How to Combine Motherhood and Wage Labour: Hungarian Expert Perspectives During the 1960s

Abstract

Following the 1956 revolt in Hungary, the Stalinist doctrine on women’s emancipation was reframed in the context of a wider process of ‘consolidation’ of political, social and economic relations. Post-Stalinist rhetoric and practice questioned the suitability of women’s bodies, with their reproductive functions, for ‘masculine’ work and argued that women’s role in society should be based on ‘realistic’ assessments of gender difference. Women were to be offered ‘suitable jobs’ which could accommodate their family roles and maternal duties. Simultaneously, the family’s responsibility for providing childcare during infancy was reappraised, reinforcing demands on women’s time and energy.