What will I learn about: Socialism is broadly divided into authoritarian state socialism, like the former Eastern Bloc, and democratic socialism, currently practiced in Scandinavian countries?

Socialism is broadly divided into authoritarian state socialism, like the former Eastern Bloc, and democratic socialism, currently practiced in Scandinavian countries.

What will I learn about: State socialist regimes promoted women's economic independence by providing universal access to free childcare, healthcare, and higher education?

State socialist regimes promoted women's economic independence by providing universal access to free childcare, healthcare, and higher education.

What will I learn about: By guaranteeing employment and subsidizing basic needs, socialist systems reduced the financial pressure on women to remain in unsatisfying or unequal relationships?

By guaranteeing employment and subsidizing basic needs, socialist systems reduced the financial pressure on women to remain in unsatisfying or unequal relationships.

What will I learn about: Historical socialist policies led to significant gender breakthroughs in science and technology, exemplified by the USSR launching a woman into space 20 years before the United States?

Historical socialist policies led to significant gender breakthroughs in science and technology, exemplified by the USSR launching a woman into space 20 years before the United States.

What will I learn about: The argument for socialism for women centers on the idea that professional and romantic fulfillment are deeply tied to economic security and state-supported social welfare?

The argument for socialism for women centers on the idea that professional and romantic fulfillment are deeply tied to economic security and state-supported social welfare.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

And Other Arguments for Economic Independence

Kristen Ghodsee

★ 3.7 / 5(41 ratings)

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Categories:

Sex & Relationships Society & Culture

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡How did the division of Germany during the Cold War serve as a natural experiment revealing that women in socialist East Germany experienced significantly higher sexual satisfaction than those in capitalist West Germany?
💡What is the concept of 'statistical discrimination,' and how does it cause employers in capitalist societies to inadvertently trap women in a vicious cycle of lower pay and economic dependency?
💡Why does neoliberal capitalism essentially rely on women performing unpaid care-work, and how does the lack of state-supported childcare force mothers into an impossible choice between a 'resume gap' and working for virtually no take-home pay?

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Key Takeaways from Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

✓Socialism is broadly divided into authoritarian state socialism, like the former Eastern Bloc, and democratic socialism, currently practiced in Scandinavian countries.
✓State socialist regimes promoted women's economic independence by providing universal access to free childcare, healthcare, and higher education.
✓By guaranteeing employment and subsidizing basic needs, socialist systems reduced the financial pressure on women to remain in unsatisfying or unequal relationships.
✓Historical socialist policies led to significant gender breakthroughs in science and technology, exemplified by the USSR launching a woman into space 20 years before the United States.
✓The argument for socialism for women centers on the idea that professional and romantic fulfillment are deeply tied to economic security and state-supported social welfare.

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Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

Types of Socialism+

Capitalist & Neoliberal Failures+

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Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

What is the author's primary stance on the different forms of socialism discussed in the book?

A. Society should aim to exactly replicate the state socialism of the Cold War-era Eastern Bloc.
B. We should reject both state and democratic socialism in favor of a completely unregulated free market.
C. We should learn from the successes of state socialism while ultimately aiming for democratic socialism.
D. Democratic socialism is a failed experiment, and only state socialism can guarantee women's equality.

Question 2 of 8

How did state socialist governments historically promote women's inclusion in the economy?

A. By implementing universal basic income that allowed women to stay home comfortably.
B. By guaranteeing employment and providing free public services like childcare and healthcare.
C. By legally banning men from occupying high-paying fields like medicine and engineering.
D. By paying women a significantly higher minimum wage than men to offset historical inequalities.

Question 3 of 8

What does 'statistical discrimination' refer to in the context of women's employment under capitalism?

A. Employers offering women lower pay because they statistically assume women are more likely to quit due to childbirth.
B. The statistical tendency for women to voluntarily choose lower-paying fields like education and care-work.
C. Government economic data that intentionally underreports the number of women in leadership positions.
D. The statistical proof that women are less productive than men in high-stress corporate environments.

