Abstract
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In modern Russia, trend for public administration feminization is clearly visible. The proportion of women in executive bodies constantly growing, at the same time, the share of female students studying in specialized colleges or universities is growing as well. Thus, we wondered, what attracts modern young women to study public administration and then go work on Russian public service. Our research question is to find out motives why the female representatives get higher education in the field of public administration, and later go to work for the state.
While neo-liberal approach emphasizes the strengthening of the female presence in government bodies, representatives of gender approaches argue for reproduction in the power structures of patriarchal scheme of women subjugation by men, pushing them to low-status positions that involve performing routine work. Our study was based on a set of 29 semi-structured interviews with young women who have an experience of working in the civil service (minimum 2 years without a break). The results were guided by the qualitative analysis of the text in order to identify the main topics crucial for this group of women due to the nature of their type and level of education and personal life.
Thus, we examined whether PA education is preferable for Russian women, and why. We revealed, on the one hand, the continuing stereotypical division of labor (and as a result the division of educational programs) in the spheres of male (power, supreme responsibility) and female (work assistant, organizer, or more creative, but rather an individual - Analyst, PR, etc.). So women can easily find professional self-realization in governmental bodies serving as mid-level servant, but on the other - some counter-stereotypical phenomenon and attitudes that characterize the studied group of women: a relatively high self-esteem and tends to self-realization after graduation.
Indeed, the main conclusion is that, on the one hand, women in Russia graduated with РА qualification, as a rule, do not aspire to the highest levels of power, on the other hand, the pursuit of a horizontal "expert in your field" is a meaningful career expectations for them (often in spite of the low salaries).
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