Brock University Speaker Series Event

Department of History Speaker Series, Fall 2024

Dr. Diana Cucuz, History, Toronto Metropolitan University/Brock University
"Winning Women’s Hearts and Minds: Selling Cold War Culture in the US and the USSR"

When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Where: Sankey Chamber

Light refreshments will be served.

Co-sponsors: Department of Communication, Popular Culture, and Film; Centre for Women's and Gender Studies; Ph.D. Program in Interdisciplinary Humanities

About the author: Dr. Diana Cucuz is a historian of post-World War II U.S., women's and cultural history, focusing on the intersections of foreign and domestic politics. She currently teaches at Toronto Metropolitan University and Brock University. Her talk will show how, during the Cold War, the U.S. government used popular magazines – deploying images of supposedly happy American wives, mothers, and homemakers living under capitalistic consumer culture – to convince Russian women of the superiority of the American way of life. More broadly, it will shed light on the significance of women, gender, and consumption to international politics, showing how U.S. foreign policy sought to destabilize the Soviet government not just through political and military means but also through cultural diplomacy.
About the talk: During the early Cold War, the U.S. government utilized print culture, both at home and abroad, to deploy images of supposedly happy American women as feminine wives, mothers and homemakers living under a capitalistic consumer culture. Through magazines such as Amerika, distributed in the Soviet Union throughout the duration of the Cold War, this talk will demonstrate how this “polite propaganda” was used to convince Russian “babushkas” of the superiority of the American way of life and, in the process, undermine a Soviet regime that promoted “gender equality” in place of the “special status” of American women. More broadly, it will shed light on the significance of women, gender, and consumption to international politics. Analyzing the Cold War through this unique lens reveals a broader U.S. foreign policy.

This event is part of 60 Research Talks at Brock, celebrating 60 years of impactful research at Brock University.
To RSVP, visit : History Speaker Series: Winning Women's Hearts and Minds by Dr. Diana Cucuz - ExperienceBU or contact Melissa Vanatte: [email protected]

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Canada