The clash of gender ideals and its impact on female identity transformation in contemporary Russian media space

This article analyzes the conflict of gender ideals in contemporary Russian information space and its impact on the transformation of female identity. Drawing on philosophical and sociological research, as well as social media materials, the author identifies the contradictory models of female identity disseminated in the media environment: the independent woman focused on self‑development and the aesthetic ideal; the career woman; the church‑going mother; and the mom‑blogger. The article shows that these models fail to meet the objectives of Russia’s state family policy and cannot serve as a basis for for­ming a coherent female identity. It critiques the reduction of the female ideal to indepen­dence, career success, and the cult of beauty, which turns women into commodities and hinders their personal development. As an alternative, the article proposes the normative model of the «working mother», which synthesizes professional self‑realization and fa­mily values within a marital, partnership‑based family. The author argues that an active state information policy is needed to promote this image in the media space.