Russian Working Women’s Evaluations of Marital Relationships

Abstract

The purpose of the presented analysis is to characterize the estimates of marital relations given by working married women, as well as to identify how the nature of the relationship affects some other aspects of family life, and what intrafamily factors determine the obtained estimates. The analysis is based on the results of a survey conducted in 2020 in 10 Russian regions within the framework of the project “Demographic Well-Being of Russia”. The results showed that in many families, one of the measured indicators of marital relations (either an assessment of cohesion or conflict) is unfavorable, which indicates the presence of problems. Only a third of the respondents have a very good relationship with their husband– conflict-free and cohesive. The direct influence of the nature of marital relations (favorable/unfavorable) on psychological well-being and lifestyle assessments has been established. The hypothesis about the connection between the perception of the nature of relationships and the general psychological atmosphere and image of one’s family, as well as relationships with close relatives, was confirmed. Factors influencing assessments of marital relations are: 1.Gender order of family power (headship in the family and budget management practices). Relationships are assessed most favorably in families where the man is the head of the family and joint management of the budget is practiced; 2. Own views on the quality of marriage in the parental family. Women who positively assess their parents' marital relationships are more optimistic in their assessments of their marital relationships; 3. The financial situation of the family, which predetermines the deterioration of women’s judgments about marital relationships, depending on negative assessments of living conditions.