Émigré Perspectives on Feminisms in Europe- East and West

Feminist political and academic discourses have become increasingly interna-tionalized, but the power and influence of different national feminisms are far from equal. The transnational dialogue tends to take place in spaces created by Western wealth and influence. Western feminists can take advantage of their countries more developed media, publishing and distribution capacities, and greater resources for education, travel, conferences, public advocacy, etc. (Heitlinger and Manicom 1996). Since 1989, a variety of approaches to the situation of women in East Cental Europe has been generated, both in East Central Europe and in the West. Nora Jung (1994a, 1994b), has found important differences in perspectives among East European scholars who were bom, raised and remained in Eastern Europe, emigres who left their countries and now live in the West, and Western scholars lacking first-hand knowledge of local languages and culture. Western feminist scholars have tended to rely on secondary sources and on interviews with the same 'key informants', thus repeating the knowledge produced b