Dehexing Sex: Russian Womanhood During and After Glasnost

Dehexing Sex examines the shifting role and representation of women in Russian society during and after the period of glasnost in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The book draws on literature, media, advertisements, and popular culture to analyze how female identity adapted during this time of radical social change. Professor Helena Goscilo documents the tensions between traditional gender roles and new freedoms that emerged as Soviet control weakened. Her research covers topics including sexuality, domesticity, work life, and women's relationship to power structures in both public and private spheres. The text incorporates analysis of Russian women writers, journalists, politicians and cultural figures who shaped discourse around femininity during this period. Goscilo examines both mainstream and alternative media sources to trace evolving attitudes about gender. This academic work reveals how political transformation affects cultural understanding of gender and identity. The intersection of capitalism, democracy, and shifting social norms created new possibilities and challenges for Russian women navigating post-Soviet life.

The small number of reader reviews available online restrict the ability to draw broad conclusions about this book's reception. Readers highlight: - Detailed analysis of Russian media portrayals of women in the 1980s-90s - Inclusion of Russian advertisements and magazine content from the era - Clear documentation of changing gender dynamics during privatization Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style limits accessibility - Some readers found the theoretical framework overly complex - Limited focus on working-class women's experiences Available Ratings: Goodreads: No ratings Amazon: No customer reviews Google Books: No reader reviews The book appears more frequently cited in academic papers than discussed in public forums. One library cataloging note describes it as "A scholarly examination of evolving gender roles in post-Soviet Russia with emphasis on media representation and cultural shifts."

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📚 The book explores how Russian women's magazines of the early 1990s shifted from portraying women as workers and mothers to focusing on beauty, fashion, and sexuality 🎓 Helena Goscilo is considered one of the leading scholars of Russian gender studies and has authored over a dozen books on Russian culture and literature ⚡ "Dehexing" in the title refers to breaking the Soviet-era taboo on discussing sexuality openly in Russian society 🗞️ During Glasnost, Russian women's publications went from having circulations of several hundred thousand to reaching millions of readers within just a few years 🔄 The book demonstrates how post-Soviet Russian media simultaneously embraced Western beauty standards while attempting to maintain distinctly Russian concepts of femininity and womanhood