Perception of age changing by different gender ofwomen 40-60 years old in Russia and Australia

Ovsyanik Olga, Associate professor of Ulyanovsk State University,

Ulyanovsk, Russia, ovsianik@mail.ru, +79165630718

There is research of gender specific of adaptationwomen 40-60 years old for society. Women were tested byBSRI and author’s topic –guide. In the research wereAustralian and Russian women (406 people). We studdedhow women feel age, how they comprehend of changingthey have, old age, climacteric and other. In thereport we tried to show gender and cultural differentof women which are in big social and physiology crisis.

Keywords: women 40-60 years old, gender, masculine,feminine, androgen women, climacteric, old age,adaptation.

Society wants from women 40-60 years old to be more

masculine but in time women were young society waited

more famine from them. Now women must be strong,

resolute, hardly so women have to reorganize their

attitude and behavior. They must adapt for new society

wishes and this adaption is no successful always. In

the report we make an analysis of adaptation of women

with consideration of their gender. Because we are sure

that gender influent on an affectivity of this process.

Studding women in USA [Reinke, Ellicott, ets. 1985]

showed that there are two important things in life of

women 40-60 year old: adult children go out from home

and parents died. But we also should say that in that

age women have age physiologist period when their

hormone system are changing too.

S.Bern is sure that difference of people is more far

then only biological sex different. We have different

social standard which influent on our behavior. [Берн,

2001]. We are sure that this social influence defines

gender.

In S. Bem’s opinion there are four genders: masculine,

feminine, androgen and no differential one. [Bem

1979]. But we think that in age 40-60 years old last

one is not in real life.

For taking into account cultural of women we research

attitude Russian and Australian women. In the research

were 406 women in age 40-60 years old which never

leaved there courtiers for migration. Russian women

were 278 (68, 6%), which live in different regions of

country (Ulyanovsk region, Moscow region, Nizhny

Novgorod region, Khantomansiysky region, Khabarovsk

region). Australian women were from state Victoria

(Barnstable, Swan Hill, Melbourne), and there were 128

ones (31, 4%). There were 106 (25, 6%) homosexual women

and 88, 7% had long relationship with other women (67,

2% Australian women and 5, 8% Russian ones).

We shared women on gender group by The Bam Sex-Role

Inventory. We have got three genders: feminine,

masculine and androgen ones (table.1)

Table 1 Gender groups of women

Gender

N=406

Percentage of distribution Total of sample Russian women

sampleFeminine 21.2% 53.5%Masculine 24.1% 49%Androgen 54.7% 88.3%

Then the women were asked by our author’s topic-guide.

The answers on question “What happens with women in 40-

60 years old” are in table 2. We can see cultural

difference. Russia women suppose that women become

older (16 times more choices then in Australia) and

less pay attention on physiologist age changing (4

times less than in Australia).

Table 2Opinion about processes with women in 40-60

years old

Processes % of % of all % of all

N=406 chooses Russian

women

Australian

womenClimacteric 69.0 55.6 96.1Became older 26.1 37.1 2.3

Nothing 4.9 6.9 1.6

Gender preferences of women show (diagram 1) that

feminine women more worry about age (twice more).

Androgen women suppose four times more than masculine

women than change nothing.

Diagram 1 Opinion different gender about processes with

women in that age

feminine

maskuline

androgen

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

ClimactericBecome olderNothing

Sixty nine percentage of women answer affirmatively on

answer “Have anything changed with you since you were

40 years old?”

Analysis of gender sample shows that feminine is evenly

between choices but masculine and androgen women twice

more saw changes (Diagram 2)/ We didn’t see any

cultural different in answers.

Diagram 2 Opinion of women about changing after 40

years old

Feminine

Maskulin

Androgen

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 120.0%

yesno

Women were asked about concreting changing with then

(table 3) if it was. Masculine women did not think they

were older but feminine ones have maximum percentage in

that opinion. They often feel their passport age. But

as we can see they saw nothing in career changing, it

could be because this kind of women is not interested

in professional areal. They are worry about health and

aging.