Question 4 of 8

What is the 'double burden' that many working mothers face under capitalism?

A. Having to pay both high income taxes and exorbitant premiums for family healthcare.
B. Balancing the expectations of their corporate employers with the demands of their aging parents.
C. Having to earn twice as much as their male counterparts to be considered for corporate promotions.
D. Completing a paid job at work and then returning home to do a second, unpaid job as the primary caregiver.

Question 5 of 8

Under neoliberal capitalism, what tough dilemma do working mothers often face regarding childcare?

A. They must choose between sending their kids to low-quality public daycares or homeschooling them.
B. They must either suffer a 'résumé gap' by quitting work, or spend almost all their earnings on expensive private daycare.
C. They must choose between working multiple part-time jobs or relying entirely on government welfare.
D. They are forced to rely on their extended family for childcare because private daycares are heavily restricted by the government.

Question 6 of 8

Why does neoliberal capitalism inherently benefit from women doing unpaid care-work?

A. It allows private enterprises to secure a future workforce without the government or corporations having to pay for childcare.
B. It artificially inflates the GDP by categorizing domestic labor as a taxable, heavily regulated service.
C. It forces women to buy more consumer goods and appliances to make their domestic lives easier.
D. It decreases the overall national unemployment rate by keeping women out of official labor statistics.

Question 7 of 8

According to the text, why have Scandinavian democratic socialist countries succeeded in placing women in high corporate and political positions?

A. They rely on the goodwill of private enterprises to voluntarily promote women to executive boards.
B. They offer massive tax breaks to companies that can prove they have hired female executives.
C. They implement mandatory quotas reserving a specific percentage of leadership seats for women.
D. They have eradicated all traditional gender roles through strict, state-mandated education programs.

Question 8 of 8

According to studies comparing East and West Germany, why did East German women report having better and more satisfying sex?

A. The East German government mandated relationship counseling and sexual education for all married couples.
B. East German culture placed a much higher cultural emphasis on sexual liberation and erotic media consumption.
C. East German women worked fewer hours on average, giving them significantly more free time for romantic relationships.
D. Economic independence meant East German women could easily leave unsatisfying marriages, incentivizing men to be better, more attentive partners.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2“Socialism” can mean state socialism or democratic socialism, and we can learn from both while striving for the latter.
3Under state socialism, women gained from policies and programs that promoted their participation in the economy.
4Under capitalism, statistical discrimination results in women being paid less on average than men.
5Work interruptions and double burdens further worsen women’s economic positions under capitalism.
6Under capitalism, mothers must either keep working or face the consequences of a résumé gap.
7Neoliberalism forces individuals to fend for themselves, putting women at a disadvantage.
8Leaving people exposed to market forces leaves women exposed to gender discrimination.
9Quotas have helped democratic socialist countries secure equal representation of women in power.
10Neoliberal capitalism profits from women’s unpaid care-work.
11Women’s unequal standing under neoliberal capitalism harms their relationships with male partners.
12Research shows women enjoyed better sex in socialist East Germany than in capitalist West Germany.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Summary & Overview

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism (2018) makes an argument that’s even more provocative than its title suggests. More than just better sex, it claims that women have better lives in general under socialism. To prove this claim, it compares and contrasts women’s lives under state socialism, democratic socialism, and neoliberal capitalism.

Who Should Listen to Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism?

Socialists wanting ammunition for their next argument
Capitalists wanting food for thought
Women and men wanting a fresh take on gender equality

About the Author: Kristen Ghodsee

Kristen R. Ghodsee is a professor of Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She has conducted extensive research on gender, socialism, and post-socialist life in Eastern Europe, and has written six scholarly books on these topics. She has also written articles and essays for publications such as The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Jacobin, and Dissent.

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism — Full Chapter Overview

Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism?

About the Author: Kristen Ghodsee

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