Faith and Feminine Boundaries: Russian Women’s Perspectives on Workplace Relationships Across Christian Orthodox and Sunni Islamic Values
Keywords:
Russian Women, Workplace relationship, Orthodoxy, Sunni Islam, Gender Norms, Religious IdentityAbstract
Faith, understood as a deeply held belief system rooted in spiritual, moral and religious convictions, shapes personal identity and social behaviour. Feminine boundaries refer to the culturally and religiously informed limits women place on interpersonal interactions, particularly in contexts involving emotional intimacy, modesty and gender dynamics. This study explores how Russian women from Orthodox Christian and Sunni Islamic backgrounds perceive and navigate workplace relationships, with an emphasis on the influence of their faith-based values on social and romantic boundaries in professional environments. The central problem addressed is the tension between religious expectations and the increasingly secular, gender-integrated nature of Russian workplaces, which may challenge traditional notions of female propriety and conduct. The primary research question guiding this inquiry is: How do Russian Orthodox and Sunni Muslim women conceptualize and negotiate workplace relationships in light of their religious values and cultural norms? A qualitative methodology was employed, involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 Russian women (15 Orthodox, 15 Sunni Muslim) working in mixed-gender professional environments in urban centres such as Moscow, Kazan and Ufa. Recent literature between 2020 and 2024, including works by Marina Zhuravleva (2022), Aida Gubaidullina (2023) and publications in the Journal of Religion and Gender, highlights increasing attention to post-Soviet religiosity, gendered workplace ethics and the growing assertiveness of faith-based identities among Russian women. Findings reveal that Orthodox and Sunni Muslim women share overlapping concerns regarding modesty, reputation and spiritual accountability, yet differ in their theological rationales and social flexibility. Orthodox women often interpret boundaries more fluidly within a cultural-Christian framework, while Sunni women more rigidly adhere to Islamic gender norms, especially in contexts involving private or prolonged male interaction.
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