Text 6. Special sociological theories

Task: read the text, translate it into Russian in written form.

The role of theoretical background for a sociological research is of tremendous importance. In fact it predetermines what we select to examine in the first place and the range of possible explanations available for us.

If theory is understood not only as a system of law-like propositions, but as any set of ideas which can help make sense of a phenomenon, guide, action or predict a consequence, then one can distinguish, at least, four kinds of theory: social (scientific), normative, operational and everyday theory. Within the body of social (scientific) theory we can distinguish the whole range of special sociological theories.

Among special sociological theories there are such as: sociology of everyday life, sociology of education, sociology of religion, sociology of family, sociology of mass media, sociology of culture and so on. The one that has been developed quite recently is sociology of countries in transition.

The concept of transition (transformation) is extremely complex. In fact, it is as complex as the world it is applied to. Before 1989 people divided the whole Europe into simplistic East and West. Since 1989 we can not fully rely on this devision; the world has lost its bipolarity and the consequences are not yet fully understood.

Before perestroyka everything was quite simple. People from the East viewed the West as capitalistic, evil, but at the same time highly developed economically. People from the West, in their turn, viewed the East as dark, obscure and to some extent invisible behind the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall. Invisibility left room for fantasies of all sorts.

Now we speak of Eastern, Central and Western Europe. But this new devision is as simplistic as it was before. The former Eastern European bloc is as culturally diversified as Central European regions. And like Central and Eastern Europe, Western Europe is not culturally unified as it sometimes likes to suggest. There are very different countries also in Southern and Nothern Europe. Europe is not simply moving from bipolarity to tripolarity. Polypolarity determines the complexity of transformations.

Central Europe and Eastern Europe are very much in focus. It is inevitably and rightly so. However, we should not forget that Central and Eastern European transformations are not isolated phenomena. We should not neglect what is happening elsewhere in other parts of the globe as a consequence of the sweeping changes we are observing here today. We are experiencing changes of a worldwide scope.

Exercises

Ex.1. Match English and Russian equivalents.

1. to predict consequences a.регионы с разной культурой

2. theoretical background b.руководить действиями

3. to make sense c.регионы с единой культурой

4. to be in focus d.предвидеть последствия

5. to guide actions e.быть в центре внимания

6. culturally unified regions f. переживать изменения

7. to experience changes g.теоретическая основа

8. culturally diversified regions h.иметь смысл

Ex.2. Find and translate sentences in given text in which Passive Voice is used.

Ex.3. Correct the statements if they are not true.

1. The concept of transformation is not so complex as it may seem at first glance. 2. The world has always been split into two parts, and bipolarity is still its characteristic feature. 3. Eastern Europe is in the focus of sociologists’ attention nowadays.

Ex.4. Answer the questions.

1. What special sociological theories do you know?

2. What can you say about the concept of transformation?

3. How was the world we live in interpreted before 1989?

4. In what way did people of the West view people of the East before 1989?

5. Can we speak about Western Europe as culturally unified?

6. What changes are we experiencing nowadays?

Ex.5. Make a short summary of the text.

THE PUBLIC WELFARE SYSTEM IN AMERICA

Although people in countries around the world know about the aid provided by the government and people of the United States to other nations in times of need, many are unfamiliar with the public welfare system which exists within the United States itself. Because the economic system of the country is one of private, individual, free enterprise, even those who have studied about the United States believe, in many cases, that American citizens must always fend for themselves. While it is true that Americans are expected to provide for their own needs – and for most American citizens it is a point of honor to be able to do so without accepting help from other individuals or from the government – the United States has had , since the 1930s, an extensive system of social welfare to help those who cannot help themselves.

HISTORY OF AMERICAN WELFARE

From the days of British colonial rule in North America until the 1930s, there was little disagreement about the proper role of government with regard to the welfare of the American people. Local government gave a small amount of money to the very poorest, but most people refused to accept this help unless they were desperate. In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, a number of nations in Europe were establishing and administering government – funded public welfare programs. No equivalent movement existed in the United States until the beginning of the 20^th century. Millions of European immigrants had almost limitless opportunities to establish a good life for themselves, and many of them, through applied intelligence and hard work, succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. Such opportunities were not always available to Black Americans (most of whom were held in slavery until the end of the Civil War in 1865) and Native Americans. The majority of Americans could, if they worked hard, establish themselves in comfort, both socially and economically within a generation or two. Government aid was unnecessary for this majority.

