The Promise of (In)Equality: A critical feminist analysis of socialist and neoliberal doctrines in the Czech Republic

This thesis seeks to bridge the gap between theory and lived experiences of women and the state in terms of social relations and policies. In order to accomplish this, a qualitative approach was taken in order to apply a theoretical foundation to lived experiences of events that occurred in the Czech Republic. A critical feminist lens was applied to primary sources such as constitutional documents and World Bank reports in order to unearth the impact of state-dictated policy upon the lives and choices of women. As a hypothesis-producing thesis these primary and secondary documents were read in a way that let a narrative of parallels between the Socialist regime of the late twentieth century and the neoliberal government of the early twenty-first century arise. This main comparison reflects upon the state-centered power of both eras and its influence upon the tensions between women's roles as mothers, labourers, and citizens. With the guiding questions of how and why gender matters, a critical feminist approach was taken in the research process and has informed the results. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org