The Problem of Gender Identification in Conditions of Social Instability

Abstract

Data from the soviet period is compared with small-scale recent survey research in chechnya. the author discusses legacy problems of female employment and empowerment in a society emphasizing patriarchal and Muslim values. she argues that outward appearances of religiosity, such as headscarves, do not necessarily equal inner faith. Distortions of gender identifications and social relationships are viewed as magnified in conditions of warfare and social upheaval.English translation