Table 3 Share of gender choices in changing

(Women could have more than one answer)

Answers N=280 Feminine

(%)

Masculine

(%)

Androgen (%)

Became older 36.7 0 63.3

Health is worse

17.6 26.3 56.1

Became wise 8.8 18.8 72.4Have got possibility

0 55.2 44.8

Career changed 0 25.7 72.3Changes in family

33.7 22.1 44.2

Maximum changing of androgen women were in “career” and

in “wise”. Masculine women were sure that they have got

more possibility. It could be because their children

are adult and women can worry about themselves more

than it was before. They also had minimum changing in

family in all gender. Women more often said about

positive changing as wedding, grandchild and other (55,

9 %) then about negative (divorce, death any family

member, stopping of working and other).

Women were asked about opinion social environment about

their changing (table 4). As we can see feminine women

did not become quite and their character became worse

more than characters other gender. Less changing

character in bad direction was in masculine group. This

kind of women became quite and professional grew up.

Table 4 Opinion of social environment about changingwomen

Answers N=406 Feminine Masculine Androgen

(%) (%) (%)Character became worse

66.7 9.8 23.5

Become older 25.0 4.2 70.8Professional growing up

1.4 28.5 70.1

Became quite 0 40.3 59.9

Androgen women became older most of all if believe

opinion of people which are near women. But we should

remark that it could be no opinion of most people which

are near women and it could be opinion which women

remember most of all or opinion referent people.

Interesting fact is that there were 77, 7% opinion

about Australian women where people said about their

professional growing up and there were only 13, 8%

opinion that women became older. It could be because

Russians like say “bad true to face” in time

Australians more politic people and prefer say more

positive to women.

In our research we asked for women to divide 100% of

women’s pleasure on sectors which we assigned (family,

work, social life) and one sector was free for any

other women’s answer.

The last sector after had got department “personal

life” (there were love, sex), department “self-

expression” (there were hobby, creative, self-

realization in any area). So we have got six sectors

(table 5) where we can see that no one gender worry

about self-expression. Feminine women distribute family

and personal life but social life is no too pleasant

business.

Table 5 Gender distribution of definition “pleasure”

AnswersN=406

Feminine

(%)

Masculine

(%)

Androgen (%)

Family 55.3 9.6 33.3Work 15.2 51.8 41.2Social life 6.3 28.6 19.0Personal life 18.4 4.4 4.8Self-expression

4.8 5.6 1.7

Masculine women have work in first place and then there

is social life but personal life is no too interesting

for them. Androgen women also prefer work but family is

important part of their life too. No too big rating of

private life could be because 30, 8% women have any

sexual partner. We also should add that there were no

cultural different in our sample.

Women were asked about feeling own age (Diagram 3) and

we can see that feminine women feel own age most of

all.

Diagram 3 Feeling of age by different gender

Fem.

Masc.

Androg.

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 120.0%

yesnosometimes

Masculine women less of all gender feel age. And inandrogen gender we can see evenly distribution ofanswers. There were no cultural different too.In markers of expression of age changing women (table7) most of them said about climacteric (76, 7%),illness (69, 2%) and less of changing were in badmemory (36%) and attention (29, 2%).

Table 7 Age problem in different gender

AnswersN=406

Feminine

(%)

Masculine

(%)

Androgen

(%)

Total

(%)Climacteric 26.4 3.5 70.1 76.6Bad memory 47.3 17.8 34.9 36.0Bad attention 44.6 22.3 33.1 29.2Illnesses 30.0 4.6 65.4 69.2Changing of social status

26.7 21.2 52.1 75.2

Loss of sexuality

28.9 13.5 57.6 12.1

As we can see, feminine women worry much but most of

all they worry about bad memory and bad attention.

Masculine women have no big age problems. Androgen

women said about climacteric and illnesses, they also

worry about loss of sexuality and changing social

status that other genders.

