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Examines the continually shifting meanings of masculinity as a function of social construction processes across time & cultures, focusing on the role of homophobia in structuring & maintaining dominant masculinities. Classical social & political theories are analyzed to reveal their constructions of both hegemonic & alternative masculinities, & the development of different models of manhood since the late 18th century is chronicled, including the "genteel patriarch," the "heroic artisan," & the "marketplace man" of urban capitalism. The function of masculinity as a "repudiation" of the feminine is discussed, focusing on the equation of maleness with heterosexuality. The role of homophobia in perpetrating forms of oppression, eg, sexism, racism, & heterosexism, is also examined. 35 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

An introductory chapter looks at the dynamic nature of gender concepts, stressing that gender constructions can only be understood in relation to historical, cultural, social, political, & religious contexts. It is maintained that this collection goes beyond examinations of women's roles in various settings, or representations of gender in narrative contexts, to focus on the intersection of gender & religious identities in India, as well as the relation of the complex notion of gender identity with cultural & religious ideas about sexuality. It is noted that most of the essays grew out of a 1996 conference at the U of London on "Gender, Religion, & Social Definition." Although the contributors employ different methodologies & frameworks to explore gender in varied socioreligious contexts, the papers focus on one theme or an intersection of two themes: gender identity & gendered discourse. The studies include investigations of gendered constructs in ancient traditions/texts like the Indian vedic grammars, folk narratives, contemporary possession rituals, & urban communal violence. A synopsis of each essay is included. 79 References. J. Lindroth

Discusses recent theoretical accounts of gender development in the UK, drawing on illustrations from the secondary literature. A key aspect of these theories is their nearly complete ignorance of race & class. Racism & class oppression have meant that black children grow up knowing that their parents are in a qualitatively different social position than their white counterparts. This knowledge crucially shapes their acquisition of gender identity. Theories of gender development that do not consider this process are necessarily partial. To rectify this, they need to recognize the existence of different forms of household organizations than the nuclear family & of different experiences of people of different colors & class backgrounds. Part of this process will involve a greater appreciation of the role of structural factors in the operation of gender development. 12 References. D. Ryfe

Argues for a departure from the dualistic thinking of many radical & Marxist feminists to a conception of power & its operation as seen through a critical reading of Michel Foucault. It is suggested that such an analysis may lead to a better understanding of the perpetuation of sex inequality & male domination. It is contended that an examination of the problems of gender differentiation & sex inequality are limited by theorizing from a position of fixed meanings. A discussion of French feminist literature illustrates the potential of poststructuralist reports in addressing the problems of gender inequality & sexual difference without regard to dualist or essentialist arguments. 50 References. M. Greenberg

Viewing masculinity as an "ideology produced by men as a result of the threat posed to the survival of the patriarchal sexual division of labor by the rise of modernity," the "crisis" of masculinity is explored as a function of its socially constructed nature. It is argued that the material progress of modernity has created an atmosphere in which women are demanding & attaining equality. The widely accepted belief in masculinity as a gender identity specific to men that imbues power, privilege, resources, & status is likewise being challenged both in theory & in practice. Evidence of the ideological & material weakening of patriarchy is presented, & attributed to the rise of modern capitalism & its underlying liberal political philosophy. Such shifts in dominant conceptualizations of masculinity are encouraged, & directions for a new politics of identity are outlined. 2 Tables, 1 Figure, 35 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

The influence of Algerian settler society & of the elaboration of Algerian nationalist discourse on the formation of gender identity in Algeria is examined through analysis of French settler colonization of Algeria, 1830-1962. Analysis centers on the experiences of the European settler &, Jewish, Arab, & Berber ethnic/racial groups, & emphasizes four dimensions of the settler experience in Algeria: (1) the ethnic & class structure before & during colonization & the impact of the interwoven & mutually reinforcing elements of class & ethnic divisions & alliances on the struggle for political & economic power; (2) the colonizers' definition of citizenship & the impact of racial & religious dichotomies on the construction of collective identities & different national projects; (3) the impact of women's subjectivity/agency on their resistance or reproduction of ethnic, religious, class, &/or racial role expectations; & (4) the impact of precolonial, colonial, & postcolonial diversities on the women's movement. 26 References. D. Generoli

