Window on Eurasia

Russians Increasingly Promote Individualistic Values in Children, Poll Finds

Paul Goble

Vienna, July 4, 2006 – Compared with six years ago, Russian parents appear significantly more interested now in preparing their children to
compete and succeed as adults and somewhat less interested in inculcating good manners and the ability to live with others, according to a new poll.

Yesterday, the Levada Center released the results of a poll about what
parents hope to teach their children that was conducted in mid-June of
1600 Russians over 18 in 46 regions of the country, and its analysts
compared the current findings with a similar survey conducted in the
year 2000 [http://www.levada-center.ru/], July 3.

In both the 2000 and 2006 surveys, respondents were asked to indicate
the three values that they viewed as being the most important to
develop in their children. Given the size of the sample, the statistical margin
of error does not exceed in either case three percentage points.

Both in the first and in the second poll, Russians indicated that
preparing their children so that they would be able to achieve their
goals was the most important objective, with 43 percent saying that in
2000 and 49 percent indicating that value in 2006.

In 2006, the second most important value was developing a sense of
personal responsibility (40 percent), the ability to stand up for
oneself (37 percent), and conscientiousness at work (33 percent). All
these qualities were at or near the top in the 2000 sampling as well.

More interesting are the several significant changes in values over the
last six years. The biggest change was a decline in the percentage of
those who said they wanted to train their children in good manners and
in the ability to get along in society. In 2000, 40 percent of the
sample listed that as important. In 2006, only 31 percent did.

Attitudes on these values depend to a large extent on the social status
of the parents, the Levada Center reported. Those with higher social
status were more inclined to be concerned about inculcating good
manners, while those further down the social pyramid were less so.

But despite that observation, the Levada Center report said, the
overall decline in parental concerns about good manners is “a symptom of the
weakening of the orientation of children to social growth, or at least
about the qualities important for high social status.”

Another related measure on which there was a significant change
concerned values related to professional growth. In 2000, 22 percent of
the sample said they wanted to promote in their children a striving for
knowledge, but this year, 29 percent said that. As to striving for
success, 14 percent said that in 2000; 20 percent do now.

Only on two other measures were the changes between the first and
second polls greater than the surveys’ margins of error: leading children to
faith in God and obedience. In 2000, seven percent of the sample listed
leading their children to faith in God as important, but six years
later, 12 percent of the sample did.

As far as inculcating the values of obedience in children is concerned,
the percentage saying that was important doubled from five percent of
the sample in 2000 to ten percent of those polled in 2006.

Given that many of the categories available for choice overlapped, no
sweeping conclusions should be drawn on the basis of this data alone.
But it does seem to be clear that Russian parents are now more
concerned about preparing their children to stand up for themselves and compete in the workforce than in behaving well in all situations.