By 1900, however, there began a public recognition that part of the population was disadvantaged and there was a need to do something for those citizens. A social movement known as “Progressivism”, which preached the reform of society through government intervention, gradually began to replace the “laissez-faire” philosophy of the preceding century.

In 1929, tens of thousands of people lost their jobs because of a severe economic decline known as the Great Depression. The President, Herbert Hoover, introduced programs to solve the problem, but changing a system takes time. Within days after Roosvelt took office in 1933, the old idea that direct federal government support was not a useful way to help people faded into history. Suddenly, Congress was establishing many public welfare programs which were radically different from any earlier activities undertaken by the American government. The government began using its money and power to provide jobs for people on public projects such as nature conversation, building dams, repairing roads, renovating public buildings and establishing new electrical systems for rural areas.

Among the programs that began during the Depression years was the Social Security program, approved in 1935.

After the Roosevelt period another set of government programs was enacted such as the Medicare program.

WELFARE

The majority of Americans – about 85 percent – are neither wealthy nor poor. They belong to the broad economic category considered to be “middle class”. This means that they have jobs in factories or offices, run stores, or are trained professionals such as teachers, nurses, farmers, police officers and salespeople. Middle class people ordinarily live comfortably, own cars, spend some time each year on holiday and can pay – at least in part – for a university education for their children. Economically above this middle class are some very wealthy people; below the middle class are the poor. Poverty in the United States is difficult to define. Generally, a family of four with a yearly income of $11,600 or less is considered to be poor by American standards. Many of the poor have less income than this “minimum” amount. Daily life is difficult for the very poor. Without the welfare system they would not earn enough money for food or other necessities. Many would live in inferior housing and would not be able to pay for medical treatment for their children.

Most Americans are troubled by the fact that poverty exists in their land. The United States is, after all, known for its wealth, its abundance of food and its opportunity for all to build a good life. The goal is to operate a free enterprise economy in which everyone who wants to work can find employment at which he or she can earn enough money to live comfortably. Despite that goal, there is always a percentage of the people who want to work but who cannot find employment for which they are suited. The percentage of the population unemployed varies with the national economic situation. In recent years, the official figure for unemployment has averaged between five and seven percent.

The plight of the poor and unemployed would be much worse than it is if it were not for help that they can and do receive from the federal and state governments. The public welfare system in the United States is so large that in the early and mid-1980s nearly one half of all money spent by the federal government was for “social payments” – money used to help people. The percentage has doubled since the 1960s, when only about 25 percent of the money spent by the federal government supported these welfare needs.

In addition to federal programs, there are programs in each of the 50 states which are designed to help people in need.

Among the many programs that help people who live in poverty are:

-Welfare payments- sums of money which are given by the government each month to those whose income is too low to provide necessities such as food, clothing and shelter;

-Medicaid- free medical and hospital care;

-Food stamps- books of special stamps which can be used to buy food at any store;

-School breakfast and lunch programs providing free meals to schoolchildren;

-Surplus food programs, under which food is purchased in huge quantities by the government and distributed free of charge to the poor.

In addition, the poor – and even people who are not poor – can become eligible to live in public housing. Public housing developments are groups of apartment buildings built at government expense. Federal, state and city government agencies are in charge of seeing that the apartments are made available to people with low incomes. Government agencies also take care of the buildings, providing guards, maintenance and heating.

When public housing is not available, poor people who need a place to live are sometimes placed in privately-owned apartments or in hotels for which the rent is paid by the government.

SOCIAL SECURITY

There are many other government programs that provide help to people. The Social Security program remains the largest. It is financed by a tax paid by all working people. Virtually everyone who works in the United States has seven percent (in 1990) of his or her wages deducted to support the Social Security program. This money is used in several ways:

When people reach retirement age – they must be at least 62 – they can stop working and receive a monthly Social Security payment. (Most Americans do not retire until after age 65, however, when the payment is slightly higher.)

When a worker becomes disabled and cannot work, he or she is usually eligible for Social Security payments. Social Security payments are also available to widows and young children of workers who die before retirement age.

Older Americans (over age 65) are also eligible for medical and hospital care under a federal government program called Medicare. Although this program does not pay all medical expenses, it does help a great deal. On average, it pays about 74 percent of the money needed for hospital care and about 55 percent of the money needed to pay doctors’ fees.

