2002 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Male dominating character of German communist movement
| Project/Area Number |
12610400
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
History of Europe and America
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| Research Institution | MEIJI UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
SAITO Akira Meiji University, School of Political Science and Economics, Professor, 政治経済学部, 教授 (80130813)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2000 – 2002
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| Keywords | KPD / SED / Weimar Republic / Gender / Woman / Consumption |
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| Research Abstract |
This research aimed at explaining in terms of gender relation the historical characteristics of German communism in the 20^<th> century. The following three points were mainly examined. 1)How did the male party members of the German communist party (KPD) in the Weimar Republic meet the problems, which the working class women tackled in their daily lives? And, how did women react to that? 2)Did the gender relation in East Germany change in the workplace and family keeping pace with development of consumption? 3)In the family life was any change in the gender relation from 1920s to 1960s?
The most important results about these subjects are the following. A)The male party members of the KPD were of the opinion, that women should not be concerned with the politics, they should devote themselves to the housework and the nursing. In this respect they were in accordance with the German society in general. B)About the women's emancipation there was a great difference between KPD and the working class women. C)As for East Germany after the World War II as well, conditions like the above A)〜B)were seen. Essentially east German society was very conservative concerning gender relation. D)The development of consumption from 1920s to 60s brought at first glance the women's position stronger. Despite this appearance role playing between men and women remained unchanged.
One of the historical characteristics of German communism was its gendered party culture which thought highly of male productive labour and male physical powers to the revolutionary movement. In contrast, the understandings of women's roles were notably low. These characteristics reflected the male dominating German society.
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Research Products
(3 results)
