SOC 3306 Lecture 12: Week 12_ Gender Poliltics and Reproduction
8 Dec 2017
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Week 12: Gender Poliltics and Reproduction
● Socialism and Pro-Natal policies a Case Study of Romania
● Goal is to modernize and believe there are ways of modernizing socieites.
● Modernization comes as a gendered package.
● Romania, had a hierarchy of awards, that makes reference to other axis of
ethnicity.
Romania: Ceausecu: governed Romania for 20 years, last communist leader, ruled with
an iron fist, his first wife Elena also was a dictator. Both were tried and executed. After
the execution people started to miss them.
*According to communist countries each member should participate in the labour force,
in order to have adequate resources we have to mobilize the population to move
forward.
*Social democratic policies each member’s contribution is important, each person
makes a contribution that everyone benefits from.
*The Yoruba cultural ideology to work, everyone should participate, however the west
view these parts of the world as being lazy and they have to learn from the west.
*Need labour force for participation. Women are limited between family and work.
Provide maternity leave, childcare and job security.
* Combined production and Pronatalist policies (social engineering)
*Want to produce, the government needs people producing more children.
*Communists focus on work.
*Tyrannical Rule for women: In 1977 medals were awarded for births
1983 14.3 (Decline) in the birth rate. The policy is not working.
*Ceausecu, led the country in industrialization and suppressed human rights and
citizens lived under fear.
*Abortion in the 1970’s age of 40, in 1983 increased to 45 due to a decline in the fertility
rate.
*Can only have an abortion at the age of 45. In 1966 each woman should have 4
children then this was raised to 5 in 1985.
*Feminism has taken root, because of the pronatalist policies. Women’s bodies are
owned by the state. Whereas in Chile the emotional state was controlled.
*Hierarchy of Awards, 10 kids Heroine Mother, but they have to have them biologically,
adopted children did not count. Also kids from a second marriage did not count. To call
yourself a woman all 10 kids had to come from the woman and be brought up by her.
*9 kids, first class order of maternal glory: The state is responsible for the family state,
they invaded the privacy of the family to tell the family how to raise their children. Family
is the source of the labour force.
*Romania is not too different from other developing nations.
*Nationalistic: pinpoint what it means, you should accept pronatal policies. State has a
legal backing. Law to support pronatal policies. You are not considered to be
nationalistic if you don’t accept them.
*Nationalism is closely tied to pronatal policies.
*State gave incentives to reproduce such as maternity leave, job security and awards.
*Women still in a gendered workplace.
*Real Issue: Transfer of gender relations not taken seriously. Women were in light
industries such as sewing.
State and women: The Triple Burden:
1) Wage work in the state sphere
2) Housework
3) Raising Children
● Men also worked and helped, families were under stress, the state planned
families.
Document Summary
Socialism and pro-natal policies a case study of romania. Goal is to modernize and believe there are ways of modernizing socieites. Romania, had a hierarchy of awards, that makes reference to other axis of ethnicity. Romania: ceausecu: governed romania for 20 years, last communist leader, ruled with an iron fist, his first wife elena also was a dictator. After the execution people started to miss them. *according to communist countries each member should participate in the labour force, in order to have adequate resources we have to mobilize the population to move forward. *social democratic policies each member"s contribution is important, each person makes a contribution that everyone benefits from. *the yoruba cultural ideology to work, everyone should participate, however the west view these parts of the world as being lazy and they have to learn from the west. * combined production and pronatalist policies (social engineering) *want to produce, the government needs people producing more children.