BENEFIT PROGRAMS

There are a number of other ways in which the federal or state governments help people:

Unemployment Insurance: Each state provides money to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. The unemployed worker can receive weekly payments for up to six months while he/she looks for a new job. The states also have agencies which retrain workers or help them find new jobs, using information about available work provided by private companies.

Veteran’s Benefits: Persons who have served in the armed forces can receive inexpensive or cost-free hospital care at special veteran’s hospitals.

Education: Public schools are located in all states. All children – even children who are not American citizens – must be given a completely free education at these schools. Higher education at a college or university is not free. Young people who qualify (because their family’s income is low) can get loans or grants through government programs. Loans must be repaid when the student begins working after graduation.

Business: There are certain government agencies which help people to run businesses.

Job Training: Government programs help young people from poor families learn a skill that will get them a good job.

VOLUNTARISM AND PHILANTHROPY

American private charities and voluntary organizations are supported by businesses and wealthy individuals and their organizations. Three of many major organizations funded by industrialists – the Carnegie Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Rockfeller Foundation – have provided tens of millions of dollars to programs of teacher education, biomedical research and social science research.

On a smaller scale, 55 percent of all American adults do some form of volunteer work and each American, on average, also donates 1.8 percent of his income of charity.

DEBATE OVER WELFARE

Some people believe that increased direct expenditure by the federal government is the best means to eliminate poverty. Others say the welfare system does not reward individual initiative – it encourages people to stay unemployed and spend, rather than save money.

All of the studies and the arguments about poverty and public welfare programs show that Americans are concerned about a problem that has not been solved.

THE BRITISH SYSTEM OF SOCIAL WELFARE

The British social welfare system comprises the National Health Service,the personal social services, and social security. The National Health Service provides a comprehensive range of medical services which are available to all residents, irrespective of means. Local authority personal social services and voluntary organizations provide help and advice to the most vulnerable members of the community. These include elderly people, disable people and children in need of care. The social security system is designed to secure a basic standard of living for people in financial need by providing income during periods of inability to earn ( including periods of unemployment ), help for families and assistance with costs arising from disablement.

Central government is directly responsible for the National Health Service, administered by a range of health authorities and boards throughout Britain acting as its agents, and for the social security system. It has an indirect responsibility for the personal social services administered by local authorities. Joint finance and planning between health and local authorities aim to prevent overlapping of services and to encourage the development of community services.

Planned spending on social welfare in 1989-1990 was : health over & 25,000 million and personal social services over & 4,800 million ( together representing some 15 per cent of general government expenditure ); and social security benefits some & 51,000 million ( 31 per cent ).

Expenditure on the health service has increased substantially in real terms since 1990, and current spending is planned to grow further. More patients are now being treated than ever before. Spending on social security is rising because of increased numbers of beneficiaries, especially retirement pensioners, the long-term sick and disabled, and the unemployed, and the value of retirement and most other long-term benefits has been increased in real terms since 1990. Major reforms to the social security system have been introduced under the Social Security Act 1986; these are designed to provide a clearer, simpler system more capable of meeting genuine need. Spending on the personal social services is determined by local authorities, and while constraints are placed by central government on the total expenditure of individual local authorities, spending has risen substantially in real terms since the late 1990s, thus reflecting the priority given to this sector.

Vocabulary to the text. Try to memorise it.

1. the personal social services – адресные социальные услуги

2. voluntary organizations – добровольные организации

3. disable people – нетрудоспособные граждане

4. periods of unemployment – периоды безработицы

5. to prevent overlapping of services – предотвратить дублирование услуг

6. community services – общественные услуги

7. social welfare – социальное обеспечение

8. planned spending – запланированные расходы

9. social security benefits – пособия по социальному обеспечению

10. expenditure on the health service - расходы на здравоохранение

11. to treat patients – лечить пациентов

12. general government expenditure – основные правительственные расходы

13. security benefits – пособия по социальному обеспечению

14. beneficiaries – лица, получающие пособия, льготы

15. retirement pensioners – пенсионеры по старости или по выслуге лет

16. the value of retirement – размер пенсии

17. current spending – текущие расходы

18. a comprehensive range of medical services – широкий диапазон мед. Услуг

19. irrespective of means – независимо от средств

20. inability to earn – неспособность зарабатывать

Read the following words and define their meanings.

