Reviews for Women in German History: From Bourgeois Emancipation to Sexual Liberation

The average rating for Women in German History: From Bourgeois Emancipation to Sexual Liberation based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-10-16 00:00:00 Lee Keller An early (for German historiography) example of gender history from the 80s. Frevert criticizes heavily those who say that modernization leads to women's emancipation, noting that the last 200 years have instead been a zig-zag of experiences for women, during which: "The fundamental differences between male and female lives were left untouched -- and in this respect, much of the situation in the Federal Republic today is as it ever was." (327) She looks beyond the reforms of German democracy to argue that women in the 1980s still exist in a sphere separate from men, a trend existing since the 19th century. One interesting aspect of gender history which she notes is the ability for women of the correct race and social status to gain significant advantages during the Nazi regime. "Where youth policy, divorce laws and social organizations were concerned, the Third Reich offered women novel opportunities for participation and recognition in public life, and, indeed, many women benefited in an unprecedented fashion from such socio-political innovation." (250) This point was to become central to many subsequent debates. Unfortunately, as the work is old, there are many gaps which today seem jarring. The most notable absence is the experience of lesbians, but there are more- Jewish women, conservative women, rural women, transwomen. Nonetheless, the field was to fill in many of these gaps over the next 30 years.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-11-23 00:00:00 Ira Belfer Loved this book.