THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE PERSONAL .1. INTIMATE DISCLOSURE IN MODERN-DAY RUSSIA

The dramatic changes in the political and economic structures of Russi an society have been widely documented and have focused interest on th e interpersonal lives of the Russian peoples. The two studies reported in this paper use the cultural theory of Mary Douglas to examine inti mate disclosure amongst cohorts of students, entrepreneurs and manual workers. Structured questionnaire responses analysed at the individual level suggest that those who believe in rules disclose less than thos e who do not. Analysis at the occupational level revealed that manual workers found discussing the family problematic whilst entrepreneurs f ound discussing sex and love difficult. Some age and sex effects were also evident, with younger informants and female respondents more will ing to disclose. The implications of these findings for the efficacy o f cultural theory, and the future development of interpersonal life in Russia, are discussed.