Women in the Two Germanies

Women in the Two Germanies: A Comparative Study of a Socialist and a Non-Socialist Society is a comparative study of the status and position of women in socialist East Germany and non-socialist West Germany. Drawing on research carried out in 1977 and 1978, as well as interviews with hundreds, if not thousands, of individuals from all walks of life and from all parts of the two Germanies, this book considers a wide variety of legal, economic, political, and social aspects of life in the two countries, such as equality or the lack thereof under the law, in education, on the job, and in the home. This monograph is comprised of seven chapters and opens with a brief comparison of East and West Germany and a historical perspective on European men and women, as well as the status of German women before 1945 and after World War II. The discussion then turns to the status and rights of German women under the law, particularly the Constitution, labor law, family law, and social security legislation. The following chapters focus on the employment of women in the two German states; education and training; and in the home and family. Women's organizations, including religious women's organizations, professional women's organizations, and radical women's groups, are also considered. This text is written primarily for women and should also be of interest to historians, sociologists, social scientists, and policymakers concerned with women's rights.