Russian Family Roles

Every culture in society has its own views and values when it comes to family life. Within the Russian culture, family is extremely important and plays a vital role in their everyday occurrences. As nurses, it is important to know the roles that each member of the family carries, as well as the specific gender roles within that family. We must also understand what family values the Russian culture holds, and be able to comprehend how these values affect nursing care. The role each member takes on in a family is usually divided up based on the cultural norms of their society, such as having different gender specific roles. In most Russian families, gender specific roles play huge part in building a structure within a family. The men generally assume the role of the provider and are usually the breadwinners of the family. The men are also seen as the head of the household, as well as a protector, and are often times the ultimate decision maker for every member of the household. On the other side, the women play a completely different role in the family. The women play the part of the nurturers. Due to family being a woman’s priority in Russian culture, women are expected to care for every member of the family. They are responsible for caring for the children, the husband, and the parents of both herself and her husband, regardless of if they hold a job or not. As found in many cultures, family life as a whole plays an important part in the Russian culture. To the Russian community, family is a very important value in their society. It is common for several generations to live under one roof. Russians also value showing respect for their elders. Children are expected to show respect for their parents and care for them as they become older. Russians immigrating to the United States bring their parents with them so that they can continue to care for them. The grandparents also assist with taking care of small children while the parents are working.