UBC Political Science Professor Lisa Sundstrom presents a working paper titled, “Unpacking ‘Traditional Values’ in Russia’s Conservative Turn: Gender, Sexuality, and the Soviet Legacy” at our Comparative-Canadian Colloquium.
To better understand Russia’s conservative turn, this article argues for analytically separating the intersecting structures of gender and sexuality, differentiating the degree of sexism and LGBTQ-phobia, and taking seriously the Soviet legacy. Drawing upon original data from state discourse (Putin’s annual speeches to domestic audiences, 1999-2020) and Russian public opinion (2021), we identify a somewhat conservative trend regarding women’s rights, and a far more conservative one on LGBTQ+ rights. We find that Putin’s speeches and public opinion on these topics echo Soviet approaches, suggesting that the conservative ‘turn’ amounts more to a ‘return’ than to a novel development under Putin.
This event will be held in-person and remotely via Zoom.