Russian and American Systems of Socialization A Cautious Cultural Comparison of so-called National Characters
Speaking of a nation's 'national character' can be a rather diceyprospect, from the point of view of political correctness as in light of aresponsible academic's fear of making hasty or uniformed sociologicalgeneralizations about a people or a country. However, the marked and noteddifferences between Russian and American methods of raising children andsocializing individuals into Russian and American society have createddifferent, observable developmental patterns for those individuals rearedin these societies. A sociologist cannot ignore these patterns in the nameof open-mindedness. To acknowledge them is not to say that one methodologyof upbringing is better or worse, but simply to state that there aremanifest and observable differences. In his observations of the then-Soviet Union, the reporter RobertKaiser noted in the 1970's that "the theme of Russian parenthood" is "don'tlet go." Although in "public" a Russian child's behavior was sternlyregulated, Russian parents and grandparents indulged their children, asbest they could, in material terms. (29) Children were not expected toperform many household chores. Rather, they were to focus on their
However, when no framework of justiceexists, there is a lack of emphasis on responsibility in the development ofa child's moral education. However, because this public rigidity was paired with agreat deal of flexibility behind closed doors, and an often highlyemotional, intense system of relations, and a sharp differentiation betweenwhat was public and what was private. Although the Russianexplosion of crime and wealth has been well publicized, this does not meanthat it is accompanied by a corresponding equation amongst Russians ofmorality with success, in fact, given Russian history, quite the contraryis often assumed. But regardless of location, adolescent rebellion, evensurliness and anger towards parents is more accepted as a 'phase' or anatural stage of development. Reared in asociety where merit seems to be rewarded as well, Americans are more apt tojudge an individual by the fate he or she suffers, whether good or bad,assuming that success always comes to the hard working and the motivated,regardless of initial circumstances of birth. Along with theAmerican stress upon individuality, comes a lack of a sense of familial andsocial responsibility to others, particularly the elderly. The lack of a true law and order based legal and governmental systemalso de-emphasizes the need for individual responsibility and assuredreturns upon one's emotional and personal investments. This may have to do with the fact that families live in largeraccommodations. This may beseen as a kind of 'hang over' from communism, as the difficulty ofsurviving a repressive regime often forced families to rely upon supportnetworks, rather than upon individualistic efforts to survive economically. This is not to say that the individualism stressed within theAmerican character is altogether positive, however. Much vaunted American creativity can also result indisdaining protocol, detail, and the examples of the past, and creativityand innovation, although it has produced wonderful American inventions, canalso simply cause a 'reinvention of the wheel' and a short historicalmemory. Both systemsoffered, in differing fashions, a more patronage based system of achievingsuccess, based in personal and party loyalties. In exchange forthis freedom from onerous household tasks, however, children were alsosupposed to recompense their parents with hard work and obedience.
Common topics in this essay:
Robert Kaiser,
Russian American,
,
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mode public behavior,
activities school,
american children,
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public behavior,
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stressed american,
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Acceptance Essays
