Soviet Defectors: Sexuality, Gender, and the Family in Cold War Propaganda, 1960-1990

The purpose of this study is to examine the rhetoric of gender, sexuality, and the family used by the media of the Soviet Union to discuss American and Soviet defectors from 1960 to 1990. Utilizing previously established historiographies of gender, sexuality and the family as well as statements from Soviet and American government officials, it is shown that the Soviet government linked gender, sexuality and family “perversions” to the individualistic and capitalistic ideology of American society, by contrast with the Soviet collectivist and socialist “purity.” This analysis fills in the gaps in the historiography by connecting studies of gender, sexuality and family to the practice defection, and situating them in the cultural Cold War context.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts (MA)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Miller, Scott A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Roxanne Easley
• Jason Knirck
• Stephen Moore

• Soviet
• defectors
• gender
• sexuality
• family
• propaganda
• Cultural History
• Diplomatic History
• History of Gender
• Other History

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/438

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.cwu.edu:etd-1438