Chapter 11 - Being a Professional Woman in Russia

Key Takeaways

1. Female professionals, regardless of their professional fields, have been constrained by the same patriarchal societal environment that has been present in Russia for a long time (during pre, Soviet, and post-Soviet eras). In addition, in Russia, public relations is often socially constructed as a service profession (Tsetsura, 2010). Such a construction influences the ways female public relations practitioners are perceived by colleagues, family, friends, and by members of society.
2. The contemporary roles and expectations of what it means to be a successful woman in Russian society are pre-conceived and socially constructed through dual roles of women as workers and women as mothers, both of which are historic and reproductive. Women in Russia often reproduce these patriarchal stereotypes and engage in supporting dual roles of women in society, as workers and as mothers, through everyday discourse.
3. Pop culture and mass media also contribute to reproduction of patriarchal stereotypes in society. Entertaining programs and talk shows continuously emphasize and celebrate the role of a mother as the most desirable role for a woman. In addition, multiple products of pop culture, such as TV series, books, reality shows, and celebrity frenzy, emphasize these dual roles and celebrate the stereotype of a super-woman who can successfully combine her career and her motherhood. These conflicting portrayals bring additional confusion and distress to working women in pop-culture-driven societies.
4. Female practitioners in Russia engage in constant identity negotiation and force to position themselves as professionals to prove the importance of their professional identities every time they engage in conversations with others. They face unique challenges while practicing public relations, a relatively new profession in the traditionally patriarchal, hyper-sexualized society.
5. Further examination of the role of female professionals in patriarchal societies such as Russia and re-evaluation of perceptions of female professionals in the hyper-sexualized patriarchal workplace are needed. Practically speaking, female practitioners of any profession in newly emerging markets need to realize which stereotypes and perceptions exist about their profession and about female professionals in society so that they can effectively manage them. Many female professionals often find themselves trapped in the process of constant identity negotiation as they struggle to resist socially constructed, hyper-sexualized patriarchal workplaces. This struggle may affect women’s concerns and forces them to question their career choices.