SECTION:
The Woman as a Place of Cultural Encounter
Ilja A. Luciak (Virginia Tech, USA)
Gender and Democracy in Cuba: Western and Cuban PerspectivesThe presentation focuses on the encounter of Western cultural/political norms with Cuban reality, particularly as it affects the gender/democracy dimension. Cubans do not subscribe to the predominant Western notion of democracy based on liberal constitutionalism. Instead they emphasize the participatory nature of the Organs of People's Power, the Cuban government structures. Similarly, until the demise of Realsozialismus in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Cuba was relatively isolated from the international movement in favor of gender equality. Thus, Cubans have pursued their own agenda in the struggle for gender equality. The presentation focuses on Cuban reality and highlights differences in conceptions between Europe/United States and Cuba. Research for this presentation has been conducted as part of a multi-year project on Gender and Democracy in Cuba and Central America funded by the European Commission.
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