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From the
Foundations in Global Studies series, this student-friendly text presents a brief historical overview of women's status in the lead-up to the contemporary era and a brief history of women's and gender studies. Students are guided through the key concepts and the theoretical constructs that define the global context of women and gender, and and understanding of how theory meets reality. A final section uses case studies to examine theory and practice at work in particular situations across disciplines and across regions.
List of contents
1. Introduction
Part 1: Foundations 2. Background and History 3. Key Theories, Concepts, and Processes
Part 2: Conditions on the Ground 4. On Overview of Women in Today's World 5. Movements and Activism 6. Instruments, Organizations, Treaties 7. Debates and Controversies
Part 3: Theory and Practice at Work: Selected Case Studies
About the author
Manisha Desai is Associate Professor of Women's Studies and Sociology at University of Connecticut. She has served as the President of Sociologists for Women in Society and in addition to academic positions at UConn, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Manisha worked as the Senior Programm Specialist in the Gender Equity and Development Section of the Human Rights Division at UNESCO and served as the Sociologists for Women in Society's NGO representative to the United Nation's Economic and Social Council. Her areas of research include transnational feminisms, gender and globalization, social movements, women and human rights, contemporary Indian society, and South Asian Americans.
Summary
From the Foundations in Global Studies series, this student-friendly text follows a three-pronged approach. First, it presents foundational material that gives students the conceptual underpinnings required for rigorous analysis. This section opens with a brief historical overview of women’s status in the lead-up to the contemporary era and a brief history of women’s and gender studies. Following this, the text will then present key concepts and theoretical constructs that define the global context of women and gender, such as transnational feminisms, cultural agency, family organization, class structure, race, and ethnicity. The second part of the book examines the space where theory meets reality. It touches on such topics as the condition of women in today’s world, women’s roles in human rights and social justice movements, women and economic empowerment, international instruments and organizations dedicated to women’s issues, and the like. The third section employs case studies to examine theory and practice at work in particular situations. The case studies have been selected with an eye toward comprehensiveness of coverage across disciplines and across regions.