In question about dreams during next 20 years (table 8)

we catch nationality specific. Russians want rest (88,

5%) but only 46, 6% of Australian women dream about

same (it is twice less). Most Russian women dream about

grandchildren (86, 5%) and only 15, 7% Australians do

it. About marriage think 38, 7% of Australian women and

only 27, 3% Russians. Watch the world want 85, 9% of

Australian women and only 13, 3% Russian ones, what are

five time less. We also can note that better work wish

34, 5% Russian women and 46, 9% Australians. So we can

say about tendency to rest in Russian group which could

be because they are tied form heavy life and they feel

themselves old women in 40-60 years old. Australian

women feel themselves younger and they are more social

activity and want to know the world yet.

Gender analysis shows us that feminine women dreamed

about rest and grandchildren, they do not want to look

for any job and they dream to become pensioner as

quickly as they can.

Diagram 5 Gender dreams of women 40-60 years old

rest

money

grendchildren

watch the world

marriage

better work

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

120.0%

Fem.Masc.Andr.

Masculine women dream about money, watching the world

and better work. Less of all they dreamed about

marriage and family job. Androgen women dreamed about

money, rest, grandchildren and less of all they want to

move to any place.

Nationality specific were fined in answer of hindrance

of having they want. Russia women are sure that their

age is a problem (68, 1%) and twice less Australians

thought by that way (31, 8%). Health is problem for 65,

7% of Russian women and 34, 4% (twice less) of

Australian women worry about it. Only Russian women

said that family could be a problem in having they

want. No one Australian woman thought that family is a

problem.

Analysis of gender (table 8) can us help to see that

most problems in groups “money”, “age” and “work”.

Table 8 Gender’s hindrances

AnswersN=406

Feminine

(%)

Masculine

(%)

Androgen

(%)

Total

(%)Age 25.8 7.5 66.7 72.7Health 33.3 10.4 56.3 45.1Money 19.4 20.5 61.1 90.1Family 61.5 0 38.5 12.8Work 71.1 26.3 2.6 18.7Androgen women worry very much. They saw hindrances in

age, money, health and family. Family is no problem

for masculine women but they worry about work, that

group of women did not say about much problems.

Feminine women saw hindrances in wok, family, health

but they do no saw problems in money.

We are sure that feeling them and orientation of future

could be the reason of too different answers. So we

asked for women to find the best verb for them: “I

can”, “I will be”, “I will have” (Diagram 7).

Diagram 7Orientation of gender

Fem.

Masc.

Androg.

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0% 120.0%

I can I will beI will have

We can see gender specific of women’s orientation.

Feminine women prefer “I can” and they orient on

realizing own possibility. They did not feel “I will

be” and do not want to try to move to goal. It shows

they are passive and they find they wanted or loved

they have and do not want any changing. Androgen women

have maximum orientation on “I will have” and they

oriented on having they want. They choose less “I

will be” also and do not want to make any by

themselves. Masculine women have maximum orientation in

“I will be” and about equal in “I will have” and “I

can”. They are orientated on reaching goal by

themselves and they are more concrete, independent in

their strategies and hope on their power. So we could

say about different of motivation of achievement.

The age 40-60 year is time for becoming old women, so

we asked women about their attitude to that time

(Diagram 8).

In group of women which afraid of “poverty” entered 62,

8% Russian women and only 37, 2% of Australian women

(it is twice less). Other groups had no national

advantage.

Diagram 8Associating old age by different genders (more

than one choice)

poverty helplessness illness rest0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

120.0%

Fem.Masc.Androg.

Old age is illnesses for feminine women and they did no

look at that time as helpless time. For Masculine women

it is illness too and this gender did no associate that

time with rest. Androgen women associate this time with

poverty, rest and illness.

The time of old age is different for all gender too but

every second women are sure that this time will be

after climacteric (most women are in that age in time

of asking). Therefore, we can see that women are in

transitional period which is very heavy for them and

which is negative for them, so it is stressful time for

women our age group.

Diagram 9Old age time for different gender

after climacteric

after 60

in pension time

never

0.0% 10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%

Androg.Masc.Fem.

