| Abstract: | This article constructs a picture of change and stasis in cultures of gender in Latvia and theorizes the effect of these gender cultures on practices of family formation in the early post-communist period. Drawing in particular on women's perspectives, it offers an analysis grounded in gender and culture of the decline of marriage and the rise of non-marital births. The work argues that a narrative of male ‘marriageability’ has evolved as a component of feminine gender culture and offers one possible lens for analyzing post-communist demographic changes. While this research focuses on Latvia, the demographic trends noted have also characterized neighboring states. |
