Generalizations about FSU women

[Todd]

I'm not sure if everyone will find this topic interesting or not, but it seems to be some generalizations can be made about FSU women that are not controversial and based upon quantifiable demographic statisitics.  I've started a small list and would welcome others to add to it. 

 

1.  Russian women have read more growing up. (I bet very few women watch 4.5 hours  of TV each day, which was the average when I was
growing up here.)  We can talk about how that might affect
 RW's, i.e. better educated, more independent
imaginations, etc.


2.  RW's walk more; AW's drive more.


3.  Educated RW's want children sooner.  In the US,
 some women want to stay home and raise a family.
However, many of these women are the losers of
 education race.  An educated women rarely thinks of
having children prior to 30.  It is almost unusual. 
 Also, a far higher percentage of professional
 women here elect to not have children.

4.  RW have dealt with far more political upheaval  and
economic deprivation growing up.  I think that
this instability may lead for a deep desire for stability
 in their personal life.  In fact, some would choose stability over love.

5.  RW's grew up eating less processed food and more
 natural food.  I think that this affects the way we
 taste food later in life and is why people here eat
so much "junk" food.

6.  RW's were exposed to a different set of cultures
 and minorities.  For example, in the US, people are
 generally exposed to a much wider array of cultures.
 Also, black and latino cultures which are the
predominate minorities here are not even factors in
Belarus.  I think this may affect who RW's are
attracted to later in life. 


7.  RW's have earlier exposure to foreign languages in
school. 

[markdafedman]

Good topic, I was searching for the subject of having children with a RW, and wondering if, or how, this changes the equation for me...

My situation: two grown daughters, no desire to father more children (I have raised two step- children and fathered 4 children in total), and recent vasectomy recipient.  I am okay with continuing to raise present children, with certain conditions being met, but I really would rather have a lady who is not interested in having (more) children.

Question: How does this affect my chances of finding a RW, and further, what is your best "guesstimate" on how my desire to not have more children would affect most RW?

[Vinnvinny]

It will depend upon the age group you are looking at. The older they are then the less likely hood of it being a problem. In my experience most ladies up to their early 30’s are looking to have (more) children.

[pitbull]

Good topic, I was searching for the subject of having children with a RW, and wondering if, or how, this changes the equation for me...

My situation: two grown daughters, no desire to father more children (I have raised two step- children and fathered 4 children in total), and recent vasectomy recipient.  I am okay with continuing to raise her children, with certain conditions being met, but I really would rather have a lady who interested in having (more) children.

Question: How does this affect my chances of finding a RW, and further, what is your best "guesstimate" on how my desire to not have more children would affect most RW?

It depends on which age category those "most RW" you are seeking are in. Most W (RW or otherwise) in their 20s and early 30s will want to have children. However, there are RW in their 20s who do not want to have children. Off the top of my head, two RWD members, KenC and Turboguy, married women much younger who don't want to have kids.

Just be upfront and honest about your circumstances when you contact women.

Good luck.

[Tamara]

Just be upfront and honest about your circumstances when you contact women.

It really depends, but Pitbull gave you an excellent advice. Be straightforward and make sure the women know about it upfront.

[HiTech]

1. I would not agree except that they have watched less TV on average.
2. Agreed.
3. Possibly but I believe you have overstated
4. Political up heaval , yes, economics some yes some no.
5. Agreed.
6. RW Are very rarely exposed to a different culture then there own, as compared to the US.
7. Not as compared to children living in some boarder states.
 
HiTech

[mendeleyev]

Hope you don't mind if I step up and take a swing:

1.  Russian women have read more growing up.

Without question in vast majority of cases. There are exceptions of course, but as an example kids quoting Pushkin is standard learning fare in school. When is the last time you heard of after school "literature clubs" in the West? Those are popular still in Russia and Ukraine, with waiting lists in some cities. The standard Russian learning philosophy is verbatim notetaking and then testing from memorization.

Meanwhile kids quoting anything or anybody other than rap songs in the USA would be cause for massive street celebrations.



2.  RW's walk more; AW's drive more.

Out of necessity; public transportation is more convenient, less expensive and more frequent than in most US cities, for example. But give a RW/UW a car, and it becomes a status symbol for which she'll dread ever riding the bus again.



3.  Educated RW's want children sooner. 

Yes, but dictated by social taboos, not education. Although if you compare Hispanic women in the West then bets are off, as having a child at age 14-15 is not seen as a good thing in Russian culture. One could make very similar comparisons to the birthrates and young ages for motherhood between Russia's Muslim population and the West's Hispanic population.