Social, system, national, service, personal, medical, resident, local, organization, basic, standard, financial, central, agent, planning, million, per cent, general, real, pensioner, reform, act, total, undividual, reflect, sector.

Form nouns of the following verbs.

V + ment – N

To treat - _____________________

To govern - ______________________

To retire - ___________________________

To employ - _____________________________

V + ion – N

To direct - ________________

To prevent - ________________

To act - ______________________

Form adverbs of the following adjectives.

Adj + ly – Adv

Direct - _________________

Substantial - _______________

Social - _______________________

Pick out in the text all the expressions with the following words and give their Russian equivalents.

System - ________________

Service (s) - ______________

Expenditure - _________________

Government - _________________

Health - _____________________

Spending - ___________________

Find in the text the English equivalents for the following phrases.

Make up sentences on your own.

1. адресные социальные услуги

2. медицинские службы ( услуги )

3. путем обеспечения дохода

4. наиболее незащищенные члены общества

5. пожилые люди

6. нетрудоспособные люди

7. дети,нуждающиеся в опеке,попечении

8. безработица

9. помощь в связи с возросшими материальными потребностями из-за нетрудоспособности

10. система социального обеспечения

11. совместное финансирование и планирование

12. расходы на здравоохранение значительно увеличились

13. ожидается, что текущие расходы возрастут

14. люди,болеющие продолжительное время

15. долговременные пособия

Translate the sentences into English making use of the active vocabulary.

2. Британское правительство разработало различные программы, нацеленные на оказание социальных услуг.

3. Расходы на здравоохранение и социальные услуги несет государство.

4. Правительство провело реформы по улучшению материального обеспечения таких социальных групп , как нетрудоспособные граждане, люди пожилого возраста и дети, нуждающиеся в опеке.

5. Бюджет на здравоохранение значительно возрос с 1990 г.

6. Центральное правительство непосредственно ответственно за Национальную службу здравоохранения.

7. В настоящее время большее количество пациентов, чем когда-либо прежде, получает лечение.

8. Число лиц, получающих пособия, значительно увеличилось в последние годы.

9. Расходы на адресные социальные услуги определяются местными органами власти.

Answer the following questions.

7. What does the British social welfare system comprise ?

8. What organizations provide help and advice to the most vulnerable members of the community ?

9. What categories of people refer to the most vulnerable members of community ?

10. What is the central government responsible for ?

11. Since what year has the expenditure on the health service increased ?

12. What major reforms to the social security system have been introduced under the Social Security Act ?

13. What authorities are responsible for the personal services administration ?

14. Spending on what services has risen substantially in real terms since the late 1990s ?

Text 1. Marriage

1. In all societies there are rules that determine how men and women may live together and raise their children. In Western civilization, it has become the general custom for those of marriageable age to find the mates. Formerly choices were limited. Royalty could marry only royalty. Even among commoners there were strict social strata within which marriage was permissible.

2. In many non-Western societies today, marriage is thought to be principally the business of the two families who are joined by the alliance. Such matters as family, position and wealth are considered more important than the individual choice of the boy and girl, who often do not see each other before their marriage.

3. In every society there are rules about who may be married to whom. Marriages between close relatives are forbidden universally. In India, one may marry someone of his own caste but may not marry anyone born in his own village.

4. Most peoples of Europe and America insist that a marriage be between one man and one woman. This type of marriage is called monogamy. Many non-Western cultures permit plural marriages. Usually these allow one man to have several wives (polygamy), but in a few societies a woman may have more than one husband (polyandry). Both types of plural marriages are referred to as polygamy. In still fewer societies group marriages occur. Group or plural marriages are usually controlled by the economic conditions in the society.

5. In polygamy a man is allowed to have as many wives as he can support, or in the opposite situation a woman may be permitted more than one husband only if one husband is not able to support her. In practically all societies marriages may be broken through the process of divorce.

1. How many wives is a man in polygamy allowed to have?

2. In what way may marriages be broken?

3. Are marriages getting younger nowadays?

Text 2. Living together: Once a stigma, now a trend

For many couples living together has replaced marriage in recent years. There are many reasons for that. It can provide a chance for shared life without a shared bank account. And for those who are skittish about marriage, living together offers, what they say, “the same level of commitment”.