Analysis of answer women about coming old age time

(diagram 9) we can see that feminine women said only

about only two border of that period but time “after

climacteric” is the leader in choices more than three

times.

Every second masculine women thought that old age would

come in pension time and they do not become pensioners,

they have activity position and try to realize all

possibility in life. Less of all they thought that old

age came after climacteric. Androgen women as feminine

women thought that this time will come after

climacteric too and less of all they feel that old age

come never.

Climacteric’s associate had also nationality aspects.

Most Australian women (95, 3%) sure it is illness and

only 43, 2% of Russian women thought by this way (twice

less). Maybe it is the reason that Russian women do not

like to go to doctor with that problem.

On the question of perception of climacteric 59, 4% of

women said it is old age. So, by one hand half of women

sure that old age will come after climacteric by other

hand they associate climacteric with old age. Moreover,

women which thought that old age would be after

climacteric are 70, 3% which sure that old age is

climacteric. Therefore most women in age 40-60 years

old feel themselves old women in time they are in adult

age in real. So we can say about big frustration of

women in our age group. We can see also that bigger

part of women perceived this physiological changing as

inevitability.

Diagram 10Gender associate of climacteric

old age

Illness

inevitability

women's problems

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Androg.Masc.Fem.

Analysis gender in that answer we can see (Diagram 10)

that masculine women thought that is illness and

inevitability and less of all they thought it was

women’s problems. Androgen women did not think that it

was women’s problems but it was inevitability for that

gender too. Feminine women thought that climacteric is

women’s problems which no need to talking about and

inevitability. In our interview we saw that 36, 2% of

women feel about it insult and 55, 7% of insult women

were feminine ones. There were 51, 7% of women which

feel disappointment and there were 73, 3% androgen

women.

By value their condition in that physiology age period

women had different answers from negative to positive

(she can have pleasure from life without pregnant

problems) (table 9).

Table 9Gender’s feeling condition in this time

AnswersN=406

Feminine

(%)

Masculine

(%)

Androgen

(%)

Total

(%)Shame 7.3 18.9 73.8 40.4Health problems 39.6 11.5 48.9 44.8Psychologicalproblems 32.7 8.7 58.6 50.2Social and interpersonalproblems 27.2 20.9 51.9 50.7Freedom 0 80.0 20.0 8.6

In our research we can see that every second woman had

psychological, social and interpersonal problems in

that time. Most masculine women feel freedom but no one

feminine woman feels same. Androgen women feel shame

also.

Bearing in main that 79,3% of our women were in

climacteric time we could see that 63,3% of women

neurotically ousted this problem, 40,1% of women were

no ready for age changing and 25,9% of women looked at

age changing fatal (diagram 11). Moreover opinion “it

will never be with me” were in 87, 4% of Russian women

and only 12, 6% Australian women.

We can also see that answers “yes” and “no” are in

androgen gender about equal share. Masculine women were

no ready for this period.

Diagram 10 Gender attitudes about climacteric.

no it will never be with me

yes did no think about it

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Fem.Masc.Androg.

We asked women about kind of crisis in time after 40

years (table 10). Opinions had national color.

Australian women thought that it was physiological and

social crisis but Russian women have money, spirit and

psychological crisis. And twice more Russian women

thought that women have no one crisis.

Table 10 Crisis opinion of different nationality and

different gender

AnswersN=406

Weight of

crisis (%)

Feminin

e (%)

Masculi

ne (%)

Androge

n (%)Tot

al

Russi

an

women

Austra

lian

women

Money

crisis

11.

1 73.3 26.7 33.3 4.4 62.3

Spirit crisis

25.

9 85.7 14.3 31.4 0.5 68.1Social

crisis

8.4

35.3 64.7 5.9 35.3 58.9

Psychological crisis

58.

1 51.3 8.7 5.5 8.9 85.8

Physiological crisis

71.

2 36.0 64.0 20.4 6.2 73.4

Nothing

25.

4 67.0 33.0 2.0 35.0 63.0

It could be psychological illiteracy or result of

soviet propaganda (all Russian women was born and grew

up in USSR) or it could be result of chronicle stress

of Russian women, which are in bad material situation

now.

