Women and Politics in the Third World provides a feminist analytical perspective on the forms of resistance, organisation and negotiation by women in Third World states, including regions as diverse as Latin America and the Middle East.

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.

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This work provides a feminist analytical perspective on the specific forms of resistance, organization and negotiation by women in Third World States. Using case studies, it focuses on difference as a theoretical basis for investigating feminine political activism. Arguing that Western analysts have attributed weakness to terms such as motherhood, marriage and domesticity as choices made by non-western women, it shows 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 to this volume have embarked on a path which higlights differing political approaches in regions as diverse as Latin America, South-East Asia, China and the Middle East. It aims to be of use to students wishing to understand the diversities and complexities of women's political participation in these areas.

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.

The authors in this volume address the question '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.

The authors in this volume address the question '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.

This book offers both theoretical perspectives and detailed examples which provide the analytical frameworks chosen by the Middle Eastern women themselves to explain the strategies they have chosen for liberation. The studies deal with Islam and its impact on personal and public lives of women in the region as well as their political struggles for liberation both internally and internationally.

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.

This book addresses itself to the relationship between the ideological and material which has long occupied a primary place in Marxist scholarship and is seen to be of central importance to feminist analysis. This book looks at some aspects of the debate in the context of Asia. In particular, it examines the role that ideology can play both as a disabling and an enabling factor in the lives of women seeking to earn a livliehood for themselves and their families under conditions of poverty. The case studies relate to a mixed set of Asian countries, with an associated diversity of cultural and economic conditions. Haleh Afshar is also editor of "Iran: A Revolution in Turmoil", "Women and Ideology" and "Women, State and Ideology". Bina Agarwal is editor of "Structures of Patriarchy: State, Community and Household in Modernising Asia" and author of "Mechanisation in Indian Agriculture" and "Cold Hearths and Barren Slopes: The Woodfuel Crisis in the Third World".

This book addresses itself to the relationship between the ideological and material which has long occupied a primary place in Marxist scholarship and is seen to be of central importance to feminist analysis. This book looks at some aspects of the debate in the context of Asia.;In particular, it examines the role that ideology can play both as a disabling and an enabling factor in the lives of women seeking to earn a livliehood for themselves and their families under conditions of poverty.;The case studies relate to a mixed set of Asian countries, with an associated diversity of cultural and economic conditions.;Haleh Afshar is also editor of "Iran: A Revolution in Turmoil", "Women and Ideology" and "Women, State and Ideology". Bina Agarwal is editor of "Structures of Patriarchy: State, Community and Household in Modernising Asia" and author of "Mechanisation in Indian Agriculture" and "Cold Hearths and Barren Slopes: The Woodfuel Crisis in the Third World".

List of Contents - List of Tables - Acknowledgements - Notes on the Contributors - Introduction - PART 1 DUALISTIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - Economic Development and Revolutionary Upheavals in Iran; M.H.Pesaran - The Impact of the Urban Per Capita on Agricultural Output: A Case Study; K.Afshar - An Assessment of Agricultural Development Policies in Iran; H.Afshar - Tribes, State in Iran: From Pahlavi to Islamic Republic; R.Fazel - Iran's Petroleum Policy: How does the Oil Industry Function in Revolutionary Iran? F.Fesharaki - PART 2 POLITICS OF DISSENT AND THE ARMED FORCES - The Crown in Iranian Politics, 1905-1953; E.Abrahamian - The Guerrilla Movement in Iran, 1963-1977; E.Abrahamian - The Army; H.Afshar - PART 3 THE ISLAMIC REVOLUTION - The Nature of the Islamic Revolution; M.Motahari - The Iranian Theocracy; H.Afshar - Epilogue - Index