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31K. Purvis
DIFFERENCES IN THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA
As a woman in Russia, I felt certain differences in treatment of which I do not think my male counterparts on the trip were quite as aware. When a Russian man walked into a room, he would extend his hand in greeting to all the other men in the group. He did not shake hands with any women present. To a Russian, this is normal. This is civil, polite, and correct. As American women, we felt overlooked. This made an impression on each one of the American women on the trip to Tambov. I told the other girls that they should just extend their hand first and not let the cultural differences get in the way. While this is probably the mildest of all anecdotes, it sets a foundation for what is to follow - an examination of some of the basic differences between American and Russian women's rights.
During our trip to Tambov, we met with several different government officials. One such official was the chief inspector of some of the most heinous crimes that have occurred in the region. While horrible crimes are not unheard of in the United States our mouths stood agape as he recalled local brutal murders and their investigations. When the question and answer portion of our meeting arose, I had a specific inquiry I needed to address. «Please, would you tell me how women are treated when they come to the authorities with a sex crime to report?» I asked. «Well,» the official stated through our most trusted translator, «at the office we have a joke. A woman comes into a bank with a $100 bill. She hands it over to be exchanged. When the teller checks the bill, he informs the woman her money is counterfeit. The woman then immediately cries out, 'I've been raped!'» An uncomfortable silence followed. I was shocked that anyone would take a sex crime accusation so lightly; and then to top it off, they would in turn accuse the rape victim of being a liar. I also felt there was a small hinting that the woman also came across the money in a dishonest or dishonorable fashion, perhaps making an
analogy between commercial activities initiated by women as only possibly being prostitution.
After the initial shock, I began thinking of other instances where Russian women seemed helpless. A Clemson student had the privilege of having a heart-to-heart with one of the waitresses that worked at our hotel café. Over the course of their lengthy discussion, the waitress opened up that she was almost raped as she went home after an evening at work. In the hallway of her apartment building, she felt a knife pressed up to her neck. Luckily, she was able to wrangle her way free from her attacker, get inside of her apartment, and lock the door. She escaped with cuts and bruises on her face. Later, she went to the hospital for medical examination and to report the crime. The person evaluating her practically laughed in her face about her supposedly minor injuries. Perhaps small crimes, like the Russian point of view on rape, are only important in small towns. It seemed clear to me that the most devastating aspect of sex crimes, recognized in the United States as the psychological trauma of the incident, whether the attacker was successful or not, is wholly dismissed as irrelevant in Russia. As a woman this is almost impossible to fathom and truly scary.
Another time, the waitress discovered her assailant lives in her very apartment building. She is unable to sleep at night because of the terror she has faced. Yet, the authorities crack jokes about sex crimes and do not pursue assaults. Maybe it is because I live in a small college town concerned with my safety, but if I were to go to the police with this same story, I know my complaint would be taken seriously. Maybe it would only result in a slap on the wrist and a restraining order, but I have faith that my police and my authorities would care and the societal reputation of my attacker would be so severely damaged that it is unlikely his life would remain unchanged at Clemson.
At our first roundtable, an American student broached a touchy subject. Her butt had been slapped by an officer in the MChS. She was understandably angry and her first instinct was to retaliate. In the U. S., she could have given a dirty look and told the officer to watch himself, or even cursed him out for being so rude and vulgar. If it was a peer, I have no doubt she would have been able to slap
him in outrage. However in Russia Professor Crosston warned us that slapping a man for taking unfair advantage of a woman would just open her up to the possibility of more violence from a Russian man. Could this cultural taboo really be true? Katherine asked some of our Russian peers how they would have responded in the same situation and she received a disappointing answer. One of the Russian students told her that she too had her butt slapped by a stranger. She said the best method of coping was ignoring the event and moving on. No retaliation should ever be taken. I understand the overarching priority of physical safety; if I thought my slap would only incur greater violence from a vulgar man, I also would do nothing. But where is the outrage at the injustice of such a societal norm? Where are the men of Russia who would NOT do such things? Why do they not stand up and proclaim such behavior is wrong? Why is everyone so willing to accept this as the norm?
From some Russians I met I felt a sense of desperation over their career and future financial prospects. They had a desire to leave Russia and find better pay elsewhere via a visa to freedom in the United States or Europe or even New Zealand among other places. Other girls knew their best ticket to the good life was marrying well. In Tambov I was told there is a 9 to 2 female-to-male ratio. Thus the prospect of marrying must be dim on its own without the additional factor of finding a well-off spouse. Even if the women manage to marry well-off no envy from me is to be found. In Russia, wives of men in power look the other way while their husbands have affairs and face the threat of losing their children forever should they ever decide to leave. Apparently some, but definitely not all, women in the Orthodox Church even take an extremist position on divorce. Even if their husband is abusive, they will not leave him, thinking that this trial is what God must have chosen for them in this life.
