The chapters in this collection are based on qualitative fieldwork studies and collectively offer the reader a perspective on women, work, and gender relations that is at once multidisciplinary and feminist. Women's work in the household, agriculture, industry, and in the so-called informal sector is explored with a concern for the ways in which gender, class, and ethnicity are constructed by the larger socioeconomic structures in which women live. By taking concrete analyses of women's lives as their point of departure, the contributors to this volume strive to bridge the gap between socio-economic structure of the society and the actual circumstances in which women find themselves. In this way, readers and scholars alike are better able to untangle the complex dynamics of gender relations and to develop strategies for social change.

Feminist scholars have shown that women have a long history of productive work outside the home, and current research has focussed on the distinct nature of women's work and the role of women in the workforce. While much attention has been given to industrialized nations, this volume provides a comprehensive bibliographic record of books, articles, dissertations, and audiovisual sources on women and work in developing countries.

The first chapter of the book provides entries for general works and for works of a theoretical nature, and is divided into sections on the global economy, theoretical considerations, and methodological concerns. Other chapters are devoted to particular geographic areas and include sections on introductory works; the social construction of gender; development policies; work and family issues; women's experience of wage-work; work in rural areas; and the efforts of women to promote change. Each entry is accompanied by a descriptive annotation. The last chapter is on audio-visual resources, and the volume concludes with an appendix of organizations and research institutions.

This reference volume reflects the changing world of work. It includes research on the various dimensions of work, such as the structure of the labour force, labour market segmentation, technology, employment/unemployment, trade unions, and industrial democracy. This book provides an integrated view of the various dimensions of work, its distinguishing characteristics and issues both peculiar, as well as common to industrialized countries. By adopting an interdisciplinary and interactional perspective, this volume provides the scholar and the lay reader with a range of approaches and debates that have made a significant contribution toward understanding the changing nature of work and its social impact.

This reference volume reflects the changing world of work. It includes research on the various dimensions of work, such as the structure of the labour force, labour market segmentation, technology, employment/unemployment, trade unions, and industrial democracy. This book provides an integrated view of the various dimensions of work, its distinguishing characteristics and issues both peculiar, as well as common to industrialized countries. By adopting an interdisciplinary and interactional perspective, this volume provides the scholar and the lay reader with a range of approaches and debates that have made a significant contribution toward understanding the changing nature of work and its social impact.