Suchergebnisse

Examines the nature of gender differentiation in Euro-American cultures, focusing on gender relations in parenthood there & in Melanesian/West African societies to explore the use of "comparison" in Euro-American discourse. It is shown that, in Melanesian & West African societies, the sexes are divided into genders through singular divisions such that the assumption of one gender closes off the ability to assume attributes of the other. In contrast, it is suggested that Euro-American gender distinctions work through comparison, such that it becomes possible to think & talk about such things as equality between the sexes. The function of this comparative method is illustrated with reference to debates over the social implications of reproductive technology. It is concluded that, rather like the duplication of organs & substances in West African myths & rituals, gamete donation & surrogacy arrangements provide limiting cases for the kinds of comparisons through which Euro-Americans think about degrees of motherhood or fatherhood. 29 References. D. M. Smith

Argues that a gender-centered approach to issues of development avoids the pitfalls of economic determinism linked with the women-centered approach it superseded. Further, the gender & development approach avoids the effort of the women in development approach to fit all women, including those from developing countries, into predetermined categories based on linear, progressivist, Western views of modernization. However, it is noted that the implementation of specific development projects grounded in the gender & development approach has been difficult. Specific strategies in the areas of the environment & science & technology are discussed for integrating insights from the women in development approach into the gender & development approach so as to generate more implementable programs & policies. D. M. Smith

Investigates the question of how feminists can transform the gendered features of society to facilitate less discrimination. Analysis of the feminist perspective identifies two problematic presuppositions of their struggle with discrimination. A review of the problems of gender contextualizes an ontology based on a structured social reality of social positions, internal relations, systems & collectivities, & social process. Gender is theorized by the components of distinction between individuals with sexual characteristics, & mechanisms of differentiation. The possibility for emancipatory practice is constrained by a focus on one version of the good society. The feminist neglect of ontology in favor of epistemology needs to co-development both theoretical arenas to advance substantial analysis. References. J. Harwell

Examines the social construction of the terms "gender," "family," & "masculinities" & their dynamic interplay in traditional, early-modern, late-modern, & postmodern societies. Notions of masculinity in each period are discussed in relation to men's social & familial roles, noting shifting constructions of & the multiple faces of male identities. It is concluded that theory & research on gender relationships cannot be separated from that on family relationships. 13 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

Argues that gender should be incorporated into traditionally class-based analyses of urban politics, which are criticized for their epistemological & analytic limitations. The usefulness of the concept of gender is demonstrated in an analysis of the notion of citizenship, understood in relation to the political & economic structures in which it is engendered. It is contended that restructurings of local urban economies have specific gendered effects, which in turn expand or limit the capacity for full citizenship of men & women. Thus, a full understanding of the actual practice of citizenship requires attention to divisions in society based on gender. 42 References. D. M. Smith

Investigates the question of what determines whether a society is "gender just" in order to reconceptualize the term "gender justice" itself. Examination of the term gender offers a conceptualization that aims towards main stream questions beyond academic intellectual & disciplinary traditions. The complex multilayered phenomenon of gender is asserted to require an array of analytical tools to separate the layers, but in real life the workings of gender norms, stereotypes, institutions, & identity are in constant interaction. Current theorization of gender justice is inadequate in the arenas of capability & indefinite principles of justice. Three principles of gender justice capability are proposed as an "equality of opportunity theory" that will continue to record an account of gender justice into the future. References. J. Harwell

The role of race, ethnicity, & gender in the process of Australian nationalism is examined. Analysis of Australian nation building reveals the emergence of varied class, ethnic, & gender distinctions, but the blurring of distinctions in civil society through emphasis on binary category politics & state reliance on policies that depoliticize class & gender & privilege communal political power. The result is a politics of difference that isolates interest groups, pitting them against each other in competition for funding or political recognition. Unless Australia is to remain dominated by a white male elite, the nation-building process must acknowledge difference & specificity, located within relations of domination & resistance, but recognize that they only frame & do not determine people's identities or actions. Feminism in Australia & the relationships between women, class, & the international political economy are highlighted. 103 References. D. Generoli

Investigates the extent of gender segregation in US organizations, drawing on data from the 1991 National Organizations Study. Prior studies have concluded that gender segregation has been high across this century, though this research has been limited by its focus on gender composition across the entire society or by case studies of sex segregation within individual firms. Here, data indicate that gender job segregation is very high, with only 19% of occupations categorizable as gender balanced. Gender segregation is associated with lower earnings & career prospects for women. Personnel policies are a strong predictor of gender segregation, as establishments with formalized employment practices & stronger enforcement scrutiny demonstrate lower gender segregation. Organizational leadership is also associated with less gender segregation. Future research should analyze the roles of employee job search processes & employer hiring decisions in the creation of gender job segregation. 7 Tables, 2 Figures, 1 Appendix. D. M. Smith

Assesses how circumstances generated by the North American Free Trade Agreement have impacted gender regimes & raised political consciousness among women in Chiapas, Mexico, & the US-Mexican border. Information was drawn from research on globalization's potential to prompt social change in/among women; arguments about how women move from powerlessness to political awareness; & S. Sassen's (1996) concept of strategic sites of globalization. The conflict in Chiapas represents a confrontation between subsistence agriculture & the forces of globalization. It is shown that gender regimes were changed by the role of women in the Chiapas grassroots army where women make up a third of the force & are accepted as generals/military leaders. An examination of conditions along the US-Mexican border addresses the Coalition for Justice in the Maquiladoras; sexual harassment; & the emergence of political resistance by women concerned with such injustices as poor working conditions & the pregnancy test requirement for employment. It is concluded that globalization creates diverse gender regimes that have the potential to change the gender order of the entire society. J. Lindroth