The Politics of Gender after Socialism [Hardcover]

Susan Gal (Author), Gail Kligman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2000

With the collapse of communism, a new world seemed to open for the peoples of East Central Europe. The possibilities this world presented, and the costs it exacted, have been experienced differently by men and women. Susan Gal and Gail Kligman explore these differences through a probing analysis of the role of gender in reshaping politics and social relations since 1989.

The authors raise two crucial questions: How are gender relations and ideas about gender shaping political and economic change in the region? And what forms of gender inequality are emerging as a result? The book provides a rich understanding of gender relations and their significance in social and institutional transformations. Gal and Kligman offer a systematic comparison of East Central European gender relations with those of western welfare states, and with the presocialist, bourgeois past. Throughout this essay, the authors attend to historical comparisons as well as cross regional interactions and contrasts. Their work contributes importantly to the study of postsocialism, and to the broader feminist literature that critically examines how states and political-economic processes are gendered, and how states and markets regulate gender relations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

. . . unusually sophisticated and subtle. -- Foreign Affairs

Breathtaking in scope and beautifully written, The Politics of Gender After Socialism is a compelling look at the ways in which women and men, states and markets, negotiate the politics of gender in a changing social world. Gal and Kligman have made a vital contribution not only to the literature on the transition in East Central Europe but also to the study of gender, economy and politics. A stunning analysis. -- Review

Breathtaking in scope and beautifully written. . . . A vital contribution. . . . A stunning analysis. -- Nancy Weiss Hanrahan, Journal of Social History

Gal and Kligman have produced a tour de force of political exegesis and scholarship. -- Mabel Berezin , American Journal of Sociology

The contributors... create another vantage point from which to judge... process of postsocialist and economic transformation. -- Foreign Affairs

From the Inside Flap

"The Politics of Gender after Socialism is a majestic work. Susan Gal and Gail Kligman offer a theoretically ambitious and empirically well grounded analysis of the transition from socialism to capitalism. They cover the most diverse aspects of social existence, from struggles about abortion and reproductive rights to the separation of public-private spheres, to the remaking of the political and economic system. In each of these fields they demonstrate the gendered nature of social transformation. They show persuasively the balance of continuity and change both in gender relations and in the social character of socialist and postsocialist formation. This book is far more than a study of gender issues after the fall of socialism; it is a major contribution to the theory of transition to a market economy and democracy."--Ivan Szelenyi, Yale University

"Finally a book that makes sense of contemporary gender politics in East Central Europe. Written with great clarity, but no sacrifice of depth or complexity, Gal and Kligman give us the theoretical and historical tools for understanding social and political developments since the fall of communism. Most impressively they provide concrete illustrations for their point that concepts such as 'masculine,' 'feminine,' 'the welfare state,' 'public,' and 'private,' are variable and need to be read in their historical contexts."--Joan Wallach Scott, Institute for Advanced Study

"This is a very important and engaging study on East-Central European societies and their transformations through the lens of gender. It is a wonderful source of information on different aspects of gender relations in Eastern Europe and a major theoretical contribution to at least three distinct fields of study: feminist theory, studies on social change, and research on Eastern Europe."--Eva Fodor, Dartmouth College

"Gal and Kligman's synthesis of the gender issues and tensions in the transformation of east-central Europe is a tour-de-force. They show how deeply and differently gender was imbedded in the economic and political structures of these countries, and also how the transformation itself has had a strongly gendered character. By looking at the transformation process as a whole through a gender lens, the authors gain a critical handle on the misleading dichotomization of public and private that has characterized so much discussion of the area. Rather than painting women as the passive victims of marketization or the unambiguous beneficiaries of democratization, they tease out the conflicting tendencies toward empowerment and marginalization that are lurking in the changes in families, economies and politics throughout the region. This is a crucial contribution to studies of gender, the transformation and the state in general."--Myra Marx Ferree, University of Wisconsin, Madison

"The Politics of Gender after Socialism is a stunning analysis of how the gender relations of the former socialist states are being transformed in the transition to privatization and market economies. . . . Gal and Kligman have made a vital contribution not only to the literature on the transition in East Central Europe but also to the study of gender, economy and politics. . . . Breathtaking in scope and beautifully written, The Politics of Gender after Socialism is a compelling look at the ways in which women and men, states and markets, negotiate the politics of gender in a changing social world."--Nancy Weiss Hanrahan

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (June 5, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691048932
• ISBN-13: 978-0691048932
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,261,843 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars a bit heavy and theoretical, April 22, 2004

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California_Dreamin - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Politics of Gender after Socialism (Paperback)

Although a great book, be prepared it's a very broadly based book with a focus on underlying trends and at times, a bit heavy. If you're looking for specifics pertaining to Eastern/Central European countries, it'll be difficult to find. It's best suited for someone who is looking for information to back up what they already know because without some fundamental knowledge you will fall asleep. It's a fairly short book but because it can be dense if u're not into it, it can take a bit to read. But it is a great book in an area of study that lacks research so I highly recommend it if the topics of gender and/or socialism interest you.

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent review of post-socialist gender questions, June 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Politics of Gender after Socialism (Paperback)

Gal and Kligman offer an engaging and clear review of the state of current research on gender in post-socialist countries. They focus on theoretical themes that point the way towards future research in both post-socialist countries and elsewhere. Their analysis is specific enough to give a good feel for the situation in Eastern Europe and Russia and be of interest to students and specialists of the area. However, the thematic analysis is broad enough to be of great use to anyone interested in gender. I highly recommend it.

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent review of post-socialist gender questions, June 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Politics of Gender after Socialism (Paperback)

Gal and Kligman offer an engaging and clear review of the state of current research on gender in post-socialist countries. They focus on theoretical themes that point the way towards future research in both post-socialist countries and elsewhere. Their analysis is specific enough to give a good feel for the situation in Eastern Europe and Russia and be of interest to students and specialists of the area. However, the thematic analysis is broad enough to be of great use to anyone interested in gender. I highly recommend it.