Research Question in the Republic of Georgia
Georgian Gender Differences
By Renee Fudala
The Republic of Georgia has undergone tremendous changes within an extremely short period of time. The disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 affected the Republic of Georgia profoundly, resulting in mass unemployment and hard times for the population. More than half the population of the Republic of Georgia is considered to live below the poverty line. There seems to be more poverty in the rural population, although everywhere across the country it is difficult for both men and women to obtain professional jobs. In is some places in the Republic of Georgia, it is impossible to find decent jobs. The country is male-dominated, but seems to value women. Right now the role of women is changing drastically. Women historically had subordinate roles, which focused on household chores and family duties. Women’s behavior outside of family was (and still can be) traditionally more restricted in Georgian society than that of males, and marriage is not considered optional. Many Georgian men, I found, were out of work and not the traditional breadwinners of the family anymore. Their role has been changing. Georgian women are becoming, more often than not, the breadwinners in the family. But even with this additional work, women, both mothers and daughters, are expected to do all the housework and child care. It is considered demeaning to ask a son to do household chores. Many households live in their parents’ or grandparents’ home. In this case, the grandparents are doing the cooking, cleaning and child rearing, as the young women are too busy supporting the family.
I found that Georgian women tend to be active, hardworking and flexible, and they are adapting well to the rapid changes which made Georgia an independent country. Georgian women seem to be more likely to learn English, as well as other languages, and this advantage can allow them to travel and work abroad, as well as to find employment more easily. Men, as we were told are not succeeding in adjusting to the economic changes. Many men do not work. Many others whom we met are taxi drivers. A common sight was to see men socializing and smoking on the sidewalks while waiting for customers.
Many tend not to seek educational opportunities in order to own their own business or find jobs outside their professional field. Among the young generation only about 20% is employed, while among the older Georgians the rate is 77%. Women, confronted with the need of feeding their family, prove, over and over again, to be more flexible than their spouses. Many women in the Republic of Georgia have learned English, while their spouses have not. Even though many women have University degrees, they are not paid very well and therefore need to have multiple jobs to support their families. It is very rare in Georgian society that a woman divorces her husband. The only case where this is socially acceptable is if the female has been beaten or harmed by her husband. This seems to be what I saw in Georgia – men in the street socializing and smoking with other men, while women were working multiple jobs in order to support their families.
As for gender differences in children, we found that boys are not allowed to cook or clean in the house; in fact it is seen as a completely unacceptable behavior. We heard one story from a native Georgian woman, who was describing her young son wanting to set the table. She kept taking the tablecloth from him and knew that if it was known that he worked in the house “like a woman” he would be made fun of, ostracized and criticized. Girls, on the other hand, are expected to help in all the chores from a very young age. In the Georgian family, children are deeply loved and cared for. They are the center and the framework of the family. There is nothing that Georgian parents would not do for their children. Providing for them is very important and making sure that they succeed is critical to them. In the Georgian school system, I observed no differentiation in terms of teaching the children. As a result, many children with learning disabilities are poorly educated, and may then have difficulty finding work later in life.
Globalization has had an immense impact on the lives of Georgian people. I believe that they are in the process of making great transformations; but I also believe that because they are steeped in their traditional cultural ways, they are not changing their human and familiar values. The younger Georgians are more likely to change, but they greatly respect, value and defer to their parents and grandparents. In the families where women became the major breadwinners, male heads of families may have lost some of their power, but this was not evidenced by myself. At the traditional Supra that we were invited to, we observed that the men (and the male guest) made the toasts. But they also asked me (a American female) to make a toast at the end of the Supra. This was a sign of respect, of kindness, and perhaps recognition of the role of the female in society. Certainly, we never noticed the male authority being challenged or questioned by women, and I doubt that this happens very frequently.
The tendency for women to be subservient to men is apparent not only in urban families with high levels of education, but also in rural areas. In my observation of Georgian culture, I saw that women often downplay their share in family income. Teachers in Georgia, who are traditionally women, work long hours. They typically work a six hour days at their schools, then rush home to tutor students individually or in small groups at a room in their home. On the weekends, some teach at local universities. Those who own businesses may work for ten or more hours a day, six or seven days a week, and have little or no vacations.
Georgian society has very different expectations and norms about boys’ and girls’ relationships. In school, I spoke to some girls that were aged twelve and thirteen, and they indicated that there is little freedom for them to do as they wish. Many girls and boys learn traditional Georgian dance and seem to really enjoy it. Girls are quite busy after school cooking and cleaning; while boys can play sports or just play with other neighborhood boys. Traditional values are still very strong among the poorer, rural and small-town communities. Social institutions such as the kinship system continue to play an important role in the communities. Georgian society seems to be preserving its unique cultural identity, which involves strong ties with extended family, and close relationships between parents and children. The family plays an extremely important role in the Georgian society, and how valued women and men are in it. The male is considered the most powerful in the family; this follows a well-established, traditional pattern of male dominance.
