Gender Politics in the Western Balkans: Women and Society in Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Successor States (Post-Communist Cultural Studies) [Paperback]

Sabrina P. Ramet (Editor), Branka Magas (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1999 | Series: Post-Communist Cultural Studies

Gender Politics in the Western Balkans traces the development of women's consciousness in the lands of the South Slavs from the early years of the twentieth century, on the eve of the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, to the situation during and after the Serbian Insurrectionary War of 1991-95. The book embraces historical chapters, contemporary political analyses, and cultural studies (focusing on literature and religion).Socialist Yugoslavia undertook a relatively unusual experiment during the forty-six years of its existence (1945-91) to eliminate the sources of social, economic, and gender inequality while laying the foundation for a society in which women and men could enjoy complete equality in politics, in education and careers, and in family life. Although the aspiration was shared with other communist countries, Yugoslavia gave its experiment a unique twist by linking its program with institutional changes to be realized through self-management organs and a complicated delegate system. The socialist system represented an improvement where gender equality was concerned over the pre-existing system associated with the interwar Kingdom of Yugoslavia, but it did not fulfill its promises.Recognizing the need for a book that surveys the experience of South Slav women during the twentieth century, Sabrina Ramet commissioned essays from leading scholars in East European/Yugoslav studies and women s studies for this volume. The resulting collection is arranged in rough chronological order, covering primarily Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia from before World War II until present day. Topics covered include the structures of traditional society, gender relations in the interwar period, anti-fascist organizations, the socialist experience, and issues connected to post-socialist politics and the war, making this the most comprehensive and up-to-date book on the subject.Contributors are Andrei Simic, Thomas A. Emmert, Vlasta Jalusic, Barbara Jancar-Webster, Tanja Pavlovic, Zarana Papic, Julie Mertus, Obrad Kesic, Regan Ralph, Dorothy Thomas, Gordana Crnkovic, Mart Bax, Branka Magas, and Sabrina Ramet.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Genuinely informative and often fascinating collection. --Cynthia Simmons, Slavic and East European Journal

About the Author

Sabrina P. Ramet, one of the leading Europeanists of the day, is Professor of International Studies at the University of Washington and a member of the Advisory Board of the Post-Communist Cultural Studies Series. She is the author of seven books, including Nihil Obstat: Religion, Politics, and Social Change in East Central Europe and Russia (Duke, 1998).

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press; 1st edition (April 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 027101802X
• ISBN-13: 978-0271018027
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,534,805 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Much needed contribution to neglected topic, October 16, 2002

By 

Edward Bosnar - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gender Politics in the Western Balkans: Women and Society in Yugoslavia and the Yugoslav Successor States (Post-Communist Cultural Studies) (Paperback)

For the most part, the contributions in this collection are very informative and useful studies of various aspects of gender issues in the former Yugoslavia. If nothing else, it's refreshing to see a book that covers such a chronically under-studied topic. The first article on the `traditional' Yugoslav family by anthropologist Andrei Simic, although first published in 1983, was a good choice to head this selection of studies. His observations of some typical aspects of family relations and the gender roles therein provide a good basis for understanding other gender-related issues. Most of the other articles deal with a specific region or former Yugoslav republic (i.e. Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, etc.) Among the best is an article by Julie Mertus on women in Kosovo. She illustrates the many problems faced by Albanian women activists, particularly the deep and sometimes self-induced repression exercised by this extremely patriarchal society. The examples she cites from her fieldwork are very illuminating. Two articles by Gordana Crnkovic are particularly interesting, and too short in my opinion. Both deal with literature as this pertains to gender: the first covers mainly Serbian and Croatian women authors, while the second deals with the way women are portrayed in literature. The afterward by Branka Magaš is also helpful in that it ties together some of the common themes.