“I am very cautious about marriage, having grown up around not very pretty one”, said David Bergman, 39, an architect who lives in Manhattan with Lori Greenberg, 32, a graphic designer. “I consider myself rebellious. I am not sure what I am rebelling against, but I really don’t see a need for marriage. There is no less strength of commitment in living together than in marriage”.

Ms. Greenberg doesn’t think marriage implies a strong commitment either. “I get pretty angry about the rules that society places on us”, she said. “I think that if things are going really well, why do we have to prove things?”

Research shows that among older couples, cohabitation often follows divorce. Once you’ve been divorced, you are more cautious about things.

While some people see little difference between marriage and cohabitation, others say they are intentionally keeping a distance from their partners. That seems to be the case for Ruth, 83, who asked that her last name not to be used, to protect her privacy. She lives with a man who is 85. She says that they have been living together for more than four years and they have no intention of marrying. Both are widowed.

“I’m a free spirit”, Ruth said. “I need my space. Sometimes we think of marriage, but then I think that I don’t want to be tied down”.

For all the advantages living together may provide, there is no guarantee that it will translate into a good marriage. Researchers have found that about 50 percent of marriages that begin in cohabitation break up. Many of them are uncertain whether this is because people who live together are tolerant of divorce or because there is a direct relationship between cohabitation and divorce.

Some researchers have discovered that people who live together are often less committed to each other than married couples. There is often less sexual fidelity between cohabiting partners.

Cohabiting couples also tend to make fewer financial investments together, which seems to underscore their independence.

“It is a little hard to know the cause and effect of cohabitation and divorce”, said David Popenoe, the associate dean for social and behavioral sciences at Rutgers University. “I hope that as the trend continues, divorce rates will soften. We can’t go back to a society where people don’t have sex or live together at all before marriage nor do I want to go back to one where people are matched up at 20 for life”.

1. Match words to make a word combination.

a)to provide independence

to keep commitments

to make a bank account

to underscore things

to share investments

to imply a chance

to enjoy a distance

to prove companionship

b)sexual partners

financial designer

strong couples

direct name

graphic fidelity

last investments

married relationship

cohabiting commitment

2. Put the right word into each gap.

Break up, provides a chance, make financial investments, committed, has replaced, follows, to be tied down

1. Sometimes cohabitation ……. divorce.

2. Living together …….marriage for many people.

3. People who live together are often less …….to each other.

4. Cohabitation …….for shared life without a shared bank account.

5. As a rule spouses …….together.

6. About 50 % of marriages that begin in cohabitation ……. .

7. They didn’t want …….by the marriage and decided just to live together.

3. Translate into English.

1. На самом деле я не вижу никакой нужды в браке и не намерен жениться.

2. Нельзя возвращаться к тем временам, когда молодых людей женили в 20 лет на всю жизнь, а половые отношения до брака категорически осуждались.

3. Гражданский брак предоставляет возможность партнерам жить вместе без претензий на частную собственность и банковские счета друг друга.

4. Я очень осторожен в отношении брака, так как вырос в неблагополучной семье.

5. Если тенденция к гражданскому браку продолжится, уровень разводов снизится.

4. Points for discussion.

21. Why do you think the number of cohabiting couples is increasing?

22. Why do you think some men don’t want to be tied down with marriage?

23. Why do you think cohabiting couples tend to make less financial investments together?

24. What problems do spouses face up when they want to get divorced?

25. Do you think divorce rates will soften if the trend to cohabiting continues?

Text 3. A Russian wife for a foreigner: there are problems

“Why did I decide to marry a foreigner? I couldn’t find a worthy partner in Russia and believed the myth about interesting, serious Western men. “There are no cheats there, they are all gentlemen”, I though thought. Actually, even abroad the same old ‘Russian’ problems – cheating and lies – are hidden behind the façade”, says Olga who was married to a Swede.

In most cases Russian women turn to marriage agencies for help in finding a foreign husband. Most of these offer a one hundred percent guarantee to women under forty with higher education, good housekeeping skills and a knowledge of English.

Unfortunately most women do not stop to consider why these foreigners are looking for wives in other countries. Marriage agency managers openly admit that these are usually men over 40 with mental disorders such as schizophrenia or alcoholism.