In feminine gender were more popular money crisis and

spirit crisis and less of all nothing and social

crisis. In androgen gender was popular psychological

and physiological crisis. In masculine gender was

nothing and social crisis.

Last question was about people which could help women

in their situation (Table 11). All women agree that

there are psychologists (same opinion Russian and

Australian women). Less of all were “hobby” and

“priest” but it was interesting that Australian women

prefer “hobby” and Russian women prefer “priest’.

Table 11 Opinion about people which can help women

AnswersN=406

Weight of

crisis (%)

Femini

ne (%)

Masculi

ne (%)

Androg

en

(%)Total Russia

n

women

Austra

lian

women

Psychologis

ts

68.5

56.8 43.2 16.5 17.3 66.2Doctors 29.3 18.5 81.5 39.5 10.1 50.4Relatives 18.7 71.0 29.0 22.4 14.3 63.3Priests 8.4 91.2 8.8 8.8 0 91.2

Work

17.4

9 71.8 28.2 0 16.9 83.1

Hobby 1.6 23.2 76.8 1.6 22.2 76.2Physical

activity

24.1

36.7 63.3 0 34.7 65.3

We can see that Russian women prefer priests, relatives

and work (where they have friendly relationship), but

Australian women prefer to have business with doctors,

hobby and physical activity, we can say they are more

pragmatically.

Analysis of gender we can see that feminine women had

no choice in category “work” and “physical activity”,

and masculine women have no choice in category

“priests”. Androgen women use all category and they

usually made more than one choices in time feminine

women did not do it often.

Summary our research we would like to note that big

part of feminine women prefer to save their habits,

attitudes and values (they were ready to accept with

alone status), old stability behavior style which can

correct hardly. Result of it could be dissatisfaction,

apathy, feeling tied, depressive, cynicism and other.

There were 87.4% of feminine women deny themselves

personal and professional growing (they had no wishes

to look for any partner in alone period) and preferred

safety and security of known things, they consciously

limited their motivation structure, narrowed personal

space. They are in condition of victim which “drifts in

flow”. This kind of women prefer to be in role

“housewife” which worry about family, help all her life

children, grandchildren and other people which are near

her and it is the meaning of her life.

Masculine women prefer to see the meaning of life in

work, achievement in career. They need new goal and

direction of moving. Most women from this gender agree

that “work is biggest part of my life” (85, 7%). These

women do not care about family and children. They do

not love housework and try minimum time at home.

Biggest part of androgen women were agree that “need

maximum realize themselves and reach all you can” (83,

7%). They try to combine both gender and try to be good

housewife and make career (90, 1%). They have

frustration of mood and the change their authorities

very often. This women are sure they are bad mother

because can no feeling of realization themselves in

mother’s role. They try to compensate attention for

their grandchildren things which they could not give

their children.

We could see that children of women in age 40-60 years

old are big part of their life. Women try to spend

maximum spirit and physical power into children and

women look at children as part of themselves. In this

age women wait support and understanding. And if women

have any wished which they could not realize, women try

to realize by children. This realization could be via:

1.Achievement of children which go by own way which

basic on children ability (20, 5% feminine women,

56, 4% masculine ones and 78, 6% androgen women).

2.Promotion members of family in “need” her direction

or motivate children to make her wishes or script

or “family tradition” (79, 5% feminine women, 6, 0%

masculine ones and 43, 6% androgen women).

So we can see that masculine and androgen women trust

children more in time feminine women try to direct

children to women’s dream.

Summary our research we could say that different gender

has own life strategy and we can no say same about all

women our age group. We have to take into account their

gender and culture.

Reference

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Personal and Social Psychology. 1979 V.37. p.1047-

1054

3.Bem S. The Bem Sex-Role Inventory //

http://faculty.sunydutchess.edu/andrews/bem_sex.htm

4.Reinke B.J., Ellicott A.M., Harris R.L. & Hancock E. Timing of

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