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This article studies women's participation in the struggle against the dictatorship in Spain (from 1960 to 1975). Drawing on life stories of women activists from el Marco de Jerez, it examines their repertoires of actions, their frames, and the lack of recognition from both academic and political spheres. A Gramscian approach and the perspective of hegemonic masculinity contribute to explain how women organized, how represented their collective action, and why their memories have been silenced. The theoretical approach has helped to identify relations of hegemony within feminist studies and political movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this joint paper Laura Muñoz Pérez and Trevor Dadson will examine the possibilities women had when participating in the cultural life at court, showing the relationships of patronage between noblewomen, women writers and other writers, and how this was also a way of promotion. Tied in with this will be an examination of the role of noblewomen in society at large, in particular the fact that they had more power and influence than is usually ascribed to them, especially but not solely if they were widows, when they often ended up running vast estates in the name of their eldest son (if they had one). Also, as ladies at court (‘damas de la reina’) these noblewomen had another form of influence, as they often acted as the eyes and ears of their fathers, brothers and husbands. The largely female court established around the Empress María of Austria in the Descalzas Reales in the early seventeenth century has been the subject of study, but the royal court under Philip III and Philip IV and the powerful women there still requires attention. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the significance of ‘la cuestión femenina’ in La España Moderna (1889–1914). This prestigious cultural review, directed by José Lázaro Galdiano, sought to educate its readers about women, encouraging them to reflect upon their current situation and future role in Spanish society. The variety of articles published was impressively diverse, ranging from pieces on legal concerns, female criminals, scientific theories on women's inferiority and their situation in countries like Turkey and Japan. In publishing controversial articles by important feminists, including Emilia Pardo Bazán, Concepción Arenal and Adolfo Posada, the review proved to be fearless and advanced. However, Lázaro did not attempt to impose a single line of thought upon his readers and, to counterbalance such forward-looking views, the review also published articles by those who believed that feminismo was responsible for ‘la decadencia del hogar’. ‘La cuestión femenina’ was also presented in different genres, such as short stories and dictionaries, thereby making it more ‘digestible’ for those hostile to the topic. The role of the publication, thus, was to educate readers during the fin de siglo about all aspects of ‘la cuestión femenina’ in order to enable them to decide for themselves where their sympathies lay. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

AntonioBuero Vallejo (1916-2000) was a relentless critic of the Franco regime who commented on Spanish society in his theatre, both under Franco and after the dictator's death. With his activos and contemplativos, Buero created some of the greatest male characters in the Spanish theatre, and he captured the tragedy of a divided Spain by staging the dilemmas of individuals struggling to face both their own limitations and those imposed by society. Although Buero claimed that 'la mitad mejor del genero humano es la femenina' (de Paco, 1987), the world of his dramas, like the society reflected within them, is a patriarchal one and his depiction of women, particularly in the early plays, was often both romanticized and stereotyped. Noteworthy, however, is the shift that takes place in his later works, which feature female characters who, rather than figures defined by their relationships with men, are more complex individuals, capable of independent thought and action. This article explores the changing portrayal of women in the works of one of the most important dramatists of twentieth-century Spain and comments on how Buero's plays capture the shifting status of women in Spanish society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the cultural, social and political implications of the execution of thirteen women who belonged to the Juventud Socialista Unificada in Madrid, Spain in 1939. Political and social conditions; Prevalence of violence and terror; Participation of women in politics and society.