4.  RW have dealt with far more political upheaval and economic deprivation growing up.  In fact, some would choose stability over love.

Not necessarily politically. Using an age average, a 30 year old today never had to join the Young Pioneers or Komsomol, likely never lived in a "khrushchevki," and certainly never lost a relative who was arrested in the middle of the night and the family told that their loved one had been sentenced "without correspondence priviliges" (executed).

Most were too young to personally experience, while living on their own, the financial meltdown of the late 90's. True, Russians on the whole value stability and order over the perceived chaos of freedom. A "Vozhd" (Вождь = supreme and firm leader) is comforting to the Russian sense of order (stability). That's why Stalin is still worshipped, even among the young.

Because of the extended family implications and expectations, a RW might very well marry someone "safe" financially if she thought it best for her family. That however is slowly changing, at least before the current world economic crisis arrived in Russia.



5.  RW grew up eating less processed food and more natural food.  I think that this affects the way we taste food later in life and is why people here eat so much "junk" food.

No question about less processed, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's healthier. There are vast regions of Siberian Russia where the pollution from old chemical and nuclear weapons plants mean that the "natural" food contributes to the lower life spans in those communities. According to the UN's International Science & Technology Group, and acknowledged by the State Duma, 8 of the top 10 most polluted regions in the world are in Russia's far East with wide-reaching devastation of ground water systems, rivers, and agriculture for miles and miles upon miles.

While food production is banned in some of those regions with food shipped in from outside, unfortunately some of the homegrown stuff makes it's way to the major cities and is sold at street corner kiosks. The Medvedev administration is making an effort to get a handle on it, but they must also move carefully because selling foodstuffs on street corners is the financial salvation for a great number of elderly pensioners who simply can't exist on meager state pensions.



6.  RW's were exposed to a different set of cultures and minorities.  For example, in the US, people are generally exposed to a much wider array of cultures.

Different set of circumstances. Russia remains the largest geographical country on earth and home to over 100 languages and ethnic nationalities.  The difference is not in exposure, but in attitudes to the differences.



7.  RW's have earlier exposure to foreign languages in school.

In most cases true, but it depends on two things: Location and budget. Depending on their desire and which school they attend, many kids in Moscow, Leningrad or Kyiv will be learning/speaking 2-3 languages by 8th or 9th form.  Schools in small and/or poor towns like Tambov or Shakhty simply have no money and the only way a kid can get language instruction is if a trained teacher just happens to teach there for other subjects.  OTOH, kids in Kostanay (Kazakhstan) or in places like Krasnoyarsk could possibly speak 2-3 languages out of cultural and geographical necessity/opportunity because of languages spoken in the home and community, no matter the school budget.


That's my story and I'm sticking with it! Thanks for allowing me to participate. 

[smartcat]

When is the last time you heard of after school "literature clubs" in the West? Those are popular still in Russia and Ukraine, with waiting lists in some cities.

Maybe I am damn old... Yes, I should be damn old and not following anything happening today. Never faced to it in my life! Is that a new established fashion and kids started to read more?
I have been moving with my parents around Russia and Ukraine in 1980s, when I was a schoolgirl. Never saw anything alike in 4 schools in different cities (sized from 450 000 to 800 000 citizens).
I have been a bookmouse since my 3 years old and started to attend kids library in my 5 years old. I used to attend "Dom pionerov" where you could go to the bunch of hobby clubs... and no so-called "literature club" with ...waiting lists. Never heard about it later still.
Honestly I was thinking such "clubs" stay as an entertainment for adult professionals in very big cities. They gather in a night fashionable "literature club" to have meal and drink and to listen to some cool new writer...

[mendeleyev]

Well, as compared to Western kids, holy cow, yes upon yes!

As parent of a daughter who spent 6+ years as a Moscow member, I was amazed at my first introduction to such. We have good friends in Kaluga whose 3 children went thru literature clubs, with 1 yet to graduate still an active member.

The club our youngest daughter formerly belonged to in Moscow has a waiting list and the publisher at Bolshoi magazine tells me his son is on a waiting list in another Moscow region.

I'm aware of the adult clubs you mentioned but never had the inclination personally, but my wife drags me to something similar for musicians from time to time. Someone plays the piano or violin, I try not to nod off, the adults discuss the composer and what is meant by the music, I really try hard not to nod off, another piece is played, I love music but not in this format so try not to nod off, then wine and cheese is served--I wake up!