There exists an opinion that first in line for foreign wives are worn-out “second-hand” husbands-to-be, sexual athletes and … ageing mothers searching for permanent nannies for their sons. These are men lacking demand among the local women.

There may also be elderly men of eighty and over who want to marry young women. In the West with its widespread emancipation, such a suitor could possibly find himself in prison. There are places where a woman can make a perfectly official complaint to the police if a senior citizen proposes to her. Meanwhile the attentions of pensioners are, unfortunately, still of interest to Russian women. But, as is often the case, the women picture not real life, but a fairy-tale that has no relation to reality.

“In the mornings, between baby feeds, I went out to clean offices to earn a measly wage to keep the family”, continues Olga. “My husband didn’t have a job and didn’t want any financial responsibilities. The rows soon began, and then the fights. After yet another beating I couldn’t take any more and turned to the social services”.

Despite significant mistakes by Russian women, the number wishing to marry abroad isn’t decreasing. On average any professional agency has an archive of at least a thousand Russian women, one in two of which is a lonely beauty with higher education. Russian women are used to considering themselves the most beautiful in the world, and this is the case.

Foreign men marrying Russian women have their own reasons in mind. In most cases they don’t want to see their wives as competitors in business and assign them to the role of housewife. Far from every Russian woman today, however, accepts such an allocation. Statistics confirm this: the majority of Russian wives abroad begin to get actively involved in business. Naturally this causes protests from their husbands. Very often such independence ends in divorce.

With increasing accessibility to the Internet, the process of Russian women emigrating for marriage has increased several times over. Call into any business center providing Internet services, and you’ll see girl students with their dictionaries writing letters to their foreign friends. “Unfortunately, for many Russian women such concepts as ‘confidence in the future’, ‘stability’, etc. are based on the size of her husband’s wallet and not on her own education, skills, job or earnings”, says Eugenie, who works at an Internet café.

If you still decide to marry a Russian beauty, ask yourself this important question: do you need this? International dating is a serious step to take. First of all, think: are you lonely? Are you financially stable? Are you ready to take on responsibility of a woman from Russia and, possibly, her child? If the answer is yes, then you’ll be happy together and your country will become a beautiful setting for your marital bliss.

1. Translate into Russian:

One hundred percent guarantee, mental disorder, ageing mothers, baby feeds, measly wage, competitors in business, to take on responsibility, this is the case, good housekeeping skills, worn-out “second-hand” husband-to-be, widespread emancipation, marital bliss, international dating, senior citizen, to accept an allocation, on average.

Translate into English:

Обратиться в брачное агентство, подать жалобу, финансовые обязательства, одинокая красавица, большинство россиянок, заработок, по иным соображениям, высшее образование, существенные ошибки, пожилой человек, в среднем, основываться на чем-либо, по крайней мере, доступность.

2. Fill in the gaps with the suitable word.

1)divorce; 2)marriage agencies; 3)professional qualifications; 4)higher education; 5)freedom; 6)fairy-tale; 7)housekeeping skills; 8)reality; 9)depend on; 10)independent; 11)knowledge; 12)stay home; 13)foreign husband.

In most cases Russian women turn to a)…….for help in finding a b)……. . As a rule these are women under forty, with c)……., good d)……., and e)…….of English. All of them are dreaming of a f)…….that has no relation to g)……. . In fact, when they get abroad, in most cases they have to h)…….and run the house, as their i)…….are not enough to find a job. So they j)…….their husbands and lack k)……. . Some of them want to be l)…….and their hunger for independence often results in m)……. .

3. Fill in the gaps with appropriate prepositions.

Russian women usually turn ……. marriage agencies ……. help ……. finding a foreign husband when they’ve despaired to find a worthy local one. Any professional agency has an archive ……. ……. least a thousand Russian women, one ……. two ……. which is a lonely beauty ……. higher education. ……. increasing accessibility ……. the Internet, the percent ……. Russian women emigrating ……. marriage has increased several times ……. . Most ……. them are ready to get married ……. a not very young foreign man only to escape ……. Russia. However ……. most cases foreign men enter ……. marriage ……. certain reason – they need a complaisant housewife.

4. Points for discussion.

1. Why do you think many Russian women nowadays want to find a foreign husband?

2. Why do you think foreign men look for their wives in Russia and not in their countries?

3. What demands do foreign men make of their future Russian wives?

4. What problems might Russian women face up when they get married to a foreigner and start living abroad?