Author Description

Gender, Equality and Difference During and After State Socialism examines gender as a socially and culturally constructed phenomenon which is influential in and influenced by state-led policies and structures as well as social practices and relations and which shapes the experiences and lives of both women and men. Focusing on the societies of the former Soviet bloc, the book explores the pivotal nature of the demise of the communist regimes, in relation both to experiences of gender and to their study. Each chapter is based on new and original research either into areas of contemporary life not previously explored in such detail or providing new insight into historical issues on the basis of improved access to sources and the use of new methodologies. The book places the study of gender in the societies of the former Soviet bloc within a wider transnational perspective, challenging essentialist views of these societies and demonstrating the contribution of locally-focused research to wider understandings and theories of gender.