Gender, Sexuality and Communism in 20th-Century Europe

This upper-division course examines the role of gender and sexuality for the establishment of communist societies in Europe in 20th century. We will explore to what extent societies built on the communist model succeeded with the achievement of gender equality and allowed for sexual relations liberated from religious or economic constraints. Class materials examine how state socialism shaped gender roles and women's and men's lives differently as well as how gays and lesbians struggled against social taboo and state repression. Students analyze the impact of modernization, industrialization, war and other conflicts on concepts of femininity and masculinity as well as on the regulation of sexuality and family relations in several Eastern European countries. We will place these dynamics within the context of broader political and cultural developments, ending with an analysis of the breakdown of socialism in the early 1990s and its impact on gender relations and the freedom of expression. The course provides students with a basic knowledge of the history of Eastern Europe and of left-wing movements active in the area, emphasizing the effects of communist ideas on women, gender equality, and non-normative sexual orientations.
Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; BU IS; AS HUM; AS LCD; AS SD I

Gender, Sexuality and Communism in 20th-Century Europe

GLOBAL STUDIES 3548

Section 01