Abstract
The complexities of Polish gender politics can be conceptualized as a series of paradoxes. Until recently, Polish feminists had denied the very possibility of a Polish women’s movement. This article argues that Polish feminism resists the chronology of “waves”: it uses styles and tactics characteristic of the third wave (irony, high theory, camp, cross-dressing, etc.) to achieve typically second wave aims (reproductive rights, equal pay, etc.). It then engages with a historical paradox: the phenomenon of backlash before feminism. Rejecting the political in favour of the personal was compatible with psycho-sexual dynamics already in progress – these were a defence against the intrusiveness of state involved in building a deeply conservative private sphere. The article then moves onto an examination of the present deadlock between the Catholic church, the post-communist government and the women’s movement.
Recommended Citation
Graff, Agnieszka
(2003)
"Lost between the Waves? The Paradoxes of Feminist Chronology and Activism in Contemporary Poland,"
Journal of International Women's Studies: Vol. 4:
Iss.
2, Article 9.
Available at:
https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol4/iss2/9