Haleh Afshar

B. Agarwal

This book examines the contradictions between the prevailing ideologies and cultural practices and the economic interests of women in poor households in Asia. Here the primacy of economic needs necessitates that all members of the household, women, men and children engage in income generating employment; yet at the same time prevailing ideologies often impose restrictions on women's work. Thus caught in the poverty trap they face conflicting choices between survival needs and social acceptability. This collection of essays demonstrate the differing or complementary roles played by different agents such as the State, private employers, religious groups, the community and the family and their effects on the lives of impoverished women in India, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore. The degree of complementarity or contradiction varies according to country, class, caste and ethnicity. What is of interest, however, is the way they are manifested and in whose interest they are resolved.

Contradictory Pressures, Uneasy Resolutions

Women, Poverty and Ideology in Asia

Mary Maynard

During the past decade, feminism and women's studies have been forced to acknowledge the diversities of women's experiences, as well as the patriarchal oppression that they share. The emphasis on difference has shattered the illusion of homogeneity and sisterhood which previously characterized white, middle-class Westernized feminist politics and analysis.; There is relatively little work which concentrates on the inter-relationships of race and gender in general, and the consequences of racism, for women of different backgrounds, in particular. "The Dynamics of Race and Gender" aims to contribute to the debate and understanding in this area. Emphasis has been given to age, class, disability, race and sexuality. The contributors to this volume are from different religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, giving a balanced and broad ranging perspective on this important social question.; Organized around three main themes, which are; issues of theory and method, questions of identity, racism and sexism at work, the chapters of this book indicate how the processes of race and gender interrelate in highly complex and contradictory ways. Demonstrating the benefits to be gained from analysing the interplay of various axes of differentiation in specific empirical and historical locations, and in doing so, under- scoring the point that diversity among women cannot be seen as a static phenomenon.

Some Feminist Interventions

The Dynamics Of Race And Gender

The authors in this volume address the questions 'What is empowerment?' Is it power over resources? Is it the ability to create 'effective demand'? Is it about the ability to make choices? Is it about access to resources and how they are controlled, politically, economically, by NGOs, by political parties, by the state? Do political parties facilitate or do they channel energies away from empowerment? They evaluate how in different circumstances different political agents have been seen as provider of resources.

Illustrations from the Third World

Women and Empowerment

Carolyne Dennis

The Third World debt crisis, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's adjustment policies have compelled many countries to move towards a contraction of public sector expenditure in favour of market orientated development policies. Women in general and the poorest amongst them in particular have borne a disproportionate burden of the ensuing hardships. This book addresses the shortcomings in the current gender blind analytical frameworks of governments and financial organisations and offers alternative strategies for combating recession and poverty.

Women and Adjustment Policies in the Third World

Sharon Wray

Mary Ann Maynard

Myfanwy Franks

This volume is based on feminist qualitative research with older women, contextualised within current literature & debates in the field of social gerontology. The authors provide an overview of current knowledge & understanding about the circumstances & experiences of older people in relation to gender & ethnicity.

Exploring Race and Ethnicity

Women in Later Life

Women and Politics in the Third World is the first comprehensive textbook on women's political activities in the third world. It provides a feminist analytical perspective on the specific forms of resistance, organisation and negotiation by women in third world states. Using case studies, the book focuses on difference as a theoretical basis for investigating feminine political activism. Though Western analysts have attributed weakness to terms such as motherhood, marriage and domesticity, as choices made by non-Western women, the contributors show that such strategies are used by women to pursue particular goals such as seeking resources, welfare or freedom from oppression for their children. These strategies, the book suggests, should not be classified as unimportant or temporary and can be highly effective even within such discourses as Islamic fundamentalism. The contributors highlight differing political approaches in regions as diverse as Latin America, South East Asia, China and the Middle East.

Haleh Afshar

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