After having a truly amazing experience of being with Georgians in their homes and schools, I realize how very important their culture and traditions are in establishing expectations and rules for gender. Although I understand this cultural framework, I also hope that women and girls will be given equal status to men in the future. While I value Georgian traditions, I hope that women rights can be a part of their future. Women in all cultures should be treated as equal to men, and men and women should share domestic and child care duties, if both work. In Georgia, gender roles may change in some urban areas, but are less likely to change in rural areas. Many female Georgians may not see the need to be treated equally, but times are changing. Some women have the responsibility of supporting not only their family and extended families, but also the time consuming duties of food preparation, child care and domestic chores. As the mother of three daughters, I want all girls to have futures full of opportunities and choices. I hope that with each generation women will be treated more and more as equals, and never as subservient to men.
I found that Georgian women tend to be active, hardworking and flexible, and they are adapting well to the rapid changes which made Georgia an independent country. Georgian women seem to be more likely to learn English, as well as other languages, and this advantage can allow them to travel and work abroad, as well as to find employment more easily. Men, as we were told are not succeeding in adjusting to the economic changes. Many men do not work. Many others whom we met are taxi drivers. A common sight was to see men socializing and smoking on the sidewalks while waiting for customers.
Many tend not to seek educational opportunities in order to own their own business or find jobs outside their professional field. Among the young generation only about 20% is employed, while among the older Georgians the rate is 77%. Women, confronted with the need of feeding their family, prove, over and over again, to be more flexible than their spouses. Many women in the Republic of Georgia have learned English, while their spouses have not. Even though many women have University degrees, they are not paid very well and therefore need to have multiple jobs to support their families. It is very rare in Georgian society that a woman divorces her husband. The only case where this is socially acceptable is if the female has been beaten or harmed by her husband. This seems to be what I saw in Georgia – men in the street socializing and smoking with other men, while women were working multiple jobs in order to support their families.
As for gender differences in children, we found that boys are not allowed to cook or clean in the house; in fact it is seen as a completely unacceptable behavior. We heard one story from a native Georgian woman, who was describing her young son wanting to set the table. She kept taking the tablecloth from him and knew that if it was known that he worked in the house “like a woman” he would be made fun of, ostracized and criticized. Girls, on the other hand, are expected to help in all the chores from a very young age. In the Georgian family, children are deeply loved and cared for. They are the center and the framework of the family. There is nothing that Georgian parents would not do for their children. Providing for them is very important and making sure that they succeed is critical to them. In the Georgian school system, I observed no differentiation in terms of teaching the children. As a result, many children with learning disabilities are poorly educated, and may then have difficulty finding work later in life.
Globalization has had an immense impact on the lives of Georgian people. I believe that they are in the process of making great transformations; but I also believe that because they are steeped in their traditional cultural ways, they are not changing their human and familiar values. The younger Georgians are more likely to change, but they greatly respect, value and defer to their parents and grandparents. In the families where women became the major breadwinners, male heads of families may have lost some of their power, but this was not evidenced by myself. At the traditional Supra that we were invited to, we observed that the men (and the male guest) made the toasts. But they also asked me (a American female) to make a toast at the end of the Supra. This was a sign of respect, of kindness, and perhaps recognition of the role of the female in society. Certainly, we never noticed the male authority being challenged or questioned by women, and I doubt that this happens very frequently.
The tendency for women to be subservient to men is apparent not only in urban families with high levels of education, but also in rural areas. In my observation of Georgian culture, I saw that women often downplay their share in family income. Teachers in Georgia, who are traditionally women, work long hours. They typically work a six hour days at their schools, then rush home to tutor students individually or in small groups at a room in their home. On the weekends, some teach at local universities. Those who own businesses may work for ten or more hours a day, six or seven days a week, and have little or no vacations.
Georgian society has very different expectations and norms about boys’ and girls’ relationships. In school, I spoke to some girls that were aged twelve and thirteen, and they indicated that there is little freedom for them to do as they wish. Many girls and boys learn traditional Georgian dance and seem to really enjoy it. Girls are quite busy after school cooking and cleaning; while boys can play sports or just play with other neighborhood boys. Traditional values are still very strong among the poorer, rural and small-town communities. Social institutions such as the kinship system continue to play an important role in the communities. Georgian society seems to be preserving its unique cultural identity, which involves strong ties with extended family, and close relationships between parents and children. The family plays an extremely important role in the Georgian society, and how valued women and men are in it. The male is considered the most powerful in the family; this follows a well-established, traditional pattern of male dominance.
After having a truly amazing experience of being with Georgians in their homes and schools, I realize how very important their culture and traditions are in establishing expectations and rules for gender. Although I understand this cultural framework, I also hope that women and girls will be given equal status to men in the future. While I value Georgian traditions, I hope that women rights can be a part of their future. Women in all cultures should be treated as equal to men, and men and women should share domestic and child care duties, if both work. In Georgia, gender roles may change in some urban areas, but are less likely to change in rural areas. Many female Georgians may not see the need to be treated equally, but times are changing. Some women have the responsibility of supporting not only their family and extended families, but also the time consuming duties of food preparation, child care and domestic chores. As the mother of three daughters, I want all girls to have futures full of opportunities and choices. I hope that with each generation women will be treated more and more as equals, and never as subservient to men.