Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Impact of German Reunification on East German Women

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9401116 Evans This is an award under the Grants for Improving Doctoral Dissertation Research Program. It is a study of the impact of German reunification on East German women, based on in-depth interviews conducted with eastern German couples who have children. Topics covered by the interviews will include: 1) employment in the new, capitalist labor market, 2) child care arrangements before and after unification, and 3) financial and emotional dependency of partners. Current German government policies have the effect of encouraging women to leave the labor force to have families, while former East German policy did the opposite. Thus, this research will examine an area where governmental change may have a substantial impact, thus permitting the testing of sociological theories of national transition. %%% The research supported in this award will contribute to social-scientific understanding of transnational aspects of global change and democratization. Across the world, massive shifts in government policies can be expected to affect decisively the context in which individuals and families make career decisions, and through these decisions, the social and economic status of women. In addition to the scientific gains to be achieved by the research, this award will materially assist a highly promising student in completing research for the Ph.D. dissertation. Thus it contributes to the future scientific manpower of the nation and the thorough training of the next generation of social scientists. ***