Draws on interviews with leadership, textual analysis, & participant observation to examine the extent to which the conservative Concerned Women for America (CWA) & the Independent Women's Forum (IWF) rely on the gender identity-political representation relationship in pursuit of their goals. An overview of the CWA & IWF is provided, highlighting their essentialist worldviews, & variations in their conservative ideologies are illustrated. The concepts of descriptive & substance representation underpin a discussion of the forms that gender identity take in theses organizations' efforts. It is contended that their representational approach hinges on the fact that they are countermovement women's organizations; ie, they employ the successful strategies of their opponents: feminists. In competing with feminists over who legitimately represents women, the CWA & IWF co-opt the feminist strategies of collective action & positioning women in leadership roles; making representative claims as women is critical to them. Gender identity is thus salient to these groups; however, as countermovement organizations, invocation of gender identity is mediated by other influences. The CWA's & IWF's engagement in feminist strategies & need to appeal to conservative constituencies clash, producing paradoxes in their identity politics. At times, both organizations eschew gender identity in favor of a conservative ideology that, eg, criticizes the identity-interest relationship. Appealing to gender identity allows the CWA & IWF to legitimate their representation of women's interests & to challenge feminists, while at the same time supporting the feminist contention that women's issues & interests are politically relevant. J. Zendejas

Introduces a Vol of nine Chpts (each abstracted) by providing a theoretical & political context for issues raised by recent changes in & challenges to the political project of feminism. The central idea of a shared oppression uniting women in their struggle for liberation informed second-wave feminism of the 1960s & 1970s, which tended to concentrate on social structures that universally disadvantaged women, regardless of class, race, or sexual differences. This ignorance of difference eventually led to the assertion of radical difference in postmodernist & poststructuralist feminist thought. These new strands of theory were anchored in a wider challenge to Western philosophical thought that revealed the gendered nature of the dichotomies that structure it. Two particular claims were stressed by poststructural feminists: that all knowledge was partial & relative to the social construction of experience. Thus, recent feminist work is described as emphasizing the local & cultural variability of gender in all its forms. Others have focused on the nature of power as ambivalent & negotiated rather than imposed from one group onto another. With a focus on identity issues in the context of practicing feminism, contributions address the significance of women's agency & sense of active subjectivity as well as notions of identity construction in power relations. 85 References. D. M. Smith

Chronicles the development of the lesbian & gay movement in VT, focusing on activists' pursuit of a politics of recognition based on identity as a minority group. Data are drawn from movement documents, informant interviews, secondary sources, & activist accounts. A distinction is made between ethnic identity & queer strategies of identity construction in the political realm, comparing their "essentialist" vs "antinormalizing" tendencies. The intersection between the law, the state, & identity construction is examined, demonstrating how it contributed to overcoming diversity & binding gay & lesbian social movements into a cross-gender alliance for homosexual rights beginning in the early 1980s. 1 Table. K. Hyatt Stewart

Chronicles the development of the lesbian & gay movement in VT, focusing on activists' pursuit of a politics of recognition based on identity as a minority group. Data are drawn from movement documents, informant interviews, secondary sources, & activist accounts. A distinction is made between ethnic identity & queer strategies of identity construction in the political realm, comparing their "essentialist" vs "antinormalizing" tendencies. The intersection between the law, the state, & identity construction is examined, demonstrating how it contributed to overcoming diversity & binding gay & lesbian social movements into a cross-gender alliance for homosexual rights beginning in the early 1980s. 1 Table. K. Hyatt Stewart

An introductory chapter notes that the aim of the book is to incorporate gender analysis into a critical study of the processes of globalization & democratization. Robert Connell's (1987) concept of gender as an active process that creates divisions of labor, power, emotions, identity, behavior, & dress is used to show how economic aspects of 20th-century globalization have impacted gender relations. "Full" democracy is described as one in which institutionalized gender regimes are truly egalitarian. The complex relationship between globalization & democratization is discussed to contend that globalization represents economic forces that change both the division of labor between the sexes & the nature of the state. The contributors give considerable attention to tensions that exist between gender regimes that determine work relations & those that operate within the family. The interdisciplinary essays offer regional perspectives on varied characteristics of globalization & address contradictions generated by the link between globalization & democratization as social movements. Case studies from around the world assess the prospects for gender regime change & increased democratization. J. Lindroth

Points out the irony in claims of poststructuralist theories of identity construction that omit a comparable genealogy of construction theories specifically conceptualized as white identity. This leads to a cultural studies proposition that, while gender & race of the Other are discursive constructions, whiteness is not. A similar void surrounding construction of white identity is noted in the work of critical feminists & postcolonial poststructuralists. Mutually reinforcing categories of Otherness & whiteness are drawn from the works of Franz Fanon (1967) & Toni Morrison (1989) to develop a different theoretical framework for studying whiteness, arguing that both white & Other are able to author the construction of whiteness. This framework is applied to three popular culture films that reflect whiteness in relation to Others in different cultural political contexts: David Lean's Passage to India; Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing; & Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves. How these films construct whiteness in the modalities of dialectics, synchronous, & syncretic identities is examined. 29 References. J. Lindroth