Fasicsm Through a Gender Lens

It is difficult to create a solid definition of fascism. Throughout its history, fascism has manifested in many different ways. Some historians believe that there is no definition of fascism or that it is simply a conglomerate of a lot of other ideologies. However, acknowledging fascism as having an ideological basis is historically significant. To truly understand what fascism is it is essential to look at specific historical contexts of the distinct movement/party/regime. There is a central core ideology to fascism, even in its various manifestations. There is not a checklist of ideas that one can follow to decide whether a certain movement can be classified as fascist. What is found, however are a variety of characteristics that are in an intimate relations with one another – they are inseparable characteristics to fascism that shape the core of the ideology. Fascism is a chauvinist, militaristic, expansionistic and ultranationalist ideology. However, to explain fascism in this specific context fascism is going to be engaged in a gender perspective. We will see how chauvinism was built in masculine forms; how militaristic ideas reinforce that and get women to produce soldiers for the nation; how expansionism was the goal of forming a highly militarized society and how ultranationalism affected women who fit within the nationalist vision and those who did not in very different ways. Fascism in this context, then, can be defined as male centered ideology that reinforced traditional patriarchal views of a woman’s proper place as being in the home; and the only the proper woman could produce soldiers for the organic community. However, we cannot forget that these characteristics are the core of fascism and are always ...

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...tect’ their community in various ways. At first it wasn’t as radical. They promoted the women who qualified to fit into their ultranationalist community to be conscious consumers. This meant for them to buy products from members of their own race, even if that meant spending a few more dollars. Eventually they got more radical and proceeded with the sterilization of children born to undesired populations. Eventually, the desire of people from the proper race grew so strong that the SS went so far as to protect unwed mothers. This meant that they were willing to support women who were considered to be in their improper place in society because she had the right blood. There is a really interesting dynamic going on here. This reflects the fascist’s ability to rework some of the feature so their ideology as long as it met the goals of the core ideology.