Family Support for Women Entrepreneurs in China and Russia: Comparative Analysis

This article examines the forms and functions of family support for female entrepreneurs in two countries – Russia and China – using the example of women from Shanghai and Saint Petersburg. The study utilizes the comparative approach to examine how cultural and institutional differences affect the perception and imple-mentation of family support. The article focuses on three main forms of support: financial aid, emotional en-couragement, and participation in decision-making. The study shows that in China the family functions as a catalytic mechanism for women’s entrepreneurial activity, while in Russia it is a compensator for institutional deficits. The research findings are based on recent empirical literature and theoretical models of informal insti-tutions. The study contributes to the sociology of entrepreneurship and gender studies within post-socialist and Asian urban contexts.