CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Molnár, Tamás |
|---|---|
| Title | Public and Private in Socialism - A Comparison of Gay Identities and Movements In Hungary and the German Democratic Republic |
| Summary | This thesis applies the key concepts of LGBT studies used for the analysis of Western LGBT movements to a comparative study of Central European, in particular Hungarian and East German LGBT identities and movements focusing on the period before the transition to democracy. The aim of this analysis, based on interviews and the existing literature, is to identity the key factors in which the relationship of LGBT people with the state in these cases differed from an ideal typical model of Western identity movements. The analysis follows a circular logic: firstly the effects of restricted public discourse on individual and collective identity formation is analyzed, showing that this almost blocked the possibilities of collective identity formation and in the case of Hungary even an LGBT social category could be perceived as non-existent. Secondly, the places and ways of collective identity formation are analyzed, showing that these with a few exceptions also happened in the private realm. Thirdly, the study of the formation of organizations and movements and their relationship with the state shows that the East German movements may have been more successful because of three factors: firstly, they were more related to Western movements, secondly, they chose an integrationist strategy, and thirdly, they had an ally, the church, through which they were also connected to a broader group of movements. Finally, the research of the period after the transition shows how the opening of the public sphere brought these movements closer to the Western type of identity movements. |
| Supervisor | Sgier, Lea |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/molnar_tamas.pdf |
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