Gender Roles in the Workers’ Socialist Self-Management Press: The Newsletter of the Employees of Delamaris 1974–1990

Abstract

The article presents the thematisation of gender roles in the Delamaris workers’ newsletter between 1974 and 1990. By limiting the timespan, the analysis refers to the period after the introduction of the 1974 Constitution, which declaratively transferred the lever of forming the relations within enterprises to their employees. This was expected to lead to the formation of “ideal” socialist relations; however, in practice, these changes inhibited the workers’ involvement in the decision-making within enterprises. The employees’ testimonies allow for a presentation of the balance between the conceptual goals of socialist self-managing and the workers’ actual day-to-day life. The article thus highlights the gender relations and the specific nature of workers’ periodicals as a historical source.