Another cultural difference between Russia and the United States becomes evident when examining professor and student relationships. Apparently, it is not frowned upon when Russian professors have sexual relations with their students. In the United States, this is a huge breach of ethical conduct and can be punished under sexual harassment guidelines, which are in place for the protection of
students. These guidelines allow a student to never feel they are under pressure to perform sexually for a professor to make the grade. When in discussion on this topic, some female Russian students inquired as to what if the student and professor relationship was about love. At Clemson, we have plenty of our own stories about how professors and students have fallen in love. This reason alone does not take away from the severity of potential ethical implications. I believe students' safety and their ability to study without feeling threatened because of their gender is more important. In the United States, we take professors' affairs with students seriously. At Clemson, professors can be fired from their job if they have an affair with a student not because Clemson is against love but because it understands the exploitation that is basically inherent between a professor and a student. There can never be an equality of power in a relationship between a student and a professor. Can love be true if so completely out of balance? I fear not.
The topic of women in business and politics arose in our final review of the pros and cons of our program in Tambov. One American student expressed feeling a palpable absence of women in government and in upper management positions in business. Professor Seltzer was quick to lecture our entire group on this. At one point he even brought up quota systems, and to our horror, tried to state quota systems are alive and well in the United States. In fact, quota systems are illegal and we instead use a somewhat controversial affirmative action programs. Affirmative action is when two equally qualified people apply for a job and preferential placement is accorded the minority or protected group, such as women. While affirmative action is supposed to help atone for the past discrimination of our nation, it is most importantly meant to give access today to qualified people who would otherwise not be offered a job because of their gender or ethnic background. The key to all such programs is the requirement that a candidate be at least equally qualified. Unqualified candidates do not receive jobs just because of their gender.
In the former U. S. S. R., quota systems were used in all jobs. So women were guaranteed positions. Even Professor Seltzer realized there could be flaws in this system. Equality between the sexes in the
workplace can never be achieved until both sexes are equally desirable in the workforce, which is obviously not the case when quota systems or affirmative action policies have to be used. In this arena, minorities or protected groups and their employers are left wondering if their new hires are qualified or won the genetic lottery.
In Russia, hierarchy seems tangibly present everywhere. There is the upper crust and then everyone else. Unfortunately, only a few men of power rule the upper crust. They seem to have all of the power - both in business and politics - in their own hands. In the United States, we at least try to technically separate power from politics and business, even if they can horribly influence one another at times. It seemed to me after a month in Russia that bending or breaking the rules WAS the rule, rather than trying to obey the rules for the good of all. I don't believe this is the same in the US, even though corruption certainly exists. It is an exception, not a rule.
This paper is written from the point of view of a concerned woman. Women deserve equal treatment and justice for the crimes committed against them. Everywhere, people deserve the right to feel safe so that they can realize their hopes and dreams. In the United States, I know many lucrative, exciting career paths that are open for me. All of these opportunities, no doubt, came at a cost. From the founding fathers to the women's movement, great citizens of the United States have been fighting for my right to access to great opportunities. This struggle never ends in the United States. I am proud to say that there is always a sense that we can be better, that our society can be more fair and more equitable. Over the course of my trip, I found Russian women to be graceful in their heels over the mercilessly rough terrain of Tambov, generous in inviting the American students to their homes to share in their bountiful summer vegetable harvests and proud of their rich heritage. These women deserve to be protected and taken seriously. They also deserve better representation in big business and their government.
The true beauty of democracy for me is a hope and a mechanism for the realization of change in the future. It is my duty and privilege to move the United States forward to achieving better treatment and equal treatment for all of its citizens. The United States does not
have a perfect government but it is the knowledge and hope that its citizens can always change it for the better that make our democracy strong. That is why the Constitution is a living document. Russia has democracy. Its citizens need to learn how to wield its magnificent power. I have the power to make my voice heard in the United States through voting, protests, and lobbying. A nation that is apathetic can never grow, change, or advance. Russia is a great country and capable of great change for the better. The first anecdote I presented will prove to also be a ray of hope for cultural change. One Russian student saw the cultural difference and made adjustments. The next time he met our group he shook everyone's hands - male and female.
Ю. К. Пичугина
«КУЛЬТУРНЫЕ СТЕРЕОТИПЫ» И ПУТИ ИХ ПРЕОДОЛЕНИЯ
Наверное, каждого человека, интересующегося жизнью других стран, в той или иной степени можно назвать жертвой стереотипов. Однако расширение межкультурных контактов, активно происходящее в последнее время, позволяет преодолевать данную опасность. Международные обменные программы российских студентов с их коллегами из США являются лучшим тому подтверждением. Речь, конечно, идет не о «русских медведях в ушанках» и «американских ковбоях в шляпах». Этим легендам, вроде бы, уже давно перестали верить. Речь идет о взаимном понимании различий в национальных культурах и о преодолении сохраняющихся в этой сфере предрассудков.
Скажем, в России не принято улыбаться просто так, без повода. На основе этого была придумана целая теория об «американской улыбке», которую считают неискренней, «дежурной», чаще всего бесполезной. Однако в Америке, как известно, отношение к улыбке совсем другое. Это один из многочисленных примеров стереотипов, основанных на различиях культур.
