Conference "Gender and Ethnonationalism"
A New Era of Reproductive Choices and Constraints?
Although in many “Western” and Central European States ultra-nationalist movements seem to be on the rise, there is limited historical research on their ideological and cultural appeal. Initial explorations suggest that their reliance on conceptions of traditional family, “homelands” and “human biodiversity” are key. To better understand the implications of “ethnonationalist” movements across Europe and the US, our international and interdisciplinary workshop focuses on gender norms, women’s roles and concepts of reproductive decision-making espoused by these movements on their websites, in their media ventures, and in their publications.
We will explore the objectification of women in these otherwise predominantly male organizations, examine the complexities of women’s agency, and discuss the effects of rising ethnonationalism on gender policies at large. With this international and interdisciplinary workshop, we hope to shed new light on one of the most disturbing international phenomena of the present day. Specifically, we hope to clarify how the re-branding of nationalism might be changing gender politics all over Europe and the US. Also, we strive to find out whether alt-right nationalism challenges the arrangements of reproductive decision-making (knowledge, family planning and contraception, legal abortion, women’s agency) still prevalent in most liberal modern societies.