300262 Gender and the State in post-soviet societies (S) (WiSe 2015/2016)

In this course we will talk about the gender regimes in the post-Soviet states with a focus on the subject formation and symbolic representation of men and women in the state and alternative discourses. We will start with an overview of the Soviet gender regime and continue with a discussion of economic and political ‘transition’ and the ways it is gendered. Topics discussed will include: the meaning of feminism in the conditions of post-Soviet transition and its relation to the state; the gendered nature of ‘the nation-building project’ in the post-Soviet states; prevailing interpretations of family norms and women’s and men’s societal roles; new conditions of class formation and labour participation; changes in the legal norms concerning gender equality and LGBTi rights; feminist and women’s social activism (e.g. Femen, Euromaidan female activists groups, Pussy Riot). The aim of the course is to understand the conditions of post-Soviet transition in terms of gender, to go beyond a stereotypical vision of the Soviet social and political heritage and to examine the meanings of such concepts as gender equality and feminism in the region. The content of the course and the proposed texts will mostly concern Ukraine and Russia, but certain issues will be discussed in relation to the Central Asian post-Soviet republics and Belarus. The material will consist of academic and non-academic texts, as well as video and photo material. I will rely greatly on the students’ participation and interest in the topic to make the course come together.