of new behavioral models. The role of women in the modern world is also changing, which will be discussed in this article.

Keywords: gender, role, emancipation, Domostroy

Women of the 21st century strive to demonstrate strength and a commitment to equality, standing on par with men. They reject dismissive treatment and constantly set new goals for themselves, rejecting limitations that might restrain their aspirations or confine them to narrow specializations.

So, what are the modern roles of women in our society?

As a mother, a woman fulfills physical duties such as giving birth and nurturing a child, raising them, and protecting them. On a psychological and social level, a woman fulfills the responsibilities of supporting, nurturing, and providing for the child's needs, offering guidance, and passing on life experiences. She is capable of providing support, encouragement, and inspiration. She also serves as a partner and support for men, complementing them and fostering the development of their abilities.

As a wife, a woman creates a cozy and comfortable environment, ensures order, cleanliness, and well-being in the home, and fosters a friendly and warm atmosphere in family relationships, including sexual understanding, which has a positive impact on the health of both partners.

As a worker or employee, a woman demonstrates flexibility in decision-making, cooperativeness, and attention to detail. Despite excessive emotionality, which may be considered a drawback, she successfully overcomes professional obstacles, masters complex fields of knowledge, and contributes to the development of various organizations.

It is important to highlight the significance of women in the economies of developing countries, where they are acquiring increasing importance due to the growth of economic conditions. They contribute to expanding opportunities for women in business.

As a creator, a woman acts as a source of inspiration and creativity. It is important for her to remain open to the world, not to hide negative emotions, to reject resentment and disappointment, and to be able to combine different aspects of her personality, which contributes to creative upswings and achieving success.

Thus, we have identified two key areas in which a woman expresses herself: as the pillar of the home and as a dynamic entrepreneur directly involved in the economic life of society.

In countries where traditional views on gender roles still prevail (such as Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan), and where birth rates are relatively low, there is a slowdown in economic development, in contrast to countries that adhere to the principles of gender equality and have a more favorable demographic situation (for example, the USA, Sweden, and Norway).

These countries are less faced with issues related to the age composition of the population and have better indicators of economic participation of citizens, which, in turn, has a positive effect on economic development.

The global community has only recently paid attention to the gender approach, with emphasis on it beginning only thirty years ago, when terms such as «gender» and «socio-cultural gender» appeared in scientific discourse.

This made it possible to begin actively developing the concept of relationships between men and women, considered as socially structured groups with unique interests and characteristics. Thanks to this, it is possible to overcome centuries-old ideas about men and women, who were considered exclusively within the framework of a biological role prescribing «to protect and fight» or «to bear children».

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, sociology has begun to actively analyze the gender division of roles. The concept of «gender» was introduced into use in 1968 by psychologist R. Stoller, who distinguished between the concepts of «biological sex» and «social sex». Anthony Giddens emphasized that gender is determined not so much by biological differences as by socially determined functions and expectations placed on men and women.

Attached to this understanding is a system of agreements that shapes typical behavioral patterns for both sexes. For centuries, there has been a stereotype in society that a woman should be a mother and wife, engaged in domestic life, while a man is intended for labor.

This traditional view of the distribution of male and female roles has theoretical support in the works of Z. Freud and T. Parsons. Freud argued for a strict distinction between gender roles based on physiological differences, stating that «anatomy is destiny.»

According to Parsons, a supporter of functionalism, men and women evoke harmony in society by performing instrumental and expressive functions, respectively. At the same time, he argued that a real man is obliged to provide for his family, and the true female status is the role of wife, mother and housewife. Parsons argued that such a division contributes to social stability.

In modern life, the discussion about the position of women in society continues. Women are gradually occupying new social niches, including those that were previously perceived as exclusively male, but existing gender prejudices continue to manifest themselves in the form of female discrimination. The foundations of this social problem go back to the distant past, when the powers that be masked the unequal position of women with sophistical arguments about whether women are full-fledged people and whether they have souls.

Russian society on the threshold of new changes strives for development, but some previous views and entrenched beliefs continue to live in the minds of citizens.

There is an evolution of social interactions and the emergence of new social roles, but outdated patterns of behavior must inevitably be left behind to move forward. Mostly women face these problems. Even though modern society is increasingly moving away from outdated standards, the perception of the female role often hovers somewhere in the past, reminiscent of models characteristic of the era of «Domostroy».

Women are increasingly forced to take on the burden of responsibilities, including those traditionally assigned to men, raise children alone, and strive for professional success. Often this is done for fear of being unable to provide a sufficient standard of living for their families.

Nevertheless, society continues to resist new behavioral norms, as a result of which women regularly face discrimination. The current problem in Russia affects the multiplicity of social functions of women and the responsibilities traditionally assigned to men.

Despite multi-functionality, women continue to experience unequal treatment in various spheres of life. Society faces the difficult task of overcoming gender obstacles, without a clear solution to the issue. Understanding and respect for the role of women noticeably characterizes the level of civilization and development of the nation. In addition to this, the topic of state payments related to motherhood and childcare is also acute.

On the one hand, the maternal labor intensity (especially when caring for infants, where spending time with a child can reach 20–24 hours per day) far exceeds the standard working day of most men, which is 8–9 hours. However, such a contribution to the development of the future generation does not receive due recognition, and the material allowance due to a woman remains insignificant.

The emergence of gender imbalance in society has its roots in the history of the development of the division of labor, property and the formation of state institutions. Actualization of issues related to the socio-economic status of women in the context of transformations taking place in the Russian Federation becomes key for modern sociological research.

During the period of democratic changes, Russian women faced the problem of fully realizing and protecting their rights. Specialized scientific publications on socio-gender issues highlight the author's opinions that during social changes in the country, women faced the loss of previously won social positions, experiencing a significant decrease in their status compared to the pre-perestroika period, and became objects of public discrimination in forms previously unknown to Russian women.

An example of the fact that the problem of social inequality of women has not lost its relevance in our time is their representation in ruling circles. The experience of many states shows that society becomes more focused on social well-being and acquires stability when the proportion of women in management structures reaches 30–40%.

Due to their innate and professionally acquired properties, they have all the necessary competencies to perform bureaucratic and technocratic duties in high government positions in the hierarchy of the civil service.

References:

1. Andronnikova, O. O. (2019). Gender differentiation in psychology. Moscow: Vuzovskii uchebnik: INFRA-M. – 264 p.
2. Isupova, O.G., & Utkina, V.V. (2016). Women in the civil service in Russia: career, family, reproductive intentions. Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes, 6(136), 18-21.
3. Morozova, Z. S. (2020). Evolution of the social status of women. Social and Humanitarian Knowledge, 2, 185-194.
4. Firsova, E. M. (2016). Features of gender differences. Young Scientist, 29(133), 336-339.