Age and gender roles Fascism

members of piccole italiane, organization girls within national fascist party in italy



members of league of german girls, organization girls within nazi party in germany

fascism emphasizes youth both in physical sense of age , in spiritual sense related virility , commitment action. italian fascists political anthem called giovinezza ( youth ). fascism identifies physical age period of youth critical time moral development of people affect society.

italian fascism pursued called moral hygiene of youth, particularly regarding sexuality. fascist italy promoted considered normal sexual behaviour in youth while denouncing considered deviant sexual behaviour. condemned pornography, forms of birth control , contraceptive devices (with exception of condom), homosexuality , prostitution deviant sexual behaviour, although enforcement of laws opposed such practices erratic , authorities turned blind eye. fascist italy regarded promotion of male sexual excitation before puberty cause of criminality amongst male youth, declared homosexuality social disease , pursued aggressive campaign reduce prostitution of young women.

mussolini perceived women s primary role child bearers , men, warriors—once saying: war man maternity woman . in effort increase birthrates, italian fascist government gave financial incentives women raised large families , initiated policies intended reduce number of women employed. italian fascism called women honoured reproducers of nation , italian fascist government held ritual ceremonies honour women s role within italian nation. in 1934, mussolini declared employment of women major aspect of thorny problem of unemployment , women, working incompatible childbearing . mussolini went on solution unemployment men exodus of women work force .

the german nazi government encouraged women stay @ home bear children , keep house. policy reinforced bestowing cross of honor of german mother on women bearing 4 or more children. unemployment rate cut substantially, through arms production , sending women home men take jobs. nazi propaganda promoted premarital , extramarital sexual relations, unwed motherhood , divorce, @ other times nazis opposed such behaviour.

the nazis decriminalized abortion in cases fetuses had hereditary defects or of race government disapproved of, while abortion of healthy pure german, aryan fetuses remained strictly forbidden. non-aryans, abortion compulsory. eugenics program stemmed progressive biomedical model of weimar germany. in 1935, nazi germany expanded legality of abortion amending eugenics law, promote abortion women hereditary disorders. law allowed abortion if woman gave permission , fetus not yet viable , purposes of so-called racial hygiene.

the nazis said homosexuality degenerate, effeminate, perverted , undermined masculinity because did not produce children. considered homosexuality curable through therapy, citing modern scientism , study of sexology, said homosexuality felt normal people , not abnormal minority. open homosexuals interned in nazi concentration camps.