Series editors: Sue Scott, Newcastle University and Stevi Jackson, Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York
Presenting high-quality research from established scholars and early-career researchers, the Gender and Sociology series is aimed at an international audience of academics and students who are interested in gender across the social science disciplines, particularly in sociology.
Forthcoming in the series:
North Korean Female Defectors, Human Rights Violations and Activism
Lim Hyun-Joo
Out now in the series:
Chinese Men’s Practices of Intimacy, Embodiment and Kinship Crafting Elastic Masculinity
Siyang Cao
Austerity, Women and the Role of the State Lived Experiences of the Crisis
Vicki Dabrowski
Sharing Milk Intimacy, Materiality and Bio-Communities of Practice
Shannon Carter and Beatriz M. Reyes-Foster
Work, Labour and Cleaning The Social Contexts of Outsourcing Housework
Lotika Singha
Susanne Y. P. Choi, Chinese University of Hong Kong
Meihua Chen, National Sun Yat Sen University, Taiwan
Sara Crawley, South Florida University, US
James Farrer, Sophia University, Japan
Nayoung Lee, Chung Ang University, South Korea
Nishi Mitra, TISS, Mumbai, India
Pei Yuxin, Sun Yat Sen University, China
Kopano Ratele, UNISA/MRC, South Africa
Rosemary Du Plessis, Canterbury University, New Zealand
Ann Phoenix, University College London, UK
Ayse Saktanber, Middle East Technical University Ankara, Turkey
Momin Rahmin, Trent University, Canada
Raffaella Ferrero Camoletto, University of Turin, Italy
Elina Oinas, University of Helsinki, Finland
Miriam Adelman, Federal University of Paraná, Brazil
Kristen Schilt, University of Chicago, US
Find out more at
bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/gender-and-sociology
An Ethnography of Resistance and Resources
Inna Perheentupa
Bristol University Press
University of Bristol
1–9 Old Park Hill
Bristol
BS2 8BB
UK
t: +44 (0)117 374 6645
e: bup-info@bristol.ac.uk
Details of international sales and distribution partners are available at bristoluniversitypress.co.uk
© Bristol University Press 2022
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-5292-1696-7 hardcover
ISBN 978-1-5292-1697-4 ePub
ISBN 978-1-5292-1698-1 ePdf
The right of Inna Perheentupa to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved: no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of Bristol University Press.
Every reasonable effort has been made to obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted material. If, however, anyone knows of an oversight, please contact the publisher.
The statements and opinions contained within this publication are solely those of the author and not of the University of Bristol or Bristol University Press. The University of Bristol and Bristol University Press disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any material published in this publication.
Bristol University Press works to counter discrimination on grounds of gender, race, disability, age and sexuality.
Cover design by blu inc
Front cover image: aniaostudio – istockphoto.com
Bristol University Press uses environmentally responsible print partners
Printed and bound in Great Britain by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
- 1Introduction: Feminist Resistance in Russia 1
- 2Civic Activism and Feminist Politics in Russia 23
- 3Feminists Repairing the Self and Society 41
- 4Activists Negotiating the Politics of Space 70
- 5Epistemic Resources and Struggles 99
- 6Mediatized Manifestations of Feminism 123
- 7Resources and Their Effect on Feminist Resistance 148
| CSM | Committee of Soldiers’ Mothers |
| KGB | Komitet Gosudarstvennoi Bezopasnosti [Committee for State Security] |
| LGBTQ | lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer |
| NGO | non-governmental organization |
| ROC | Russian Orthodox Church |
| WR | Women of Russia |
First and foremost, I must thank all the feminists, activists and others who shared their stories and time with me in St Petersburg and Moscow between 2015 and 2018. This work would not have been possible without these individuals, who agreed to meet me and took me to meetings, rehearsals and backstages. I am greatly indebted to all who shared their insights with me. You taught me a lot, and inspired a thought process far beyond the confines of this book.
Numerous people helped me get started with this study. In particular, I wish to express my enormous gratitude to Elena Zdravomyslova, Anna Temkina, Ekaterina Borozdina, Irina Iukina, Olga Burmakova and Antti Rautiainen.
This book would have not been written without the immense support of my PhD supervisors, Suvi Salmenniemi, Salla Sariola and Mari Toivanen. Through their brilliant questions and encouragement, they helped me to bring together my dissertation and ultimately turn it into this book. Thank you so much. I am also grateful to the department of sociology at the University of Turku, and especially Hannu Ruonavaara, for hosting me for the period of my PhD project, and to Bruce Grant, my host for my visit to New York University, who made my writing retreat a pleasure. I also thank my PhD examiners, Julie Hemment and Eeva Luhtakallio, for their brilliant suggestions to improve my dissertation.
In addition, I extend my thanks to Anni Kangas, Daria Krivonos, Laura Kemppainen, Emma Lamberg, Harley Bergroth and Saara Ratilainen for their numerous constructive comments and support, and for sharing the joys and woes of academic life. Likewise, I express my gratitude to Masha Godovannaya, Anna Avdeeva, Pauliina Lukinmaa, Alisa Zhabenko, Julia Gataulina, Vikki Turbine, Laurie Essig, Elisa Pascucci, Kia Andell, Joni Jaakola, Henri Koskinen, Johanna Nurmi, Tatiana Tiainen-Qadir, Virve Peteri, Mary Patrick and Airi Leppänen for their support and comments on the various chapters. Julie Hemment, Valerie Sperling and Michele Rivkin-Fish provided me with invaluable comments during the process of turning the PhD into a book. Their immense expertise on the topics on which I write helped me crystallize my arguments for the book.
The long-term work required by ethnographic inquiry would have been impossible without stable funding. For this, I am greatly indebted to the Kone Foundation and the Academy of Finland for funding the projects Tracking the Therapeutic: Ethnographies of Wellbeing, Politics and Inequality (Academy of Finland), Therapeutic Knowledge and Selfhood in a Comparative Perspective (Kone Foundation) and Creating Spaces of Justice across the East-West Divide (Kone Foundation).
