Luiza Sydorova

Luiza studied political science and economics at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. She also completed her Master’s degree in Political Science at FAU. Her master thesis focused on Antifeminism of the New Right in Germany. Her research interests include gender studies, postcolonialism and eastern europe.

Project: Form and function of the sentimental in the negotiation process of gender relations in Ukraine after the Russian invasion

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 marks a profound social turning point that is also significantly changing gender relations. This research project examines this change from the perspective of sentimentality as a discursive and social phenomenon. While classic role patterns dominated at the beginning of the war – women and children fleeing, men fighting – an increasing questioning of traditional gender roles became apparent as the war progressed. The focus is on Ukrainian discourse, which is characterized on the one hand by the construction of national identity and on the other by a conscious differentiation from Russian values. The latter favors progressive developments, such as the growing social acceptance of the LGBTQ+ movement. The sentimental dimension proves to be a central means of interpreting and controlling social change. Using critical discourse analysis, the project analyzes the role of sentimentality in the context of war, identity and gender. The aim is to open up new perspectives for interdisciplinary gender studies and to shed new light on the historical tension between the national question and the question of women.