... in response to Read that clip to my wife.., posted by tfcrew on Apr 20, 2003MOSCOW. April 20 (Interfax) - Marriages between Russian women and American men are extremely successful and harmonious, says a report by an expert of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Psychology, Olga Makhovskaya.
"Changing over from the American family model with the spouses' equal partnership, to an orthodox one, the American man starts playing a greater role in the family. He enjoys more power and respect, and, undoubtedly wins, gaining a higher social and psychological status," Makhovskaya writes.
By contrast, Russian women, breaking the model of the orthodox family, shake off the heavy burden of responsibility and get a chance to live a normal life in a family with clearer responsibilities - children, cooking, the home, and greater attention and support from the husband.
In Russian-American families relations are more harmonious. "Such marriages are long-lasting, as all roles are distributed in advance, and the mechanism keeps working. Both spouses make concessions and perfectly play their roles," she writes.
Russian-Chinese marriages are also very successful. "Tens of thousands of Russian-Chinese marriages have been registered in Primorye. Chinese men are hard-working, do not drink and bring their pay to the family, and therefore have serious advantages as compared to Russian men. Russian women are satisfied with their Chinese husbands, which suggests that the number of such marriages will be growing," Makhovskaya believes.
Ukrainian-Jewish marriages deserve special mention. Relations in such families may be described as ideal. "Perhaps this reflects a specific way of settling conflicts - humor - rather than a good compatibility of family models. When attempts are made to laugh away a conflict, its seriousness fades away,"
