Lovemaking in the time of perestroika: Sex in the context of political culture

The Social Construction of Inter-Ethnic Marriages in the Greek Cypriot (GC) Republic of Cyprus: An Ethnographic Investigation of GC Male Marriages to Eastern European (EE) Females

“…The sudden change of the political and economic climate allowed individuals to travel outside the Soviet Union and introduced profit-making private capitalist enterprises, which, collectively, provided the impetus to millions of EE women to leave their countries and seek employment in both developed and developing countries abroad (Kulakowska 2000;Philaretou 2005Philaretou , 2006. Under Soviet rule, many young people were socialized with liberal moral and sexual values, attitudes, and behaviors since the expression of religious beliefs was discouraged and even forbidden (Shlapentokh 1992). In addition, the post Soviet socio-cultural revolution brought about anomie and normlessness (Merton 1949), as individuals were suddenly overcomed with confusion as to the appropriate means to their financial ends.…”

Eastern-European Sex Workers in Greek-Cypriot Cabarets

“…The sudden change of the political and economic status quo did not so much alter the prevailing sexual ethos, but it enabled the open manifestation of a variety of previously existing sexual tendencies. Under Soviet rule, many young people were socialized with liberal sexual values, attitudes, and behaviors since the expression of religious beliefs was forbidden (Shlapentokh, 1992). In addition, the post Soviet sociocultural revolution brought about anomie and normlessness (Merton, 1949) as individuals were suddenly overcomed with confusion as to the appropriate means to their financial ends.…”

Migration and Sexual Resocialisation

“…In the USSR there was little public discussion of sex (and little private discussion for that matter), no sex education and no pornography; references to sex in film, art and literature were not tolerated. 22 While women were emancipated in the public sphere in terms of equal labour force participation, equal political rights, access to abortion and the right to divorce, communist socie-ties remained highly patriarchal in the private sphere. Women continued to be responsible for housework and child--care, with their role as mothers officially presented as 'the highest form of service to one's people and state'.…”