Women, Power, and Kinship Politics - Female Power in Post-War Philippines

Politics in the Philippines is not male-dominated, but gendered. This book examines how women hold power unofficially through their kinship ties with male politicians. Examining the perspectives of local concepts of power, the author explores gender and power in post-war Philippines and characterizes kinship politics embedded in the predominate political culture.

Women's power is a site where the conflict between the two discourses of kinship politics and modern nationalist values is daily contested. Unofficial women's power is resourced through kinship politics, but because it is exercised behind the scenes it makes women vulnerable to criticisms that they are manipulative or scheming, wielding power that is illegal, undemocratic, anti-nationalist and unaccountable. But, at the other end of the equation, women's crusades against graft and corruption is doubly legitimized through both the modern discursive prioritizing of the nation-state and through women's traditional gendered roles as moral guardians. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in Philippine studies, Southeast Asian history, gender studies, women and power in Asia, and feminist studies.

List of contents

Illustrations
Introduction: Toward Engendering Philippine Post-War History and Politics
Power Outside the Symbols of Power
Women Politicians: Equal but Different?
Women in Radical Politics
Beauty Queen, Moral Guardian, Inang Bayan, and Militant Nun: Images of Female Power
Conclusion: Empowering Women
Bibliography
Index

About the author

MINA ROCES is Senior Lecturer in the School of Humanities at Central Queensland University in Australia.

Product details

• Authors: Mina Roces, Roces Mina
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Languages: English
• Age Recommendation: ages 7 to 17
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 26.05.1998
• EAN: 9780275960063
• ISBN: 978-0-275-96006-3
• No. of pages: 232
• Weight: 539 g
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Sociology / Marriage & Family, POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Feminism & Feminist Theory, POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Asian, HISTORY / Asia / Southeast Asia, Political science & theory, Sociology: family & relationships, Feminism & feminist theory, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, Philippines, Asian History, Political science and theory, Feminism and feminist theory, Sociology: family and relationships, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period), Politics, Law, and Government: Comparative Politics